Emerging channels may drive growth of online marketing platforms

As consumers increasingly use social platforms and their smartphones for product research, a recent study conducted by Borrell Associates indicates these channels may lead online marketing expenditures in 2011.

The ad agency anticipates that online ad spend will grow in 2011, from $45.6 billion to $51.9 billion. This growth is expected to be driven by increased interest in emerging and mobile platforms.

Looking to reach 178 million American internet users who watch online videos, marketers are expected to invest more than $5.6 billion on videos - up 60 percent from 2010. The user friendliness of the format is also enabling smaller businesses to take advantage of the large audience online video serves.

Meanwhile, Borrell also anticipates that mobile ad spend will rise as smartphone penetration increases. The firm projects one out of every five marketing dollars will be devoted to the mobile platform.

Research firm comScore recently reported that nearly 85 percent of the entire U.S. internet audience watched online videos. While Hulu delivered the most video ads, ad network Tremor Media reached the greatest number of American internet users.