Mike Flanagan, CEO of TMP Directional Marketing, is one of the newest contributors to a premier news publication called Adotas. His articles will focus on the local search landscape, as well as social media and mobile happenings that are becoming of increasing importance to local advertisers.

His first message is about the stability of our economy. A lot of people see this economic forecast as a cool breeze to reinvigorate their marketing plans, but some may be jumping in too quickly and without the measurement tools they need. Mike suggests sticking to the lead-generating campaigns that you know, as well as experimenting on some sure bets. And above all, MEASURE EVERYTHING.

As far as what to experiment with? Well, social media is definitely a safe bet, but, personally, I think real-time search is going to be huge this year. And I can’t wait to see the effects this has on the local landscape. As far as mobile goes, I don’t think advertisers are going to get consumers any closer to the point of purchase. With augmented reality, consumers will literally be standing outside the door when they make their purchase decisions. And with click-to-call advancements, local businesses will be so easy to reach that consumers will come to expect nothing less in the next few years.

Overall, for those advertisers who are being wise with their marketing plans and making the most of their budgets, 2010 could be a very fruitful year. But don’t put all your eggs in one basket; we’re not out of the woods just yet.