Inside Facebook
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- Facebook tests non-social Marketplace ads in News Feed
- An Introduction to Facebook Mobile Ads
- Facebook platform industry hires: AudienceScience and Offerpop
| Facebook tests non-social Marketplace ads in News Feed Posted: 30 Oct 2012 04:42 PM PDT Facebook is testing a new ad unit that puts non-social Marketplace ads in News Feed rather than the sidebar. Marketplace ads are the standard units in the right-hand sidebar of Facebook.com. Advertisers can select a small image and write brief ad copy to promote their pages or websites. Page-Like ads feature a Like button and the page's fan count. Now we've seen this same type of ad in News Feed under the label "Page You May Like." Facebook confirmed in a statement, "We are currently running a small test that makes other ad units eligible to appear in News Feed. This is just a test; we have no further details to share at this time."
Facebook has a "Pages You May Like" module in the mobile feed, but so far it has only included Sponsored Stories, which are shown to friends of fans and do not allow advertisers to customize their ad copy. This latest ad unit we've seen does not require a user to have a friend connected to the page, similar to page post ads and mobile app install ads. These units indicate Facebook is not opposed to allowing advertisers to promote non-social content in the feed. Although Sponsored Stories about what friends are interested in seem like they would be the most relevant ads because of social context, there are actually times when well-targeted marketplace or page post ads might be better. For instance, a user might not have any friends that like the “Start-Ups: Silicon Valley” page, as in the News Feed ad above, but if the user likes other reality TV, the show might be interesting to them. On the other hand, a Sponsored Story about three friends Liking the Gerber page is irrelevant if the user doesn't have a baby. Facebook has previously said that it is monitoring engagement and sentiment around News Feed ads to determine which units are most effective for advertisers without disrupting the user experience. CFO David Ebersman said last week that ads in News Feed are now generating about $4 million per day, with three-fourths of that from the mobile feed. If Facebook can move inventory from the sidebar to News Feed, where ads are more prominent and likely to be clicked, it can charge more per impression and generate more money on mobile devices. It’s unclear whether any ads leading off-Facebook, including Facebook Exchange inventory, are now eligible for News Feed as part of this latest test. |
| An Introduction to Facebook Mobile Ads Posted: 30 Oct 2012 02:48 PM PDT This article originally appeared in the Facebook Marketing Bible, our subscription product for marketers and advertisers looking to better understand the Facebook platform.
Sponsored StoriesSponsored Stories often appear under the headline "Pages You May Like." These ads use social context and appear as a separate module from page or user posts. Users can click the thumbs-up button to like the respective page, making it a lightweight engagement for business looking to build their page likes. On the web version of Facebook, these Sponsored Stories appear like this in News Feed:
There are options to attach a page post along with Sponsored Stories, and these ad can be used to promote actions besides page Likes. For example, advertisers can sponsor stories about users claiming offers, Liking photos or using Open Graph applications.
Page Post AdsPage post mobile ads appear directly in News Feed. They do not require social context, meaning they can be targeted to users beyond fans and friends of fans. A prompt to Like the page is featured at the bottom of the ad. These are larger units than some of the “Pages You May Like” Sponsored Stories described above. Although the example below uses a link, these mobile ads can include photos, offers, questions, videos or events. Sometimes these ads include a “Suggested Post” label at the top.
On the web, these ads look like this:
On the web, these ads are easier to interact with because when clicked, the photo or video appears as a layer over News Feed rather than loading a whole new page. These ads work as a way to get people to engage with your page posts, even people that aren't already fans of your page. These ads allow you to share actual page content so quality will go a long way. However, the Like call to action is smaller on the web than on mobile. Mobile App Install AdsAds for mobile apps are another ad type that can be purchased. These are similar to Sponsored Stories in that they often appear in a separate module, but instead of prompting users to Like a page, they lead users directly to an app download page. Like page post ads, app install ads do not require social context. Mobile app install ads are a great way to drive downloads through lightweight interaction. Trying to promote mobile apps on desktop has limitations. These types of ads do not appear in the News Feed on the web version of Facebook. The only option is to run ads in the right-hand column, but then there is disconnect between users being on a computer and then getting the app on their phone. Mobile app install ads allow developers to reach the right users at the right time.
Promoted PostsPromoted Posts are not bought through the Facebook Ads marketplace, and through the promote button on pages instead. These are not ads exactly, but a way to ensure that your posts are seen by more people. However, because they are not bought through the ads marketplace, they do not have the same targeting options. They can only be shown to existing fans and friends of fans, and page owners should think about targeting the initial page post to a narrower audience than all fans.
The same Promoted Post as it appears on desktop:
Targeting OptionsIn the broad category section of the targeting options, Facebook allows you to target people by the way they access Facebook. Recently, the social network added more specific device types and operating systems to target. For example, if you were to check mobile users, the ads would appear to any mobile user. However, there are much more strategic ways to use these targeting options. For example, say that you are advertising an application that is designed for TV watchers, but your app is only available on iOS. By working with the targeting options, you can create an ad for people with an iPhone 4S that like the show Mad Men and prompt them to download your app. This makes it easier to drive downloads of your app among a relevant audience. This article is a free preview from the Facebook Marketing Bible, our subscription product for marketers and advertisers looking to better understand the Facebook platform. For more insights, expert analysis, how-tos and case studies, subscribe to the Facebook Marketing Bible. |
| Facebook platform industry hires: AudienceScience and Offerpop Posted: 30 Oct 2012 01:29 PM PDT Due to recent changes in the way Linkedin displays hiring information we have have changed the format of our weekly new hires posts. Companies who want their new hires included in the post must contact us directly at mail (at) insidesocialgames(dot) com.
Who else is hiring? The Inside Network Job Board presents a survey of current openings at leading companies in the industry. |
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