Android or iOS? Facebook ads can now target specific mobile devices

Developers and advertisers that use power edition and the Facebook Ads API now have the ability to choose which mobile platform their ads appear on… well, at least they can choose between iOS and Android, but not Windows Phone or BlackBerry as yet. This allows iOS and Android developers to save money and time by avoiding sending adverts to users of a competing operating system.

According to TechCrunch, it’s a lesser-known feature of the new mobile app install ads Facebook launched two weeks ago, allowing developers to show links to their App store or Google Play apps in Facebook news feeds. This was to create a way for developers to reach users on the devices they actually build apps for.

This is very similar to Facebook’s “broad category” targeting, allowing advertisers to even target people with specific makes and models of phones like LG Androids or iPhone 4S. This opens up a new avenue for many other businesses who have the opportunity to take advantage of placement targeting. For example, businesses with predominantly teenage customers can target teenagers with iPod Touches, or an iPad accessory maker can target that device only.

Add to that the “Android vs iOS socio-economic divide.” A Forrester study found that the average iOS household is placed in a higher yearly income bracket of about US$16 000 than the average Android user. This means data like interests, education and work history can be incorporated into the targeting for high or low end products via Facebook.

Facebook has seen a growing number of users switching to mobile surfing: it now has over 600-million mobile monthly average users, and with the mobile platform growing larger everyday, it opens up new avenues for business.

Images: TechCrunch