Facebook has announced new mobile app ad options to help drive up engagement. The options let developers make use of seven specific calls to action choices to include in their apps.
In its first phase of mobile app ads, Facebook offered one call to action: “Install now”. Now the company is moving into the second phase and has added seven more: “Open Link”, “Use App”, “Shop Now”, “Play Game”, “Book Now”, “Listen Now” and “Watch Video”, which are all designed to increase engagement with existing apps.
Facebook launched its in-app ads last September, and they have driven more than 145 million installs from Apple’s App store and Google Play, according to Facebook. The change in calls to action was partially influenced by a study conducted by Localytics, which found that 66% of app users only open apps between one and 10 times.
The idea of re-engaging users is a familiar one in Online Marketing. Now the Facebook can take the form of targeting users who have already installed a mobile App and then presenting them with custom calls to action. A Facebook spokesperson noted that the new calls to action should make the ads more tailorable to apps beyond gaming. They also said this won’t change the way the company charges for the ads.
For Facebook itself, mobile app install ads have helped drive its rapid rise in mobile ad sales, which accounted for 41% of total ad revenue in the second quarter. While not providing specific numbers Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg said in the July earning call that revenue from the app ads continued to accelerate.
