• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, September 9, 2009

According to a comScore study of U.S. online display advertising on social networking sites in June 2009, social networking sites accounted for more than 20% of all display ads viewed online, with MySpace and Facebook combining to deliver more than 80% of ads among sites in the social networking category.

Top Online Display Ad Publishers in Social Networking Category (June 2009 Total U.S.; Home/Work/University Locations)
	Total Display Ad Impressions (MM)	% Share of Display Ads	Ad Exposed Unique Visitors (000)
Total Internet Audience	326,899	100.0%	188,589
Social Networking	68,927	21.1	129,620
MySpace Sites	30,004	9.2	64,472
Facebook.com	26,813	8.2	67,389
Tagged.com	1,940	0.6	7,422
MocoSpace.com	496	0.2	1,067
Hi5.com	461	0.1	3,459
Bebo	435	0.1	6,350
Classmates.com Sites	400	0.1	9,181
BlackPlanet.com	345	0.1	2,084
GaiaOnline.com	258	0.1	1,859
DeviantArt.com	204	0.1	3,681
Source: comScore Ad Metrix, September 2009

Jeff Hackett, comScore senior vice president, said "... social networking ... accounts for a significant portion of the time Internet users spend online and the pages they consume,... (and) advertisers are eager to use social networking sites as a new advertising delivery vehicle."

AT&T ranked as the top display advertiser on social networking sites in June with more than 2 billion ad impressions, which accounted for 30% of the company's total number of display ads delivered during the month. Experian Interactive, which delivered a heavy rotation of ads for educational degree programs and credit scores, ranked second with nearly 1.3 billion impressions in the category.

Two of the top ten advertisers on social networking sites in June delivered the vast majority of their impressions within the category. Pangea Media, which primarily advertises a variety of love and celebrity quizzes, delivered 90% of its ads on social networking sites, while online gaming provider Zynga delivered 97% of its ads on these sites.

Top Online Display Advertisers in Social Networking Category (June 2009, Total U.S.; Home/Work/University Locations)
	Total Display Ad Impressions (MM)	Share of Advertiser Ad Impressions	Ad Exposed Unique Visitors (000)
Social Networking Category	68,927	21.1%	129,620
AT&T, Inc.	2,067	29.5	87,080
Experian Interactive	1,250	23.9	58,991
Ask Network	950	44.6	41,379
Sprint Nextel Corporation	790	26.3	68,581
Pangea Media	572	89.6	33,079
Microsoft Sites	564	16.8	60,148
Apollo Group, Inc.	510	41.4	51,981
Zynga.com	484	96.8	40,009
GameVance.com	450	33.9	34,762
Verizon Communications Corporation	435	10.5	54,010
Source: comScore Ad Metrix, September 2009

Hackett added "... the category should continue to grow in ad volume, while CPMs could also increase if the sites can demonstrate a high campaign ROI."

And, an almost concurrent ANA survey done by the ANA and BtoB Magazine says that, as marketers embrace new media platforms, social media and viral videos have seen the largest jump in ranking. The survey found that 66% of marketers utilized social media in 2009, as compared to 20% in 2007.  50% employ viral videos, up from only 25% in 2007.

In order to properly fund these new media formats, 55% of respondents have shifted funds from their traditional media budget, while 48% shifted funds from other marketing communications budgets.   26% of marketers created an incremental budget.

Among social networks being embraced by all marketers, the top sites used are:

• Facebook (74%)
• YouTube (65%)
• Twitter (63%)
• LinkedIn (60%)

And, in 2009, the most effective newer media platforms were:

• Search engine marketing (SEM) (65%)
• Own Web site (59%)
• Search engine optimization (SEO) (55%)
• E-mail marketing (45%)

Bob Liodice, president and CEO of the ANA, says "As more media platforms become available... marketers must survey the entire landscape available to them and create their brand's most optimal media mix."

The study results also reveal that b-to-b and b-to-c marketers differ in the ways they use new media platforms, including:

• While mobile is used by 32% of overall marketers, it is three times more likely to be used by b-to-c versus b-to-b marketers (52% vs. 18%)
• LinkedIn rates first among b-to-b marketers while Facebook is top among b-to-c.  Interestingly, says the report, Twitter is used more by b-to-b marketers (70%) than b-to-c marketers (46%)
• B-to-c marketers see much more effectiveness from SEM (76%) than b-to-b marketers (48%)
• Webinars are a much more effective platform for b-to-b marketers (48%) versus b-to-c (6%)

In the next year, blogs are the new media format at the top of the list for all marketers (34%), followed by mobile (28%) and social media (23%), among marketers not already using each respective platform.  The newer media platforms that will get the most spending in 2009 are the more established platforms:

• Own website (26%)
• Search engine marketing (19%)
• Online ads. Banners, etc. (17%)

To review the ANA report, please visit here, and to visit ComScore, please go here.