Facebook introduces new ad insights.
Yesterday, Facebook announced the redesign of their Delivery Insights dashboard. Advertisers will be able to access this new interface within their Ads Manager in the next few weeks. The redesign features two important developments that will help marketers optimize their ad campaigns more easily: in-depth auction metrics and an estimated daily results tool.
First, the auction metrics display trends in an ad set’s impressions, amount spent, results and cost-per-result as well as auction metrics to explain those trends, according to Facebook. While Facebook has generally made metrics easily available, interpreting the overwhelming amount of data can be tricky. Facebook promises these changes will help marketers understand their auction activity and performance.
Second, it features a new estimated daily results tool, which covers website conversions and video views and looks at performance based on audience, budgets and placements. This tool offers both a budget curve and a slider bar to visualize the predictions and should help advertisers budget more effectively.
Facebook launches split testing.
In other ad-optimization news, Facebook announced the launch of split testing for ads March 23. It’s since rolled out globally. It allows advertisers to test different components of an ad across devices and browsers and will focus on two goals: brand lift and conversion lift. Split testing helps marketers make the most of their advertising budgets by automatically prioritizing the best-performing version of each ad, previously an entirely manual endeavor.
Facebook tests a second New Feed.
They’ve also been testing a customized alternative News Feed in the mobile app for a few weeks. Marked by a rocket ship icon, the tab is essentially a second News Feed, except without any posts or photos from friends. Instead, it shows recommended videos and articles based on user behavior.
Facebook has historically not put much emphasis on connecting users with recommended content, leaving it to their advanced algorithms to display content chosen via social proof (i.e., engaged with by the individual’s friends).
For brands, a full-fledged launch of this feature screams potential. Superb content creators may be rewarded with free placement within the feed, exposing their brand to new prospects. More importantly, it opens up significantly more ad real estate, helping alleviate an oversaturation of ads in the News Feed — and the rapidly rising ad costs that accompany it.
