The buzz about a potential Facebook mobile ad network may soon become reality.
Facebook will most likely introduce the new network at the end of April, Re/Code reports. That’s when the social media giant hosts its F8 Conference in San Francisco. The conference is geared to third-party Facebook app developers and publishers.
These developers and publishers are presumably the exact kind of small businesses and entrepreneurs most likely to take advantage of the network. It would create another way to monetize third party apps and other publishing platforms with ads supplied by Facebook.
In January, Facebook first hinted it was working on the new Facebook mobile ad network. In a post on Facebook’s official Development Blog, the company said its objective was specifically to help developers monetize their apps. At the time, Facebook’s mobile products leader Sriram Krishnan explained:
“Monetization is a difficult problem for mobile app developers, particularly as people move toward downloading more free apps and advertising dollars lag behind time spent on mobile. We faced some unique challenges when we first integrated ads into the Facebook mobile experience, and we believe we’re now well positioned to help other mobile apps.”
As more developers integrate advertising content from a Facebook mobile ad network into their apps, the reach of that network increases. For Facebook, the new network means an increased inventory of advertising space the social network will be able to sell.
But the network also benefits small businesses in two ways. First, obviously it creates a revenue stream for independent developers who might not have otherwise had a business model for their projects. Second, the network provides an even larger network through which advertisers can reach an even bigger audience.
Facebook reportedly will use its rich database of user data to target ads for the new Facebook mobile ad network. That data could include browsing habits and other social activity as a way to identify the audience most interested in a particular advertising campaign.
Facebook Photo via Shutterstock
With so much Facebook usage occurring via their mobile app, this is a logical next step for them. They’re a publicly traded company and have to meet the revenue and profit expectations of Wall Street and their stockholders now.
Martin Lindeskog
Robert: I agree with your view. Do you think that they will earn plenty of money on the mobile ads?
How will the ads look on a small screen? It was only a matter of time before Facebook would start with advertising on the mobile version.
Aira Bongco
I don’t know if I’m thrilled. One of the things I like about browsing Facebook on my phone is that it is ad-free. Though I am okay with suggested pages, I don’t know if I like pop-ups or ads that get in my way. After all, my phone screen is way too small to even put up with ads.