Facebook Announces New Options For Mobile App Ads

Facebook has announced significant additions to its mobile app advertising program, including buying video and targeting enhancements. Starting this week, marketers will be able to optimize for reach and frequency, target Amazon Fire users and use autoplay video in app install and awareness advertising.

The ability to buy app ads that are optimized for reach and frequency is certain to interest a diverse number of digital marketers and businesses. “This allows advertisers to boost awareness while controlling how often someone sees an ad,” explained Facebook in its blog post. “For example, advertisers can set their app ad campaign to reach 5 million people with a frequency cap of three impressions per person for one week. Since reach and frequency optimizes for unique reach, it should only be used for campaigns with brand awareness goals, like those for app launches or updates.”

Autoplay video has also become an option for mobile app ads, with the ability for advertisers to place video in ads using Power Editor. “This holiday season and moving forward, when eligible, video mobile app ads will play automatically in News Feed,” stated Facebook’s blog post. Unfortunately, it wasn’t made clear just how videos will be determined to be eligible, but hopefully this information will be made available soon so that businesses and marketers can determine whether or not this is a viable option for their campaigns.

In the past, app install or re-engagement ads only linked to the Apple and Google Play stores, but with the new enhancements, app developers will now be able to target users of Fire devices and drive them to the Amazon Appstore. “To advertise Amazon Appstore apps on Facebook to Fire tablet users, combine Fire tablet targeting with the ‘New smartphone and tablet owners’ targeting group, which can be found under Behaviors during ad creation,” explained Facebook.

Facebook, along with advertisers from many industries, recognizes the power of the holiday season for marketing mobile apps as so many people receive new devices as gifts. To help advertisers, Facebook offered the following five tips for app advertising success:

1. Find new device owners: Smartphone sales grew 25 percent last holiday season compared to the quarter before. New devices means new opportunities for app installs. Advertisers can reach new device owners by targeting people that have recently used Facebook on a new device. This targeting option can be found under Behaviors during ad creation.

2. Reach specific devices: If your app is optimized for certain devices, you can target people using newer device models such as the iPhone 6, Nexus 10, Samsung Galaxy S5 and Amazon Fire.

3. Optimize campaigns for your business objective: To get the most efficient delivery for mobile app install ads, choose “Optimize for installs.” For app launches and major updates, where the goal is broad awareness, use Reach and Frequency buying.

4. Identify your top app users and find people who look like them: To drive app installs, build a Custom Audience using the top 25 percent of users. Then build a Lookalike Audience based off of it to find people with similar characteristics.

Test multiple ad creatives, including video: As new mobile devices are activated over the holidays, this is the perfect time to test new ad creatives. Test 5 to 10 new concepts to improve overall campaign delivery and achieve campaign goals.