Facebook advertising is undergoing a number of changes designed to reducing advertiser confusion and simplifying existing advertising products.
The changes involve the elimination of almost half of Facebook’s 27 ad units and will be rolled out over a six-month period.
Sponsored Stories
Facebook’s most visible advertising change is to the (much-reviled) Sponsored Stories. The new iteration of Sponsored Stories is called Social Context and will be both easier for advertisers to build; and less obtrusive for end-users.
As one advertising analyst said:
This is great news for anyone who didn’t enjoy apparently hocking batteries and shampoo to their friends
No More Offers
In another sign that the Groupon-era is really over, Facebook is phasing out its own offers feature. From here on out, great deals will be presented as a page post link.
Questions Go Local
Facebook users will be glad to know that Questions are also being phased out as a form of advertising. The annoying mini-polls will be relegated to where they should have been all along, the advertiser’s Facebook page.
Consistency is King
Over the years Facebook has accumulated a staggering number of advertising vehicles that seriously fragmented the user experience. Besides axing a huge number of these products, the social media giant is also applying new layers is consistency to the look and feel of its ads.
The idea behind all this housecleaning is to make Facebook advertising less obtrusive for end-users and more effective for advertisers.
Will you be noticing these changes to Facebook advertising? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.