As Facebook (FB) and Alphabet/Google (GOOGL) increasingly divide up a mobile-dominated online ad world between them, small businesses are proving as much of a heated battleground as major brands and e-commerce firms. Both companies have some unique strengths in this battle, but between the two, Facebook’s strategic position is arguably more enviable.
The social media giant just announced it has over 5 million total advertisers, up from 4 million in September and 3 million March 2016. It also said 75% of its advertisers are now located outside the U.S. — North America still accounts for nearly half of its revenue — and that close to 50% of advertisers create ads on mobile devices.
The disclosures come two months after Facebook said during its fourth-quarter earnings call over 65 million businesses had set up Facebook pages, and that 5 million now had Instagram business profiles. The company also stated its top 100 advertisers accounted for less than 25% of its Q4 ad revenue ($8.6 billion, up 53% annually), and that their spending share declined from a year ago.
