The 5 most important Facebook Ad updates of 2016

How you can increase your app's revenue

• 1 App event optimisation (AEO)

  

  One of the top issues Facebook advertisers are facing is app abandonment.

  In other words, it’s easy to get users to click on a Facebook ad and install a mobile app, but much harder to get them to stay on as active users and spend any money. This method of user acquisition is focused on an app retaining users.

  User retention can be unpredictable when expanding to new markets or when frequently updating the app.

  Facebook is aware of this, which is why they recently launched a new feature called ‘App event optimisation.’

  With this new feature, you can optimise the delivery of your ad to be shown to users who are most likely to take a positive action in your app.

  How does it work? Facebook tracks how people engage with your app, and lets you select which activities are most beneficial to you.

  For example, you could choose that in-app purchases are your highest priority. The Facebook ads system then shows your ad to people who are most likely to make in-app purchases.

  Overall, AEO performs well for many marketers, yielding 2X D3 Return On Ad Spend (ROAS) on average, while keeping a balanced blend of installs and purchase ads to maintain a good LTV at reasonable CPIs.

  
  

• 2 Video carousel ad unit

  

  Carousel ads are one of the most engaging ad formats on Facebook. They let you add not just one image, but multiple images to a single ad unit that users can browse through.

  While it started with just photos, Facebook has added the option to add videos as well.

  Many advertisers enjoyed higher yields from video carousel ads. Several app marketers have garnered ROAS on video carousel ads that is up to 40% higher than all other campaigns.

  
  

• 3 Canvas ads for mobile

  

  One of the newest ad formats launched by Facebook is canvas ads.

  A canvas ad is a full-screen ad that loads post-click. It can contain video, images, text and CTA buttons to make for an immersive experience that brand advertisers love.

  Canvas ads allow advertisers to tell brand stories that engage potential users. This is an effective ad format for showcasing your product visually and is especially worth exploring if you’re a game app marketer or a consumer app marketer.

  One game developer saw a conversion rate for canvas ads double in comparison to other ad formats from 10.4% to 23.3%. The payer rate also increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

  
  

• 4 Worldwide Targeting

  

  Location targeting is an important factor when setting up your Facebook ads. Previously, you had to manually add every country you’d like to target.

  Now, Facebook has given advertisers a powerful new way to take your business global. You can set your targeting to ‘Worldwide’ or choose a particular region of the world like North America, and your ad will show in all countries in that region.

  You can further exclude particular countries in the region if you need to. Beyond making it easier to expand your potential reach, this feature allows advertisers to be strategic when expanding their product or business globally.

  For example, one app marketer increased installs 5X quarter-over-quarter by using worldwide targeting. The company also saw a 95% lower CPI than geo-specific targeted campaigns to the US.

  Importantly, it acquired users in 227 non-US geos, and greatly expanded the global footprint of its business. That’s the power of adopting new Facebook ad features first.

  
  

• 5 Placement optimisation

  

  Apart from Facebook itself, you can show your Facebook ads on Instagram, and the Facebook Audience Network.

  However, ad performance on each of these platforms will vary because of the different types of users they attract.

  Previously, advertisers would manually adjust the budget and ad settings for each of these platforms to optimise their performance.

  Now, Facebook has launched a new feature called “Placement Optimisation” that automatically shows your ad on the platforms that are performing well for you.

  Using placement optimisation reduces the load on you as an advertiser and brings you better performance from a larger target audience.

  For Bidalgo clients, placement optimisation campaigns (including FB, IG and Audience Network) drove cost-effective CPIs and higher ROAS compared to standalone Facebook campaigns.

  On average, they got a 2X return on ad spend and 10% increase in sales. Specific campaign results showed 271% increase in CTRs, 25% decrease in CPIs and 74% increase in D7 ROAS.

  Facebook, as an ad platform, evolves fast. With every update, Facebook is bringing additional value to advertisers.

  As a game or mobile app marketer, you need to stay on top of these trends and take advantage of them for your campaigns. With new ad updates, the adage is true - the early bird gets the worm.