Facebook marketers for the first time can buy mobile ads separately. The social networking giant revealed the development while announcing more nuanced ways to buy sponsored stories.
Brands can now purchase the social context ads within these parameters:
- Mobile news feed only
- Desktop news feed only
- Mobile and desktop news feed
- Mobile and desktop news feed with right-hand ad desktop placement
- Desktop news feed with right-hand ad desktop placement
Simon Mansell, CEO of social media marketing vendor TBG Digital, told ClickZ that selling mobile inventory independently is a significant move for Facebook. It “opens up ads to businesses [that] have invested in building mobile apps,” Mansell said. He said the development also creates opportunities for specifically targeting on-the-go consumers with products like suntan lotion and restaurant chain coupons.
In a prepared statement, Facebook said its latest ad-related iterations are a response 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.”
Facebook began testing sponsored stories in users’ news feeds in December 2011. Until now, the ad buys weren’t distinguished between news feed placement and right-hand-side page promotions.
This article was originally published on ClickZ.