Analog TV is out; Internet marketing is in. Today is the last day to watch Oprah on your analog TV. If you are reading this blog, I am guessing this doesn’t effect you other than having to update your portable camp television so that you can watch college football games at the lake. However, you have seen all of the public service announcements and you will be paying, via taxes, for someone’s digital convert box.What does all this have to do with yellow pages and local search? Well, if someone does not have a digital television, they most likely do not have broadband Internet access or a computer. Do these people just live in the middle of nowhere? Well not necessarily, people in rural areas have satellite TV and even satellite Internet access. So, just being in the middle of Idaho does not preclude you from buying a digital television. It is probably more of an economic issue.
With bloggers and reporters posting their premature delusions that print is dead and yellow pages are obsolete and Google touting that brick and mortar businesses will rely heavily on the it’s internet local searchfor leads, it makes you wonder why digital TV is such a national crisis. Is America plugged in or not?
What does all of this have to do with local search? Well, in short, 1) local search is growing fast, 2)only the tech savvy minority of buyers have iPhones or smartphones; and yes, yellow pages are still very much alive. Unless a business sells only hi-tech wares, the savvy business owner will advertise in each medium to make sure his message reaches all potential buyers. While there is a person finding their next meal on Fast411.com using their iPhone, someone else is just getting their 20 year old Trinitron TV up to date with a digital TV converter box coupon.
