Summertime… and the living it’s easy… Billie Holiday was singing in 1936. Yeah, but digital marketing wasn’t there back then!
In 2016, for marketers, summertime means that it is even harder than usual to keep up with all the latest news, research, and best practices of Facebook advertising.
And since business never goes on vacation, there’s some news you can’t afford to miss.
No worries, we’re here to bring you the latest Facebook updates, and prepare you for your hottest marketing month, ever.
1. Updated app-install ad targeting
Facebook recently updated its app-install ads to permit developers to target audiences based on who is the most likely to use their app, not just install and forget about it.
The main reason behind this decision is that people download apps but then forget about them.
According to a study by eMarketer, only 6% of people still use an app 30 days after installing it. This makes the other 94% a complete waste of advertising budget.
The new feature is called App Event Optimization and allows advertisers to select from 14 user actions that might signal how likely a person is to engage in an actions like:
purchase a product
initiate a checkout
add an item to an online shopping cart or wish list
rate an app
search for an app
view content, and more.
Jehan Damji, a Product Manager at Facebook, said that “not all installs are created equal” and explained that some app advertisers might choose to target a broad audience if it’s a new app, but others want more specific targeting to boost downloads by people who seem more likely to make mobile purchases.
How to target based on actions?
When picking your bid type, you can choose to have your campaign optimize for installs by selecting App Installs as your optimization method.
Right now, advertisers can choose only one action per ad. Still, there’s no limit to the number of ads that can be run. So if you’re interested in targeting different actions, you’ll be able to do it by creating multiple ads. There might be an option to select multiple actions per one ad in the future.
Facebook has also announced two new ways for marketers to advertise their apps: by using Facebook’s Dynamic Ads and Facebook Canvas.
Read the App Events best practices guide by Facebook
2. Two-person Facebook broadcasts
This news comes to us a courtesy of TechCrunch. And we’re super excited to see where it’ll lead, with brands creating live streaming content.
The good news is that soon, you’ll be able to create broadcasts with two people participating from different locations. Hint: think about all the possibilities of broadcasting remote interviews, talk shows, etc.
Brands could have their partners and/or celebrities participating in their Live videos, expanding the creativity in live streaming.
The new feature will go live later this summer, starting with Verified Pages, and will then be rolled out to other users.
3. Waiting rooms for live streaming
While waiting rooms might bring to your mind those long hours filled with hope waiting at the check-in desk of an airport, we’re talking about the Facebook Live Video waiting rooms – a place for users to hang out and wait for a broadcast to start.
As a brand, you’ll be able to pre-schedule the time you’re going live so that Facebook can notify users before the stream begins.
The huge benefit: Right now, broadcasters are having a hard time deciding when to start the live stream as they’d like to wait for enough users to opt in. Meanwhile, the early arrivers get bored and opt out before the stream starts. With this update, brands will be able to have a large audience already waiting, just at the right time.
New to Facebook Live Video but keen to find out more? Check out this guide to Real-time Broadcasting with Facebook Live Video.
4. Facebook Messenger reached 1 billion users + Q2 earnings
We just thought you should know that Facebook Messenger now has over 1 000 000 000 users. That’s a lot of zeroes!
The messaging app is gaining around 100 million active users every three months. Facebook also announced that Messenger now supports Instant Articles, making it easier to get your content in front of millions of eyes.
In July, the Messenger bot platform has grown to include over 18,000 bots — up from 11,000 at the end of June. If you’re interested in introducing Messenger bots to your marketing mix, here are 5 inspiring examples.
For example, take a look at SurveyBot:
CAUTION! While chatbots are gaining ground, there are many reasons why you shouldn’t go with the flow (or at least take it with a grain of salt).
Related: Facebook announced its Q2 earnings
As one might expect, Facebook’s revenue keeps steadily growing. The company reported $6.44 billion in revenue and $2.05 billion in profit. Read more here
5. Everything else you need to know
Facebook’s testing self-destroying messages
On July 8, Facebook released a public statement that it’s working on a Secret Messages feature that allows users to send messages that disappear forever after a set period of time.
This could mean that more users that now prefer private messaging apps will be moving to Messenger.
Instagram-inspired cropped clips increase completion rates by 67%
If you’re using video ads, this recently published study could make a huge difference in your video completion rates (and cost-per-conversion).
VML, a global marketing and ad agency found that Instagram-style squared video ads performed a lot better than the regular 16:9 format ads when displayed on Facebook News Feed.
Already back in April, Facebook updated its creative guidelines, recommending that brands start changing their ads from 16:9 aspect ratios to videos with 1:1 ratios in the shape of a square that’s designed for mobile.
Among other video ad tactics, Facebook suggests that you:
Capture attention quickly – by using catchy imagery and colors
Design for no sound – not everyone plays the videos with sound, so show captions, logos, etc.
Frame your visual story – Make sure your video looks great on a small screen as well as on desktop
Play more – keep testing new approaches
Check out this guide to creating highly efficient Facebook video ads
Now that we’ve covered all the big news, let’s have a quick recap:
You can target based on actions in app-install ads
You’ll soon be able to stream 2-participant broadcasts
There will soon be waiting rooms for Live Video
Facebook reported huge growth in earnings and the number of users
Facebook will soon introduce Secret Messages
Instead of the universal 16:9 video format, test 1:1 square-shaped videos to increase the completion rate
August is just at its beginning, and we’re likely to see more updates in the upcoming weeks. No worries, we’ll keep you posted!
Oh, and if you missed July edition of Facebook news, including the removal of 20% text rule, click here.