Facebook may be looking to expand the already impressive reach of its mobile ad network by mixing in mobile website ad placements. The company is one of the first to test the viability of a cross-channel ad network that includes ads both in apps and on mobile websites.
Facebook is working with a small group of publishers to test an expansion of its existing mobile app network, the Facebook Audience Network, onto mobile websites. AdExchanger first reported that Facebook is one month into the trial, and that social publisher Diply is one of those involved. When reached by Marketing, Facebook wouldn’t comment on the specifics of the test, but a spokesperson confirmed that the test is happening.
Adding mobile web inventory could give Audience Network an edge over competing app networks like Twitter’s MoPub or Yahoo’s Flurry. Due to the differing technical specifications of in-app and mobile web advertising, few networks have tried to offer both formats in a single ad product. Most large-scale networks have focused on apps, since the majority of user time and engagement happens in apps rather than browsers.
Audience Network already benefits from enhanced targeting capabilities thanks to Facebook’s audience data. However, unlike other networks, it can only be bought as an extension to mobile advertising on Facebook, not as a standalone ad product.
Facebook trumpets Audience Network as one of its two key mobile ad offerings for outside publishers, alongside its LiveRail mobile exchange. It’s been steadily investing to improve the platform, adding support for native ads in May last year and for autoplay video ads in August.
Audience Network has seen considerable uptake among advertisers during the year and a half it’s been operating, driving $250 million in total sales in Q4 2015 (much of which goes to publisher partners). Per eMarketer’s September estimates, Facebook has by far the largest market share of mobile display advertising in the U.S., accounting for 37.9% of mobile display revenues across Audience Network, LiveRail and its owned properties.
