Facebook estimated global ad revenues will jump to $3.8 billion, more than double the social networking giant’s 2010 total.
Ad revenue for the site, which has over 750 million registered users, will miss the expected $4.05 billion mark, according to analysts, but the slowdown in growth is explained as a diversification into other revenue streams like Facebook Credits.
The diversification into different streams is really important, because it suggest that Web content consumption as a revenue driver is not going to be solely focused on display advertising.
The numbers suggest that attempts to drive consumption and spending across games, credits and other Facebook add-ons is fleshing out the bigger ad revenue picture.
When all streams are taken into consideration, total revenues at Facebook should reach $4.27 billion this year, eMarketer estimates. That more than doubles the $2 billion Facebook is estimated to have earned in 2010. Ad revenues will make up 89% of the total this year, down from 95% in 2009, says the site.
The $4.27 billion should beat FB’s internal estimates, which were about $4 billion. Based on earlier reports, Facebook has been moving at a fast clip, doubling its first half revenues. An earlier report showed that it had doubled its half-yearly revenues.
Revenues in US territory will do just as well. Ad revenues here are expected to pass $2 billion in 2011, making for over half of the company’s total revenue. Overseas ad revenue will continue to eat away at the US chunk of the market as mobile penetration and broadband to the home increases across developing nations, especially in Asia.
Overseas ad dollars is predicted to represent 50% of the pie next year and a slight majority by 2013.
