Online advertisers 'becoming more specific

28 Dec 2007 Online advertisers are beginning to rethink their strategies as internet users become better educated, a market analyst has claimed. Figures compiled by comScore Networks show that the amount of time web users are spending on portals such as Yahoo!, AOL and MSN is in decline, reports Investor's Business Daily. Martin Pyykkonen of Global Crown Capital said the figures were evidence that fewer consumers are entering the internet via the major portals and illustrated why advertisers are considering focusing their online campaigns on social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook. "Now you have a much smarter web user who goes to other sites directly. So advertisers recognise that, and therefore they are targeting more specific places to place their display ads," he told the news provider. A recent report by online market research company eMarketer predicted that global advertising spending on social networking sites during 2008 will be $2.1 billion (£1.05 billion), compared with $480 million last year.