• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Ed Sheeran asked Patriots owner Robert Kraft for $2 million aid donation after Macklemore was dropped from his tour for pro-Palestine comments

2

Meet Warren Buffett's son Howard, a former sheriff, war photographer, and now, Berkshire's new chairman

3

Anthropic billionaire cofounder Jack Clark studied literature, not code—and says liberal arts degrees will win in the AI age

1

Ed Sheeran asked Patriots owner Robert Kraft for $2 million aid donation after Macklemore was dropped from his tour for pro-Palestine comments

2

Meet Warren Buffett's son Howard, a former sheriff, war photographer, and now, Berkshire's new chairman

3

Anthropic billionaire cofounder Jack Clark studied literature, not code—and says liberal arts degrees will win in the AI age

Facebook ads growing dramatically

By
Dan Mitchell
Dan Mitchell
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Dan Mitchell
Dan Mitchell
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 4, 2013, 1:25 PM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

FORTUNE — After several years of gloomy predictions for mobile advertising, the business is enjoying incredible growth. Precisely how incredible depends on whose numbers you look at.

Last month, Pew Research reported that revenue from mobile advertising grew by 80% in 2012, to $2.6 billion in the United States. Today, eMarketer reported that the market grew by 178%, to $4.11 billion.

Which report to believe (if either) is almost beside the point. The trend is way up, and mobile ads are eating into other forms of advertising, including “traditional” online ads and advertising in general. How much of a share mobile will ultimately take is unknowable, but for the time being, the growth will continue: eMarketer says the U.S. market will rise another 77% next year, to $7.3 billion. By 2017, the market will represent nearly half of all digital ad spending and will make up nearly 14% of the total ad market, according to eMarketer.

MORE: Android: Facebook’s new weapon against Google

Facebook’s (FB) first mobile-only ad appeared only last August, and now, according to Pew,  such ads make up about a quarter of the company’s revenue. It can no longer be said that this isn’t a real business, though of course ad rates remain low and reaching people via mobile devices remains an immense challenge.

But on mobile just as on the wired Internet, Google (GOOG) is still dominant. More than half of all mobile-ad revenues in the U.S. went to Google. It absolutely overwhelms the search-ad market, with a share greater than 93%. Facebook is tops in the mobile display-ad market, drawing 9.5% of all display revenues last year despite its late entry into the market. Twitter has seen similar growth. Social media seems to be a natural platform for display ads since — in the form of “native advertising” — they are so easily inserted into people’s feeds.

About the Author
By Dan Mitchell
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.