EMarketer: social networkers will drive ad spend up

05/06/2008

Market research and analysis website eMarketer has estimated that of the UK's 37 million internet users, 11 million (30 per cent) regularly use social networking sites.

It cites a 2008 study by Universal McCann which found that the majority (60 per cent) of internet users between the ages of 16 and 54 have a social network profile compared to only 27 per cent in 2007.

Senior analyst Debra Aho Williamson says that ad spending is set to increase in the social networking space to match the recent boom in users.

"Online social network ad spending has moved at a slower pace than consumer adoption, but with the growth of Facebook and the acquisition of homegrown favourite Bebo by AOL earlier this year, things are picking up."

Ad spending in the social network market is expected to rise by 77 per cent to £115 million in 2008, with that figure set to increase dramatically by 2012 to around £285 million according to eMarketer.