Facebook is making its ads more interactive with the launch of polls, augmented reality (AR) and playable ads.
The tools begin rolling out this month across the globe, with the social media giant saying more interactive, personalised ads are more effective in raising brand awareness and conversion.
Naomi Shepherd, Facebook AUNZ group industry director, says the new formats come in response to the shift away from one-way communication in digital advertising to to an ongoing dialogue.
“These new ad formats are able to help businesses show off their creativity, encourage a playful experience between people and businesses, bring even more personality to branded content and most importantly deliver results,” Shepherd says.
“For example, initial testing has found that in five out of nine brand lift studies, poll ads increased brand awareness compared to video ads. This interactivity is key, and all brands should be using a range of content to engage with consumers.”
Video poll ads will be available this month on the Facebook mobile Feed, allowing advertisers to insert three different types of polls to video ads.
In addition, AR ads are now entering open beta across the globe in the coming months.
The product has already been used by US make-up brand WeMakeUp, which allowed customers to try on its lipstick shades. According to Facebook, the campaign increased the brand’s sales by 27.6%, with the average person spending 38 seconds interacting with the ad.
The third product, playable ads, which allow people to play a game to drive downloads and brand objectives, is also being expanded.
The new ad bundle from Facebook
In Australia, Facebook used home loan provider Lendi as a test partner, using playable ads to build a mortgage calculator. The format increased the lender’s brand awareness by 2.7% and delivered a 44% engagement rate and 70% click-through rate, according to Facebook.
May Seow, creative strategy lead at Facebook’s Creative Shop in the Asia Pacific, says 60% of brands are already using an interactive element like mentions, hashtag or poll sticker in Stories every month.
“What started with exploring new things on mobile has morphed into vast and varied conversations that welcome people’s participation and will eventually immerse them into shared experiences,” Seow says.
“To help brands further embrace this trend, we are announcing new ad solutions that encourage a playful experience between people and businesses, and deliver results.”
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