The automotive industry is a bellwether for online marketing trends and a study on and effective tactics. Borrell Associates forecasts that by the end of 2012, ad spending — both national and local — will increase 14% to reach $30.8 billion, making the automotive industry one of the biggest media buyers in the nation. More and more of those bucks are digital, with Borrell predicting a 39% increase in online automotive media buys. By the end of the year, the company says, “$0.40 of every auto ad dollar will be spent on digital media.” In other words, car companies know their digital advertising. To learn some digital lessons from automakers, click this (digital) link.