Ad agencies: 89% Facebook, 39% Twitter, 18% Google+

Summary: Advertising agencies say their clients are still choosing Facebook above all social networks. While Facebook has a huge lead ahead of all its competitors, Google+ is growing quickly.

Facebook continues its dominance in marketing campaigns. In Q4 2011, 89 percent of agencies said they plan to utilize the medium for their clients going forward. This is followed by 39 percent planning to use Twitter, 36 percent choosing YouTube, 21 percent picking LinkedIn, and 18 percent opting for Google+. Note that this doesn’t necessarily mean the agencies will be using ads on these social networks: it just means they want to use the platforms to market for their clients, whether that be with ads, Facebook Pages, Google+ Pages, or other creative means.

The data comes from marketing firm Strata, which found the media buying industry reported impressive growth during Q4 2011. 81 percent expect their clients approach to advertising and marketing to either increase or stay the same, which is up 14 percent based on the same figures reported in Q3 2011. While business and client spending on advertising is expected to continue to increase in 2012, the survey noted that digital advertising was flat during the fourth quarter, but mobile is building momentum.

Agencies reported mobile advertising during the Q4 2011 was up 39 percent. The iPhone remains the top choice as reported by 83 percent of agencies surveyed, though Android continues to close the gap, up 32 percent over Q3 2011 and up 50 percent over the Q4 2010. Although the iPad is still third for mobile advertising, 76 percent say that with Apple and Amazon continuing to focus on building tablet content, there will be an increase in interest for advertising on the newer medium.

Here are some other findings from the survey:

• 42 percent say their 2012 political ad spend will be more than 2010.
• 46 percent say that during the political season they will advertise in alternative mediums to avoid competition by politicians (41 percent will compete with politicians for space).
• 49 percent said they project the first half of 2012 to be better than the last half of 2011 (46 percent also see business increasing compared to the same time last year).
• 4 percent say that it will be three to five years before there is a greater spend in digital than traditional media (that’s a 50 percent increase over 3Q 2011); but 38 percent still feel that shift will never happen.
• Android is the second most popular mobile advertising choice at 71 percent; iPad remains third (46 percent).
• For mobile advertising the top option is display (46 percent) followed by SMS (25 percent, but up 61 percent since 4Q 2010).
• 44 percent are somewhat interested in self-service inventory of digital assets.
• Only 4 percent said they are more focused on Print than they were a year ago.

“The key word for advertisers in 2012 is growth,” Strata CEO and President John Shelton said in a statement. “Agencies started to reap the benefits of balance sheets turned in their favor during the fourth quarter 2011, brokering a bright early 2012. The STRATA Survey shows that many advertisers are confident that their business and the economy will return to a strong period by midyear. That sentiment, coupled with strong numbers from the political race, provides an overall positive barometer for advertising in 2012.”

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