Facebook launch dynamic product ads for retailers.

In a blog post this morning, Facebook have announced they have launched a new type of ad format that will allow retailers to advertise multiple products at once. Called (somewhat unimaginatively) Product Ads, this new format allows retailers to promote multiple products, or even their entire product catalogue, across all devices. This new format is similar to Google’s Shopping Campaigns.

According to Facebook themselves:

“Product ads offer businesses a number of ways to highlight different products on Facebook. Marketers can upload their product catalog [sic] and create campaigns targeting certain products to specific audiences, or let Facebook automatically deliver the most relevant products to people.”

And these ads can help sell products at different stages in the customer journey. For example:

• Advertisers can automatically reach people who visited their website/app (via Custom Audiences), or reach people based on specific interests, locations, etc.
• Advertisers can curate ads as they see fit. For instance, they can highlight products that were viewed on their website/mobile app or showcase best selling products. Or they can create a multi-product ad that highlights the different benefits of a single product.

USA retailers, Target and Shutterfly, have been trialling the new placements with marked success. 

This new Ad Format follows a raft of new developments from Facebook in the last few weeks, including:

·      Brands can now use animated GIFs (Cinemagraphs) in their ads.

·      Users can now choose a Legacy Contact to manage their account after their death.

·      And Amber Alerts that will send missing children notifications out to people who are in the area the child went missing.