Facebook Preparing for the Introduction of Video Ads
Facebook recently announced that it will be testing videos that play automatically on the homepage, a pre-cursor to the company introducing video ads to its site in the upcoming months. Some users will now see videos come to life and start playing automatically in the News Feed. These videos will initially play silently, and if you want you can then tap the video to play with sound in full screen mode. If you choose not to watch the video you will be able to scroll past it and it will stop.
This new video feature suggests that Facebook is moving towards more video orientated ads on the site. The announcement on the Facebook newsroom commented that “at first, this feature will be limited to videos posted by individuals, musicians, and bands. We’re doing this to make sure we create the best possible experience. Over time, we’ll continue to explore how to bring this to marketers in the future”.
The test currently only involves a small group of U.S. users, but it is expected to roll out to other users on the site soon. When it does, and when it is viewed as a successful experience on the site, it will start to be used by brands and advertisers. By introducing this feature to a small test group, Facebook will be able to ensure that the technology is up to standards. Zuckerberg was concerned that the video ads should load quickly, and has spent time with his engineers developing the technology which allows the videos to load automatically.
Facebook has also debated whether to give users the option to stop the video ads from playing automatically as this could be a sensitive issue for users on mobile phones who have limited data plans. But Facebook have commented that they do not expect the auto-play videos to have a big impact on smartphone users’ wireless data usage and monthly phone bills. Internal tests which have been carried out so far do not seem to significantly reduce battery life, as users do have the option of switching off the auto-play feature and scrolling past the adverts to stop them from playing.
According to several media reports, Facebook is planning to charge brand marketers $1 million to $2.4 million in order to show these 15-second video ads on its social network. Facebook is also experimenting with the idea of giving advertisers more than 15 seconds, this would allow them to compete better with standard television ads. Facebook will allow brands to show up to three videos in “carousels,” a feature in which users will be able to swipe from right-to-left to see two more videos from the advertiser. This move signals how Facebook is joining a growing movement of media and Internet companies who are trying to get money that the advertisers currently spend on television by persuading them to switch their media form. A research firm, eMarketer, suggests that the amount spent on online video is expected to grow by more than 40% this year.
The delay in the release of the feature is due to the fact that Facebook wants to keep its users happy enough to keep coming back to use the site. By introducing videos that play automatically on the site, they hope to slowly pave the way for video advertisements to be featured on the site.
What do you think?
How will the introduction of automatically playing videos change the way that we use Facebook? How will Facebook video ads impact upon Facebook users and the way that they use the social media network?
Facebook Preparing for the Introduction of Video Ads
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Reviewed by Anonymous
on
Thursday, October 17, 2013
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Anonymous
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