Facebook Doubles Display Revenues As Market Grows 25%

New estimates from US-based marketing news and research company eMarketer suggests that the US display ad market will be up by a recession-busting 25% this year, with social media site Facebook set to almost double their net US display revenues to around $2.2 billion.  This will make them the largest seller of online display adverts in the US, with around 18% of the market, leaving Google and Yahoo! languishing on 9.3% and 13.1% respectively.  
Facebook's rapidly growing user base is of course very attractive to many advertisers, especially when combined with the extensive personal and behavioural data that Facebook are slowly allowing advertisers access to.  This years' 81% growth is actually smaller than the previous couple of years - 2010 saw growth of almost 118% on 2009 - and year on year growth in 2012 is forecast to fall to just over 31%, as the last few years has seen rapid growth from a very small base.  
Another interesting story from the forecast is search engine marketing giant Google's growing percentage of display ad revenues; from under 5% of the market in 2009 to a forecast 12.3% in 2012.  Their recent acquisition of online display ad optimization firm Admeld shows their seriousness in trying to grab some of this market to provide growth opportunities away from core search revenues, and of course find new ways of encouraging advertisers to incorporate YouTube as an ad channel.  
Encouraging data, and more positive signs that the online ad market is shrugging off any halting effects of recession.