If you already feel overwhelmed by advertising across the web, you’re not going to like the latest update Facebook has in store. However, if your business currently advertises on the popular social network, Facebook’s new feature may have a dramatic impact on your online marketing. Sometime this fall, Facebook is rumored to be adding a new feature – TV-style video advertising. Wondering how this will affect your Facebook experience and what this means if you’re an advertiser? We’re about to tell you everything you need to know.
How They’ll Work
While Facebook hasn’t announced exactly how the new video ads will work, they are speculated to be between 15-60 seconds long (although, they will likely be capped at 15 seconds) and appear in users’ news feed. Adverts will make the user stop what he/she is doing to watch, and will begin playing automatically. Whether audio will be enabled at the start of the video is still uncertain.
Facebook Video Ads For Advertisers
The social network will allegedly be charging about $2 million a day for advertisers to show video ads. In comparison, the average cost of a 30-second spot during the 2013 Super Bowl was about $4 million.1 Business owners will be able to choose the user demographic their ads will appear to, and a smaller target market will likely cost advertisers less. While the cost may sound outrageous for a time slot much shorter than traditional TV ads, Facebook is hoping to leverage their much larger viewer base (which is 3 times that of the Super Bowl’s and is available every day of the year) and a more targeted audience for the high cost.
Facebook is also intending to offer a carousel feature for advertisers wishing to enhance their viewer’s experience. This will allow users to swipe from right-to-left to see two more videos from the same brand.
Facebook Video Ads For Users
If you’re a Facebook regular, no doubt the thought of more ads, especially altogether unavoidable ones, sounds horrendous. Thankfully, users will only be shown adverts from one advertiser a day, and a maximum of three ads per day.
However, there is some concern that these video ads will deter users from logging into their favorite social network. This has lead Facebook to tread slowly – ensuring the ads aren’t too long, don’t appear too often, and don’t run slow. Unfortunately for users, Facebook believes the increased profits from the ads will outweigh the negative consumer feedback.
While TV-style ads popping up across Facebook feeds aren’t likely to please any visitors, they are highly intriguing for advertisers with big budgets. With video being the most effective way to captivate and educate your audience2, there is no doubt that advertisers will jump on this update and craft creative and captivating, 15-second clips. Given the huge success of Facebook mobile advertising, these new video ads are projected to significantly boost revenue, and subsequently, investor confidence. While there are still many logistical features yet to be decided, don’t be surprised if a TV-style ad appears across your news feed next time you log in.
1. “Super Bowl Advertising.” Wikipedia. August 20, 2013. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_advertising).
2. Davis, Lauren. “Why Videos Improve Your Website.” Bixa Media. June 18, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013. (http://bixamedia.com/digital-marketing-blog/content-development/why-videos-improve-your-website/).