Online Ad Spending Trumps Print

I’m addicted to the internet and I know I’m far from alone. Not only that, but last year I invested in a Kindle and donated over one hundred books from the bookshelves in my living room. Five years ago we stopped our subscription to the local newspaper because we watch the reports on TV and check out stories of interest online.

In this eco-chic society, I am apparently part of the masses that favors technology over print and it is reflected in current marketing numbers; for the first time in history online ad spending has surpassed the amount that advertisers shell out for print ads.

In 1742 Benjamin Franklin printed the first American magazine ads, so in light of the long history of advertising I find it monumental that online ad spending finally outnumbered the traditional form of reaching consumers.

Mashable Business posted a report conducted by eMarketer which stated that, “online advertising is expected to generate $39.5 billion in sales this year — a 23.3% increase from 2011 — compared to a sum of $33.8 billion on print.

“That’s impressive growth, especially since 2011 also witnessed a 23% jump in online ad spending, according to eMarketer’s calculations. Online ad revenues should continue to grow over the next half-decade, albeit at a more modest rate… Total online ad investment is projected to hit $62 billion by that time.”

Why am I mentioning this on a social fundraising blog? So many people are online that marketing professionals are investing a ton into this medium. Obviously if this is one of the best ways to reach new customers, it seems likely it’s also one of the best ways to attract new donors.

A couple of weeks ago Fundly held an informative webinar highlighting Google Grants and it seems to perfectly tie in to this story. Eric Facas, Founder and CEO of Mediacause.org and former member of Google’s ad service team, gave an exciting presentation sharing the perfect way for non-profits to get free online advertising. By typing in Google.com/grants, you can apply for an in-kind donation valued at $10,000 per month for three months in advertising funds to post your organization’s information on specific web searches that include your keywords. For example, if you run a homeless shelter and someone types in “homeless,” your ad will pop up next to the links that coincide with your topic.

The for-profit world knows that online promotions are the new way to attract more consumers to their products and its time that non-profits take notice. Online fundraising is here to stay. The staff at Fundly would love to partner with you to make the most of this incredible resource.