A recent report from ComScore indicates Facebook accounts for nearly a third of online ads in the US. The world’s leading social network served up nearly a third of the 1.11 trillion display ads delivered to US Internet users in the first three months of this year. To put things in perspective, Facebook accounted for 31% of all display ad impressions in the US last quarter. Yahoo was a distant second with 10% share and no other company managed to get into double digits.

Facebook – A Marketer’s Heaven!

Facebook accounted for nearly 346 billion display ad impressions in the first quarter of 2011. The world’s leading social network doubled the number of ads it delivered during the same period last year. Top marketers on Facebook include AT&T, Verizon, Experian and Scottrade.

I personally consider Facebook to be a marketer’s heaven for the following reasons

* Monster User base – Facebook has more than 500 million active users and it continues to grow at a staggering pace

* Targeted audience – Facebook business profiles and pages let businesses build targeted audiences. People spend a lot of time on Facebook so there’s a massive potential to deliver advertising.

The Facebook Ecosystem

Facebook is no longer a run of the mill social network. In the last couple of years, it has evolved into a mature and dynamic ecosystem for business users. You can create an impressive profile for your business or convert your existing business page into a profile. Though it’s early days, Facebook Deals has received a phenomenal response so far.

Yahoo was the largest display advertiser last year, but Facebook has comprehensively established itself at the numero uno spot this year.

The best is yet to come

While several experts have predicted Facebook advertising has already peaked, I strongly believe the best of Facebook ads is yet to come. Facebook is now attracting a lot of brand advertisers these days. Google built its business around search advertising and Facebook seems to be going that route with display ads.

The world’s leading social network has begun experimenting with various ad models – such as adding users’ updates into display ads. Businesses are always on the lookout for new and compelling ways to capture audiences and Facebook provides an ideal platform for innovation. Moreover, Facebook has adopted moderate pricing which is affordable for businesses of all sizes.

Social media ad spend is further expected to rise and Facebook’s user-base continues to grow at a staggering pace, so I expect Facebook to further strengthen its position as the world’s leading display advertisers next quarter. What do you think of Facebook advertising model? Please share your opinion by leaving a comment below this post.