UPDATED 15:08 EST / NOVEMBER 08 2010

Facebook Tops Online Display Ad Charts: The Importance of Metrics

According to an overview released by comScore, the US online display advertising market is escalating by 22% this 3rd quarter of 2010, as compared to that from 2009.  Almost 1.3 trillion ads were displayed to US internet users this quarter, as the comScore Ad Metrix online advertising intelligence service detailed.

“The U.S. online display advertising market exhibited considerable strength in the third quarter with nearly 1.3 trillion ad impressions delivered,” said Jeff Hackett, comScore senior vice president. “Just one year ago we were still in the midst of an advertising recession, but several growth drivers have contributed to sustained improvements over the past few quarters.

“The ability to buy specific audiences is enabling a greater number of display ads to be delivered on target, display formats are improving at a rapid rate, and the quality of creative is getting better every day. As publishers prove the value of online display ad campaigns, digital should continue to carve out a bigger piece of the advertising pie.”

Social-networking website Facebook ranks as the no. 1 online display publisher for the quarter with 297 billion display ad impressions. This occupies 23.1 percent of the market, a dramatic increase of 13.9 percent from only 9.2 percent the same quarter a year ago. It is followed by Yahoo with 140 billion impressions or 11 percent market share, then Microsoft with 64 billion impressions or 5 percent market share and finally, Fox Interactive Media with 48 billion impressions or 3.8 percent market share.

As to Display Advertising for this quarter, AT&T takes the lead with 21.1 billion impressions or 1.6 percent. Following is Scottrade with 14.9 billion impressions or 1.2 percent and lastly, Verizon with 14.6 billion impressions or 1.1 percent.

While online display ads are regaining their strength with newly accepted social networking and internet mechanisms, there’s still a great deal to be said about the marketing practices in general.  Looking at the patterns from the past waves of web marketing, we’ve seen an ongoing tit-for-tat when it comes to display ads in particular.

Yet brands looking to connect with users in this manner will need to be smart about it.  That’s why Facebook’s lead in this arena is of interest, specially as web marketers lean towards the massive network in order to gain visibility.  Accelerating metrics around social media and the success rates around its common advertising methods is also a good indicator of marketing trends, and they’ve also driven campaigners to more effective display ads.


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