Facebook ad expenditure to reach $US4 billion in 2010

New figures released by eMarketer predict advertising expenditure on Facebook will reach $US4.05 billion during the next 12 months.

The new study shows that in the US alone, spending will reach $US2.19 billion, compared to the $US1.86 billion recorded during 2010.

“2010 was the year that Facebook firmly established itself as a major force not only in social network advertising but all of online advertising,” Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer principal analyst and report author told Information Week.

“In 2011, its global presence is something multinational advertisers can’t ignore,” she said.

Facebook will represent 7.8% of the US online ad market in 2011, the report indicates, while spending on MySpace will fall from $288 million to $184 million.

“If Facebook can continue to increase its global user base and boost the amount of revenue it generates per user, it could even surpass these forecasts,” Williamson said.