FI showroom red and grey logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Facebook Now No. 2 Digital Ad Seller Thanks to Mobile Ad Growth

Mobile now accounts for more than 22% of all U.S. digital ad spending, up from 3% in 2010.

by Staff
December 26, 2013
Facebook Now No. 2 Digital Ad Seller Thanks to Mobile Ad Growth

 

3 min to read


NEW YORK — U.S. mobile ad spending is expected to reach nearly $9.6 billion in 2013 and account for 22.5% of all digital ad investments, according to new figures from eMarketer.

The channel’s incredible growth — considering mobile represented just 11.9% of digital ad spending in 2012 and less than 3% of digital budgets in 2010 — is due to consumers using their mobile phones vs. desktop computers to access the Internet, causing a significant redistribution of revenues for some of the world’s largest ad platforms.

Ad Loading...

Facebook and Google are both major drivers and recipients of this growing market, domestically and internationally.

Based on eMarketer’s latest forecast of U.S. ad spending, the rapid growth of mobile ad revenues at Facebook has helped make the social network the second-largest digital ad seller in the United States, behind only Google. This year, Facebook will take in 7.4% of net U.S. digital ad dollars, or $3.17 billion, while Google will account for nearly four in 10, or $17 billion.

eMarketer had previously forecast Facebook would remain slightly behind Yahoo! this year. But the strength of Facebook’s mobile business has pushed the social network past Yahoo! Its share is now expected to decline to 5.8% in 2013, from 6.8% last year.

Microsoft’s share of U.S. digital ad revenues will fall from 6.2% last year to 5.9% this year. Microsoft’s $2.53 billion in ad revenues, a total that includes advertising on its Xbox and Skype services, is expected to grow to $2.87 billion by 2015. That’s not fast enough, however, for the tech company to hold or increase market share. Twitter will take in a comparatively small $420 million in U.S. ad revenues (a market share of about 1%) this year, eMarketer estimates.

On a worldwide basis, Google and Facebook are also the top two ad publishers, accounting for 31.91% and 5.64% of the market this year, respectively.

Ad Loading...

eMarketer has updated its forecast for digital ad revenues at major ad selling companies based on several factors, including: Twitter’s public filing of its S1, which revealed solid performance in the first three quarters of the year with significant mobile revenues; new data about YouTube and its contribution to Google’s revenues; and Facebook’s continued stellar mobile performance, with the potential to open up new inventory via Instagram as well as the announcement to include video ads in the newsfeed.

Just like on the desktop, Google and Facebook grabbed the greatest shares of net U.S. mobile ad revenues, with Facebook jumping from 9% to 16% between 2012 and 2013.

Globally, Google dominates the mobile ad landscape, with a 48.76% market share, eMarketer estimates. Facebook has seen its share of global mobile revenues explode this past year, growing from 5.34% in 2012 to 16.91% in 2013.

Mobile Internet ad spending worldwide will grow 105.9% to more than $18.15 billion in 2013, eMarketer estimates, up from around $8.82 billion last year. The advertising channel now accounts for 15.2% of all digital ad dollars spent globally, up from just 8.5% last year.

More Digital

LIght trails with nighttime cityscape in background
Digital•October 26, 2026

AI and the Auto Dealer

These are risks you can’t ignore as the technology becomes more and more of a presence in the auto retail environment.

Read More →
Four people sitting at desk with various phones and laptops. Bar graph pictured on computer.
Digital•by Lauren Lawrence•October 26, 2026

Data Drives Success

Dealerships that make decisions based on data rather than gut instinct or experience have a leg up on their competitors, according to a recent survey.

Read More →
Laptop computer on a desk with a notepad and pen next to it and a whiteboard in the background
Digital•by Rick McCormick•October 15, 2026

AI: Facilitator, Not Fixer, in F&I

The dealerships that thrive in the years ahead will be those that embrace technology while continuing to invest in the people who make customer interactions count.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Person at laptop with green-colored code on the screen
Digital•by Hannah Mitchell•October 5, 2026

Simple But Effective Hacking Surges

Data from the past year at U.S. auto dealerships finds that email and identity phishing are growing threat sources that can dispense with malware by exploiting trust.

Read More →
Mechanic's hand working in car engine
Digital•September 10, 2026

The Future of Car Dealerships

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the service-drive experience and will help retailers stay competitive.

Read More →
newspaper advertisement circled in pink, Turn Listings into Leads, F&I and Showroom
Digital•by Lauren Lawrence•August 5, 2026

Structure Leads to Optimized Auto Listings

As the average car-buying journey has shifted to a blend of digital and retail, a dealership’s vehicle listings must be optimized to answer shoppers’ questions clearly and accurately.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photo of two businessmen shaking hands next to a white car in a showroom
Digital•by Hannah Mitchell•August 3, 2026

Real Intelligence

AI, though it presents many opportunities for productivity, efficiency and more, isn’t a one-for-one stand-in for people. It can augment human capital but not replace it altogether.

Read More →
Photo of man's hand on laptop keyboard on a desk
Digital•by Staff•June 16, 2026

Zurich Launches Advisor IQ for F&I Manager Coaching

The new platform uses real transaction data and artificial intelligence-driven insights to help car dealerships improve consistency and performance.

Read More →
Adapting to Digital For a convenient and trustworthy experience, F&I and Showroom
Digital•June 1, 2026

F&I in the Digital Age

Digital retailing has not made the F&I manager obsolete. If anything, it has revealed how valuable the role can become when technology is used correctly.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Hands holding phone over graphic.
Digital•by Lauren Lawrence•May 27, 2026

Need for Speed: EV Apps Lack Consistency

Fifty-five percent of surveyed EV owners said their mobile applications had a major or moderate impact on their purchasing decisions, but connectivity issues remain a problem.

Read More →