Facebook Ads now UK’s top online advertising format

Facebook Ads has become the most popular online advertising platform in the United Kingdom, according to data published this week.
The study by marketing research organisation comScore shows that the social networking site’s sidebar displayed 68.7 billion advertisements to UK internet users in the third quarter of 2010. That represents a 31 per cent share of the total 221 billion adverts seen online in the UK this year.
Paul Haslam, director of The Web Bureau, said: “These new figures confirm what we have known for some time. Social networking sites are becoming increasingly important in the way that online business operates.Northern Irish businesses are realising that social media is here to stay as not only an important part of their online marketing strategy, but also a vital component of the way they market themselves in general.”
Other advertising platforms, including Microsoft (13.7 billion), eBay (8.8 billion), Google (8.2 billion) and Yahoo (7.7 billion), have been left trailing in Facebook’s wake as the social media giant capitalises on its huge audience.
Paul added: “The advertising figures are very impressive. What is perhaps more important for smaller businesses who are not using Facebook Ads is that this demonstrates the reach that can be achieved through social media sites and that market leaders are now taking advantage of this.”
The number of adverts viewed by internet users in the UK has increased by 34 per cent year-on-year. comScore attributes this growth to companies responding to the global economic downturn by increasing their online marketing.
Large brands have led the way, with the Virgin Group displaying 4.4 billion adverts for its broadband, mobile and TV services. O2’s owners Telefόnica, BskyB and BT each showed more than 2 billion online adverts.