When planning an advertising campaign most marketers don’t give a second thought to the speed of the internet connection used by those who will view it. Most people assume that everyone has some form of high speed internet these days, so it is just not too much of a concern. The fact is, however, that there are millions of people who are still connecting via slow connections that make video ads virtually un-viewable.
Whether it is in emerging markets around the world or even in many rural areas in America, slow internet speeds are a reality that can have a significant impact on who is able to see your video ads. With this in mind, Facebook has launched a new ad unit called ‘Slideshow.’
This unit falls under the category of video ads as far as Facebook is concerned, but it will require far less bandwidth to load. This makes it possible for companies to provide an engaging advertisement even when people are using 2G internet connections (or even slower).
Facebook is encouraging major advertisers to setup two related ad campaigns, one with full video and one with the slideshow format. Facebook can then detect the speed of the viewer’s internet and choose which one will give the user the best experience.
The ad unit can be made from three to seven sill photos, which will create a slideshow that can last from 5 to 15 seconds.
In addition to making ‘video’ ads function better on slower internet connections, it can also make it much easier for smaller marketers to use this type of advertising. Video ads are typically going to be significantly more expensive to produce than a slideshow, yet should produce similar results when done properly.
The ad format is currently available. It will be rolled out to Power Editor and Ads Manager in the coming weeks so you can start making slideshow ads using those tools.
During the event where this ad format was announced Facebook confirmed that more than half of their total revenues is coming from users outside of North America. In addition, they expect the next two billion users will come primarily from markets that still function on slower internet connections. As the world continues to get online, this will be an excellent way to reach out to them with high quality ads.
