The jobless rate is up again, Toyota’s issued a warning about a $5 billion operating loss, and a watchdog panel believes at least $78 billion in bailout money was wasted. But Yahoo wants advertisers to know the situation isn’t all bad.
A sort of pep talk post has appeared on the Yahoo Search Marketing Blog, with its main message being that people are still spending all sorts of time online. More time than ever, really, with eMarketer and TNS Global stats putting Americans fifth in the world in terms of leisure time spent online.
If you want more specific (though slightly dated) information, the post’s author, Noah Belson, also refers to a Center for the Digital Future report and notes, “This annual survey found that American Internet users spent an average of 15.3 hours per week online in 2007, compared with about nine hours the year before.”
So, as long as they’re not hawking customized Aston Martins or something similarly expensive, advertisers should have a very attentive audience of potential buyers.
Belson then concludes, “All signs indicate that 2009 will be a big year for online sales, so be sure that you’re ready to meet the demand. Write strong, precise ads, make sure those ads are specific to your keywords, call out your advantages (free shipping, etc.), and employ all of the strategies that can help make your ads stand out to users.”
