Newspaper advertising accounts for almost one-fourth of all advertising expenditures. The advertising revenues of magazines have been climbing dramatically since 1976. Direct-mail advertising is promotional material mailed directly to individuals. The effectiveness of direct-mail advertising can be measured easily because recipients either buy or don't buy the product. Outdoor advertising consists of short promotional messages on billboards, posters, and signs.
Television ranks second only to newspapers in total revenue.
The Internet is the newest advertising medium and is growing in popularity. There are five types of Internet advertisements. Banner ads are rectangular graphics appearing at the top of most consumer Web sites. Keyword ads, featured primarily on Internet search engines, link a specific ad to text or subject matter that an information seeker may enter. Benefits of using the Internet as an advertising medium include the growth of Internet use by a variety of different types of people and the ability to precisely target a specific audience.