It’s rumoured that Facebook are going to launch 15 second Video Ads which will automatically play in your News Feed. They will be muted by default but users will be able to turn sound on if they wish. This suggests that Facebook are very conscious that autoplay video ads with sound could irritate and turn off users but without sound will they be attractive to brands?
Facebook is under increasing pressure from investors to deliver revenues that justify its share price and the launch of Video Ads would no doubt be attractive the the many brands that currently advertise on TV and YouTube. LinkedIn are the only other social network to offer video ads although these appear on the side bar and not directly in the News Feed (Home Page). It’s worth noting that hugely popular Google Adwords don’t contain videos or even images.
Video Ads would join the large array the existing portfolio of Facebook Ad formats:
Marketplace Ads
These are the Ads that you see on the right hand sidebar of Facebook and are similar in nature to Google Adwords.
Sponsored Stories
Sponsored stories are based on the activity of Friends. For example, if one of your Fans likes a Post on your Facebook Page their name and photo can be displayed to their Friends.
Facebook Offers
Facebook Offers allow businesses to promote a special deal or discount. When users claim an offer their Friends will be notified in their News Feeds.
Promoted Posts
Regular posts can be promoted directly from a Facebook Page (or Profile). This means that Page Posts will appear in more News Feeds than they would normally. They are purchased at a pre-set price rather than a pay-per-click basis.
Promoted Page Likes
Launched in April 2013, they are setup from the Admin Panel and attract new Likes to a Facebook Page. Like Promoted posts they are purchased at a pre-set price.
What do you think of Facebook Video Ads? Would they be attractive to you as a business or would they annoy you as a user?