May 13, 2013
Rumours are plentiful that Facebook will begin to roll out a video advertising offering this summer. This would have Facebook users finding video ads popping up in their Newsfeeds, as soon as July this year. The video ads would begin playing in silent mode, until the Facebook user opts to turn on the sound, upon which the advert would recommence with volume.
It is clear why Facebook is looking to roll out this new feature; it is yet another attempt at pulling in additional advertising revenue. It also nods to Facebook’s desire to become a player within the TV advertising space, enabling brands to extend their TV campaigns to the realms of the social network.
This new advertising option would offer clear benefits to brands. According to Singh Cassidy, founder of JOYUS, ‘people are five times as likely to buy a product from a video advert than from a picture on an e-commerce site, and buy five times as often’. Furthermore, as more and more brands wisen up to the importance of using visual content on social, vying for user attention is becoming increasingly challenging. The new video advertising format would offer brands a new means of standing out from the crowd.
It is expected that Facebook’s major brand players, including Coca-Cola and Nestlé, will be the first to experiment with the new advertising format, through a series of trials. However, their introduction is expected to be a slow one; the last thing that Facebook wants is for the ads to drive away users!
Facebook, the ever-evolving beast – whatever next? Share your opinion on the latest advertising development.