Facebook ads may be driving social ad spend this year, but data indicates that Facebook ad click-throughs declined in 2010.

Brafton has recently reported that social media ad spending is expected to surge this year, and Facebook ad spend is poised to drive the majority of this growth. A new study from Webtrends suggests that click-through rates on Facebook ads dropped last year, though costs are on the rise.

According to the results of the survey, Facebook ad CTRs dropped from 0.063 percent in 2009 to 0.051 percent in 2010. At the same time, the average cost-per-click rose from 27 cents to 49 cents.

Marketers might also be interested in data that shows click rates correlate with age, and older consumers click more regularly than younger social users. Women and men between the ages of 18 and 24 clicked ads on Facebook at roughly the same rate, though this age group was the least likely to click in the study. Clicks increased with age among consumers from 18 to 64, with women clicking more frequently than men.

The study also shows that consumers more readily engage brands in industries that are fun to discuss. This seems to suggest businesses in the media and entertainment industries might be better served than those in the financial sector, but brands in seemingly unpopular sectors should remember that consumers still prefer to do business with brands that are active on social sites, according to a study covered by Inc. magazine.

Marketers should remember that seeding social sites with compelling social content can help generate conversations in even unexpected industries. As Brafton has reported, marketers say developing social content is a priority for 2011.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.