Facebook continues to experience explosive growth, recently pushing the total number of worldwide users past 610 million, according to checkfacebook.com. An incredible accomplishment considering 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day.  Facebook revenue continues to climb with its user base, surpassing expectations by finishing 2010 at $1.86 billion, largely credited to a boost in growth between August and the end of the year. Some people may be surprised to learn where all that revenue is coming from…….Advertising.

A few interesting statistics about Facebook Advertising:

• Approximately 60% of revenue comes through their self-service advertising platform – http://www.facebook.com/advertising/
• Facebook is now serving more than 50 billion display ads per month
• 60% of advertising revenue in 2010 came from SMBs (small & medium businesses)
• 740 million in 2010 revenue came from big brand advertising (companies like Coca-Cola)

Facebook has gradually increased the different types of social ads that companies can choose to run on their platform. Currently, here is the run down of different social ad types for 2011.

• Standard Ad Unit – This basic ad unit can be used to drive visitors to either a page within or outside of Facebook.
• Like Ad Unit – This ad unit can be used to drive engagement to pages within Facebook and visitors to owned media properties outside of Facebook. It provides social context to the user, indicating any friends that have already liked the brand. If none have the total number of Facebook users that have liked is shown. It increases the likelihood that the user will trust and engage with the ad/brand.
• Poll Ad Unit – This ad unit can be used to capture user feedback on any desired topic, while then driving traffic to any page within Facebook. The poll generates a story on the poll’s brand page, and can appear in news feed of the users that liked the brand. When a user engages with the ad, the poll story can appear on the user’s wall and in their friends’ News Feeds.
• Event Ad Unit – This ad unit is used to increase awareness about events created in Facebook. Friends who are attending the event are listed in the ad unit, as well as the total number of Facebook attendees. Responding will automatically create a story on a user’s profile page and may also show the story in their friends’ News Feeds, increasing distribution and reach.
• Video Ad Unit – This ad unit is used to drive user engagement. It allows for users to watch a video inline, read and share comments, and even like the video. The interaction (commenting or liking) is public and automatically appears on users’ page and may also show in their friends News Feeds.
• Gift Ad Unit – This ad unit can be used to increase user engagement, and drive visitors to pages within and outside of Facebook. It allows users to send a gift to a friend within Facebook, along with a custom message. Messages are public and can appear on the user’s page, as well as in their friends’ News Feeds.
• Sampling Ad Unit – This ad unit can be used to drives product trial and adoption. It prompts the user to provide information to receive product samples, and then publishes a notification allowing the user’s friends to see they have requested a sample, which increases trust and likelihood of further sampling.
• Sponsored Stories Ad Unit -This ad, the newest, has raised some controversy by turning user interactions with brands into ads. Currently defined into 4 different types: application plays, likes, location check-ins and page posts. It can be used to drive engagement and visitors to brand pages within Facebook. It can best be described as taking the interactions happening across Facebook every day, and extending the life and distribution of them as display ads.

This is the most comprehensive list I could find to date. I would like to segment spend by ad type (if you’ve seen such data, please share below in the comments). Or if you’ve seen an ad unit/type not listed here, let me know and I’ll be happy to update the list (which is bound to happen eventually as Facebook is constantly changing the platform). Which ad units are you using? Which have worked best, or not? Feel free to share with the community.