4 Ways Developers Should Consider Testing The New “Connection Targeting” Feature in Facebook Ads
Since the Platform launched in 2007, Facebook has taken a relatively hands-off approach to monetizing the application ecosystem. Facebook has never directly taxed developers, and has always allowed third parties to provide nearly all monetization and advertising services. Only recently has Facebook started testing its own in-house Platform payments system (May) and Platform ad network (back in February).
However, with the release of a new Facebook Ads feature called “Connection Targeting” yesterday, Facebook may be able to tap into more developer marketing dollars through its performance advertising system. The feature allows developers to target Facebook Ads to users of any of their applications while they’re on the site – effectively providing a new paid re-engagement or notification channel for developers.
Here are 4 scenarios where developers should consider trying Connection Targeting in Facebook Ads:
- Application cross promotions: recruit all users of application A to try application B, too (specifically those application A users that are less likely to get natural invitations to application B)
- Page cross promotions: recruit all users of application A to become a fan of application A as well, so that they can get updates in the stream in the future
- Targeted notifications: send announcements or news to users in certain age/sex/location demographics designed to get them reengaged with the application
- Special offers: reach some/all app users in a given time period for a special promotion
All in all, we expect to see more developer dollars flowing through Facebook Ads as a result of the new targeting capabilities.
Below: the Facebook Ads “connection targeting” interface
Rather than creating a separate advertising system for app developers, Facebook is funneling all advertising through its core performance platform. It will be interesting to see if Facebook further develops Facebook Ads to offer more customized solutions to developers going forward.
Facebook’s Justin Osofsky is encouraging developers interested in giving their feedback to Facebook on its Platform advertising efforts to do so using this survey.
July 17th, 2009 at 5:11 am
[...] 4 Ways Developers Should Consider Testing The New “Connection Targeting” Feature in Fac… (insidefacebook.com) [...]
July 17th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
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March 8th, 2010 at 5:22 am
[...] display of chutzpah, Facebook offers developers a service called connection targeting, described in a recent Inside Facebook article, whose function is to enable paid re-targeting to their own [...]