Facebook Marketing and Advertising: The Facts Every Marketer Should Know

The flagship platform of Meta remains one of the fundamental pillars of digital marketing on a global scale. With more than three billion monthly active users and constant evolution in its investment metrics, reach, targeting, and user behavior, Facebook continues to lead the advertising conversation.

But how has advertising on Facebook evolved in the current context, and what data supports its dominance in the digital ecosystem? Merca2.0 conducted an analysis of information available from Statista, which answers the most relevant questions for marketers, brands, and agencies about Facebook as an advertising platform.

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How much is invested in Facebook and social media advertising in 2024?

The advertising environment on social media has not stopped growing, and Facebook is one of the main drivers of this growth. In 2024, global spending on social media advertising was estimated at $234.14 billion USD. This figure represents a 140 percent increase compared to 2019, when investment was just $97.5 billion. According to projections, by 2029 this amount is expected to surpass $345 billion, confirming the structural dominance of social platforms within digital advertising budgets.

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, plays a fundamental role in this boom. Alongside other tech companies like Alphabet, Amazon, TikTok, and Microsoft, the so-called “Big Tech” are positioned as the main recipients of advertising budgets. Collectively, these companies concentrated six percent of global ad spending in 2021, and that figure is projected to reach ten percent by 2030.

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What is Facebook’s share in global advertising revenue?

Within Meta’s ecosystem, Facebook continues to be the backbone of advertising revenue. In 2024, the company reported a total of $160.63 billion USD exclusively from advertising, representing over 98 percent of its total revenue. This record figure is the result of sustained growth that began in 2009, when only $764 million was generated. By 2015 it had already surpassed $17 billion, $84 billion by 2020, and for 2024 the platform has cemented its commercial maturity.

Moreover, Meta has allocated over $2 billion USD to its own advertising spending this year, a figure that remains stable compared to 2023 but lower than the $2.65 billion recorded in 2022. In terms of marketing and sales expenses, Meta allocated $11.3 billion USD, representing a decrease from $12.3 billion the previous year. These adjustments may be due to internal efficiencies or strategic priority shifts.

Facebook and its relevance for marketers

Yes. Facebook continues to be considered by marketing professionals as an essential tool in digital media. According to a global survey conducted in October 2024 by HubSpot, 28 percent of marketers believe that Facebook offers the highest return on investment (ROI) among all social platforms. This places Facebook above Instagram, which was mentioned by 22 percent, and YouTube, which reached 12 percent.

Additionally, a study conducted in January 2024 by Social Media Examiner revealed that 86 percent of marketers worldwide use Facebook for advertising purposes. When asked which platform is the most important, 44 percent of respondents chose Facebook first, well above Instagram at 25 percent and LinkedIn at 21 percent. Even when broken down by business type, Facebook dominates the B2C space with 51 percent preference, while in B2B, although LinkedIn leads with 44 percent, Facebook remains a relevant option at 17 percent.

• 86% of professionals use Facebook as part of their digital strategy.

• 44% consider it the most important platform, above Instagram (25%) and LinkedIn (21%).

• In the B2C environment, 51% of respondents see it as the most crucial social channel.

• In B2B, although LinkedIn leads (44%), Facebook is still used by 17% of the segment.