Facebook unveils playable adverts

Facebook has announced today that it will be rolling out playable adverts, to allow gamers to experience mobile games in their news feed before installing the game. The social media giant believes that this strategy will drive higher-intent installs, meaning that users who have experienced the app through an advert are more likely to continue playing the game after installing it.

Facebook will also allow advertisers to find users most likely to be highly engaged with their app. Facebook will be testing retention optimisation, which will deliver adverts to gamers who are the most likely to install and play their game. Additionally, advertisers will be able to advertise directly to gamers who are likely to spend money on in-app purchases, and can set a minimum spend to eliminate players who are less likely to invest.

The strategy has already proved successful. Game developer Bagelcode tested playable adverts and saw a 3.2X improvement in return on ad spend on Android, and 1.4X improvement on iOS. Meanwhile Rovio saw a 40 per cent lower cost per paying user and a 70 per cent lift in day seven return on ad spend.

“The explosive growth of the mobile app ecosystem poses a real challenge for today’s game developers,” said Rick Kelley, VP of global gaming at Facebook. “With playable ads, advertisers can now give players a chance to experience a game in Feed before they install it, creating higher intent. And through two additions to our value suite, game developers can more efficiently reach their most valuable players — whether they’re optimizing for payers or for retention.”