Facebook and Google have both had a busy year rolling out improvements to their advertising and marketing tools. Facebook announced improvements to their Sponsored Stories in July, allowing comments on the ads themselves. Meanwhile, Google improved their display ad---adding the +1 button (as opposed to Facebook's Like button) and information on friends who've +1'd the ads.

Adding to their advertising arsenal, Facebook have announced a new ad unit, that expands for users whose friends have commented on/interacted with the brand's page. The unit will feature comments from friends' streams, and not necessarily from Sponsored Stories. Facebook has also launched a new measurement tool called "People Are Talking About This", which will give page owners an idea about what their fans are talking about.

Google, on the other hand, is offering marketers additional analytics tools that will be packaged as a premium offering to brands. The package includes increased data collection, more un-sampled reports, greater service and support and a number of other functions.

As Facebook and Google continue to battle it out for the top spot in the online advertising space, they offer better tools for advertisers to employ. Who do you think will take the lead in the online advertising race? Let us know in your comments below.

- Tyrel Rodricks