Facebook revamps its ad formats, now sells video ads inside other apps

Facebook has announced an expansion to its ad types and formats that are available on Audience Network, allowing developers and publishers to bring the autoplay video ads experience from Facebook directly to their apps.

Facebook launched Audience Network in 2014 with the sole function of improving the relevance of adverts inside mobile apps by allowing advertisers to use the user data Facebook has to target ads.

With the new update, publishers who already use Audience Network’s full screen interstitials will be eligible to deliver three types of ads; dynamic product ads, carousel ads and click to play video without any changes to their existing placements.

Facebook says that the expansion gives better outcomes for developers, their advertisers and the app users.

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Native ads are proving to be popular. The company says that publisher adoption of native ads has increased since the start of 2015 with 5x more apps now using native ads. Native ads represent over 80% of impressions in the Audience Network.

Facebook has been monitoring the ads.

“We have a deep understanding of what formats perform well and drive engagement in Facebook News Feed and are taking two of our best performing units and making them available off Facebook” The company says.

IHS Technology and Irish based video analytics company Vidiro estimate that global advertising revenue from online video doubled to $11.2 billion between 2011 and 2014, and will jump to $13.8 billion in 2015.

In May this year, Facebook introduced three new native ad tools on its native ads format. These were native ad templates, native ad management tools and Horizontal scroll for native ads.

Today’s update proves once again that Facebook is out to claim a huge piece of the native video advertising pie.