Facebook expands playable ads and transparency for brands

Ads that users can play are being rolled out across Facebook’s Audience Network, allowing brands to buy them in apps not owned by the social media giant.

The move comes after Facebook launched playable ads in the News Feed last August. Today the company said the new format drove a 60% increase in app installation, while people are six times more likely to make an in-app purchase than people who installed the app through other means.

The ads are available as rewarded video (in which a player interacts with the advertised game for 15 seconds before being given a call to action to install it), or the intersititial format (players can interact with the ad or download the game after five seconds).

Facebook said rewarded video ads see between 60% and 85% higher CPMs compared with regular video. 

The company also quoted Cyprus mobile game maker X Flow’s head of product and monetisation Roman Poleshchuk, who said: "When Audience Network offered us playable ads, we were excited about the opportunity and the results did not disappoint. For our app 'Color by Number,' CPMs on rewarded video increased by 107%. Additionally, the user experience is great as the design informs users when an ad is 'playable'."

Facebook said it is also introducing more transparency for brands to better understand how effectively their creative is being used in these ad formats.

It is introducing three new metrics: "Instant Experiences Clicks to Open"; "Instant Experiences Click to Start" and "Instant Experiences Outbound Clicks". Facebook said these will help gaming advertisers identify the key points at which users drop off.