Emarketer forecasts Meta will surpass Google in digital ad revenue for the first time, commanding 70% of social media ad spend.
1 min read
What changed
Emarketer forecasts Meta will surpass Google in total digital ad revenue for the first time in 2026
Facebook and Instagram now command approximately 70% of all social media ad revenue
Meta's AI-driven ad delivery system is credited as the primary growth driver
What it means
The balance of power in digital advertising is shifting. Meta's AI-optimised creative delivery has made targeting less manual and performance more dependent on creative quality. For Australian businesses, this reinforces a practical truth: your Meta ad results now depend more on the creative you feed the algorithm than the audience segments you define. Businesses with strong creative pipelines are getting better results at lower costs.
What to do
Invest in creative testing. Run 3-5 creative variations per campaign and let Meta's AI optimise delivery
Reduce time spent on micro-targeting. Broad audiences with strong creative outperform narrow targeting in most cases
Review your budget split between Google and Meta. If Meta is delivering better ROAS, follow the data
Test Advantage+ campaigns if you have not already. They lean fully into Meta's AI delivery model
Source: Marketing Dive, Emarketer, Hollywood Reporter