BY Kathy Crosett
As the year-end approaches, it’s time to work with your clients about how to reach their goals. They are likely striving to have a strong finish this year and start the new year with the right strategy. They need the best local advertising campaigns. We have fresh data for you to share with them.
Media Sales for the Rest of this Year
In our recent webinar with BIA, we shared data points from our State of Media Sales survey. For the rest of this year, strong categories for media sellers include:
- Home improvement services
- Senior/Assisted living operators
- Restaurants and food
While sellers of traditional media will find opportunity in those verticals, BIA predicts that sellers of OTT/CTV will likely generate $372 million in ad sales from local health care operators.
In addition, TV OTA and radio sellers will likely have a strong fourth quarter in the direct health and medical insurance sector. This projection makes sense as health insurance companies target consumers who must make a selection during the annual open enrollment period.
Keep in mind that AdMall’s AudienceSCAN profiles include Potential Health Insurance Switchers and Health Insurance Buyers. These profiles contain all the data you need to understand the types of advertising that attracts these consumers and when they watch TV.
Media Sales for 2026
In our survey, 58% of managers reported their optimism for 2026. Specifically, home improvement services and health care services stand out as strong verticals for sellers. With AdMall, you can generate profiles for multiple audiences in the home improvement sector.
Political organizations will be major media buyers in the coming year. BIA data indicates that TV OTA sellers may generate $2.8B in revenue from these buyers. And CTV/OTT operators will likely sell close to $1B in placements from political buyers.
To learn about the kind of advertising that appeals to Frequent Voters and Every Election voters, review the profiles in AudienceSCAN.
The Outlook for B2B Operators
The best local advertising strategies will be required in the competitive B2B sector next year.
The latest research from SageFrog shows that as B2B marketers strive to meet goals in 2025, they’ve incorporated AI tools into their workflow. And, around 70% plan to increase their marketing budgets for 2026.
Looking for Leads
The top hoped-for outcome from B2B marketing investment is scoring more leads. 38% of surveyed businesses struggle with a low volume of leads. Respondents to the 2026 B2B Marketing Survey by SageFrog indicate their top sources of leads come from specific channels:
- Distributed content or partner networks 36%
- Directories/sponsorships/industry listings 36%
- Email marketing 33%
- Events/tradeshows/webinars 28%
Social Media Leads
But those aren’t the only sources. The best local advertising also includes paid social media. This investment generates leads for up to 30% of B2B marketers. But it may not be what you think. Around 64% of B2B marketers report that LinkedIn Paid Ads is the top social tactic they invest in.
Many B2B operators share the opinion that LinkedIn is the place to be. The latest estimates project that LinkedIn ad spending will amount to $9.6B in 2026.
The site is far bigger than Reddit’s $2.2B in ad sales. But for many B2B buyers, it’s all about targeting and connecting with the right audience
Analysts note that Reddit is an emerging platform. SageFrog’s data indicates 23% of these businesses are paying for ads on the channel. Our research, the B2B BuyerSCAN survey, reveals that around 36% of senior decision-makers at businesses regularly use Reddit. Share that data point with your accounts.
Reaching Cloud Computer Services Customers
One of the hot B2B audiences next year will be Cloud Computer Services Customers. Demand for these services continues to grow. Around 26% of B2B decision-makers are in the market for cloud computing services. Your accounts won't be alone in chasing their customers.
Which ads drive them to take action? Paid search is a good bet as a form of best local advertising. Around 50% of these buyers pay attention to search ads.
Of course, your accounts want their prospects to do more than notice their ads. With the right content, your clients can obtain contact information from these buyers – the first step to leading them into the purchase funnel.
These buyers will give up their contact information for the following:
- Primary research relevant to their business 47%
- Insights on use of products to solve business problems 46%
But that’s only the first step. Finding a potential solution to their business problem is great, but buyers want to know about the company they’ll be doing business with.
Your account’s marketing and advertising must showcase specific aspects of the company:
- Leadership in the field 48%
- Superior customer experience 50%
Conclusion
Your accounts are looking to you for expert advice on the best local advertising. Show them how to grow their revenue by tapping into the market and audience data available in AdMall.
