Facebook is once again going head to head with Google to win the biggest piece of the $59.6 billion pie that is the digital advertising market. Collectively, Google and Facebook own 64% of that total online revenue, with Google leading the way with $30 billion with Facebook taking $8 billion. One huge advantage Google has over Facebook is Google’s ability to sell advertising real estate on its own search engine, as well as their global inventory on millions of publisher websites through its exchange DoubleClick. In the past, Facebook sold inventory on Facebook, and later, Instagram.
Last October, Facebook made a decision to diversify its advertising strategy to allow advertisers to start advertising outside of its own website, by launching the Facebook Audience Network (FAN). That means advertisers can create ads on Facebook that are seen on websites and mobile apps outside of Facebook like Shazam, the Huffington Post or the Kim Kardashian app while using the same deep demographic targeting ability for which Facebook is known. Since its launch, the company says the number of publishers participating in FAN increased ten-fold from a year ago, and it’s now a $1-billion-dollar business.
Though FAN is still in its infancy stages relative to Google’s global network, Facebook boasts the Audience Network inventory represents 6% of all time spent in mobile apps giving advertisers a valuable opportunity to connect with people off Facebook in the apps where they’re spending their time. Here’s what you need to know when deciding to add FAN to your overall marketing mix:
What types of ads can you run on the Facebook Audience Network?
Facebook allows for three main types of ads to run on their new network: Banner, Interstitial, and Native.
Can you run Carousel ads like you can in the Facebook/Instagram newsfeed?
Right now FAN allows for static ads on a majority of inventory, although interstitial has some carousel abilities. If you are running a carousel ad on Facebook, the first carousel image will automatically be used in the static FAN ads. Native uses first two images.
What about video ads on FAN?
Video inventory is available all ad units.
Can I run a FAN campaign without running a campaign on Facebook?
Unlike Google, where you can choose to advertise on either their publisher’s websites or on Google itself, at this time Facebook requires advertisers to place on both Facebook and FAN collectively. They’re not quite ready to step away from their flagship brand.
Can I choose what publishers my ad is seen on outside of Facebook?
No. Facebook determines where your ad is shown and while you can collect performance data, conversion data, click through data, etc. you don’t know where those ads were actually placed. Facebook doesn’t yet have a top publishers listing outside of its case studies of FAN partnership successes.
