Facebook and Google drove record mobile ad market growth in 2013

Global mobile ad spend increased by 105% to USD 17.96bn last year, according to new figures.

Research from eMarketer suggested that the considerable rise in spend is largely due to Facebook and Google’s mobile domination, with the tech giants seeing a net mobile ad revenues increase by USD 6.92 billion, claiming 75.2% of the additional USD 9.2 billion that went toward mobile in 2013.

The two companies are consolidating their places at the top of the market, accounting for more than two-thirds of mobile ad spending last year—a figure that will increase slightly this year, according to eMarketer.

Facebook is experiencing a rapid increase in market share, with its global advertising share rising from 5.4% in 2012 to 17.5% in 2013.

The rapid pace at which mobile has taken over the company’s ad revenue share indicates Facebook’s mobile future. In 2012, only 11% of Facebook’s net ad revenues worldwide came from mobile, and last year, that figure jumped to 45.1%. In 2014, eMarketer estimates that mobile will account for 63.4% of Facebook’s net digital ad revenues. Mobile accounted for 23.1% of Google’s net ad revenues worldwide in 2013, and eMarketer estimates this share will increase to 33.8% this year.