Facebook advertisers see 1,790% higher returns on iOS than Android

Advertisements on iOS devices produced returns more than an order of magnitude higher than those on their Android counterparts, according to a new study by major social marketing company Nanigans.

Source: Nanigans

The study, first reported by VentureBeat, tracked more than 200 billion Facebook advertisements from over 100 advertisers on Nanigans' platform through the first nine months of 2013. Nanigans is one of the world's largest buyers of advertising on Facebook.

According to the report, it costs only a slight premium to place Facebook ads on iOS devices — Â $4.99 per thousand impressions (CPM) versus $4.87 for Android. Average cost per click (CPC), or the amount an advertiser pays when a user clicks on one of those ad impressions, is wildly more disparate, however. Advertisers pay $0.18 per click on Android against $0.40 per click on iOS.

That disparity continues on the revenue side of the equation, the report says. Revenue per click (RPC) is pegged at 6 times higher on iOS, while return on investment (ROI) is 18 times higher.

Despite the low CPM and CPC numbers, advertising on Android actually yields negative ROI — Â it costs advertisers more money to place the ads than they make, to the tune of a 10 percent loss, according to the report. iOS advertisements, meanwhile, bring healthy returns of more than 160 percent.

"Audiences cost more on iPhone, and the reason is that it's worth it," Nanigans SVP Dan Slagen said. "Typically, we're not looking to acquire one-time customers, we're looking to invest over time...so we pay more up front for better long-term results."

124 Comments

drblank 3384 comments · 18 Years

About 11 years ago

Android users don't spend money on anything other than their collection of phones with outdated OS's. /s

anantksundaram 20390 comments · 18 Years

LOL.

Advertising ROI, web use, income levels, ecosystem, security, smoothness of operation, lack of fragmentation, style,...... (I am sure there's a dozen more).

At what point do these silly androids stop being such sheep!?

sflocal 6133 comments · 16 Years

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

But...but...but... Android has 80% marketshare!! How can that be??!!

But...but...but... Android has 27 gazillion activations per day??!!!

But...but...but... Nike is missing out on millions of Android consumers by not creating Android app for their wristband!!!

But...but...but.... *deep exhale* BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Time and time again, the money is in iOS. The majority (99%) of Android users are folks that don't care what OS is on the cheap, free, garbage phone.

This just cracks me up. I'm so waiting to see how Fandroids try to spin this article. Waiting for them to resort to name-calling since they just can't come up with anything worth debating.

** collapsed from getting lightheaded **