Developers who’ve been running mobile app-install ads on Facebook Audience Network, or FAN are now reporting stronger than ever results according to a new study by Nanigans, a Facebook Marketing Partner.
Originally designed to focus on providing mobile app inventory, Facebook expanded FAN in the first quarter of 2016 to encompass mobile websites. Since then, brands have succeeded in ways equal to or better than what they were achieving through their regular Facebook campaigns.
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FAN allows brands to spread their ad campaigns to consumers outside of Facebook by automatically tweaking ads to new native, interstitial, and banner ad formats. App marketers who have been using FAN have reported a 26% increase in app-installs over ads served through Facebook’s native ads. The Nanigans report analyzed results from the 30 mobile app install advertisers that spend the most money within its network during the three-month period that ended on March 31.
According to the study, app-install ads served via FAN had a 65% higher click-through rate (1.4%) compared to native ads on Facebook (0.8%). The cost per thousand impressions for FAN app-install ads were 72% lower than Facebook native ads, and cost-per-install for FAN ads were 28% lower than Facebook native ads.
Facebook Audience Networks appears to provide brands with a far wider audience to reach, and this is significant now that proven audiences on Facebook have become saturated with app-install ads.
Recent estimates report that there are now well over 3 million apps available across the world’s five largest app stores. Delivering the right product to the right audience at the right time in this environment is critical to the success of any app.
Mobile app-install advertisers have traditionally invested heavily in display and interstitial ads, but are now moving to mobile video and native install formats. Some 86% of developers currently use in-feed video app-install ads, and video ads are seen as the most effective app-install format.
As formats like video rise in popularity, older formats are losing their appeal for install campaigns. Static non-native ads are widely used but are not seen as effective. Free app networks and offer walls have also fallen out of favor. It’s clear that Facebook Audience Network is taking mobile advertising to a new level of success.