Facebook Allows “Sponsored Story” Ads To Targeted To Mobile Specific Users

Facebook ads are going mobile.  Today BusinessInsider

reported that the “Sponsored Stories” ad format has been opened to Facebook advertisers.  The “Sponsored Stories” feature a more organic ad showing user interactions and activity.

Advertisers can will be able to purchase via the ads API and Power Editor, no sales team required.  Ad types look to include both smart phone and tablet targeting.  This move continues the push to less automated sales-rep driven buys to more manual SMB access.

The full Facebook statement is as follows:

Today, Facebook announced that marketers will have the opportunity to buy sponsored stories in News Feed separately from other placements through the API and Power Editor. Now, marketers can choose which placement (independent of any right-hand side buy) they would like whether it be in News Feed on desktop, News Feed on mobile, both, or in combination with the right-hand side.Facebook is always looking for ways to improve products and has responded to requests from marketers to control the placement of their sponsored stories. As companies are promoting services more frequently on mobile, this option gives them the opportunity to focus on specific placements that will impact them most directly.  A quick rundown on the various placements Facebook will allow advertisers to choose from in the API and Power Editor:

1. All placements: this option includes right-hand side +News Feed desktop+ News Feed mobile

2. All desktop placements: this option includes right-hand side + News Feed desktop

3. News Feed (desktop and mobile): this option includes News Feed desktop + News Feed mobile

4. News Feed desktop: this option includes News Feed desktop only

5. News Feed mobile: this option includes News Feed desktop only

For more information see the full write-up at BusinessInsider.

UPDATE: 

A Facebook spokesperson released the following statement clarifying that this is not the first time sponsored stories have be;en available in news feed or mobile:

“Marketers were able to buy sponsored stories on mobile as part of a bundle since fMC earlier this year. Today’s announcement just makes it possible for them to buy sponsored stories on mobile separately from other placements.”