02 September 2009 | Author: D. Warburton Search Copywriter

1 in 5 online ads delivered through social networking sites

A study released by comScore, Inc has revealed that social networking sites account for more than 20 per cent of all advertising viewed online in the United States.

80 per cent of these online ads are shared between social networking giants MySpace and Facebook, which each represent almost 10 per cent of total display ads delivered. The data was retrieved from the comScore Ad Metrix service for the month of June 2009, for internet users at home, at work and in Universities.

comScore senior vice president Jeff Hackett emphasises the significance of social networking sites, explaining: "Over the past few years, social networking has become one of the most popular online activities, accounting for a significant portion of the time Internet users spend online and the pages they consume.

"Social networking sites now account for one out of every five ads people view online. Because the top social media sites can deliver high reach and frequency against target segments at a low cost, it appears that some advertisers are eager to use social networking sites as a new advertising delivery vehicle."

The internet has long surpassed other forms of advertising, with people now spending more time online than watching television. Social networking has long been linked with online shopping, and is becoming increasingly accepted as a part of day-to-day life among internet users of all ages. Half the UK's online population is signed up to Facebook and spending an average of almost six hours per month checking the site.

Mr Hackett observes: "Social media is becoming an increasingly attractive vehicle for major advertisers seeking to optimize campaign reach and frequency and smaller advertisers desiring to reach a highly targeted audience.

"As social networking sites innovate on their existing ad offerings, the category should continue to grow in ad volume, while CPMs could also increase if the sites can demonstrate a high campaign ROI."

The top display advertiser for June on social networking sites was AT&T with more than 2 billion ad impressions, while gaming provider Zynga delivered 97 per cent of its total online ads through social networking sites.