Under the new service, Facebook will let advertisers instead pay only when an entire ad passes completely through a user’s screen, or “viewport”, if they wish. Facebook’s viewable impression standard is 100 percent of the ad being in view, from top to bottom.
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It is also working with Moat, which will be integrated by Facebook to verify video ad views and view lengths.
Facebook’s new 100% viewability buying option will be charged at a premium to other ad buys and will be available for every type of Facebook ad including video, text, photos, and links. But the option is likely to make advertisers happy.
In July, Facebook reported better-than-expected second-quarter revenue but profit fell 9 percent as the social media company sharply increased spending to boost mobile revenue and future growth.
However, some advertisers have the option to choose whether to pay for a placement only if the video ad has been viewed for 10 seconds or more.
Currently, Facebook and Google are using their own software to measure viewability rates, which has left many advertisers upset because they are more comfortable with having independent companies provide the proof that ads were seen.
Until this change, advertisers were charged as soon as any piece of an ad appeared on a Facebook user’s screen. Just yesterday, WPP chief Martin Sorrell called out Facebook’s viewability standards while speaking at Dmexco in Cologne, Germany.
In a blog post, Facebook says: “While it remains our belief that value is created for an advertiser as soon as an ad is in view, we also believe in offering advertisers control and flexibility over how they run their ads”. It should be good business for Moat, which also partners with Twitter to measure its video views.
It puts a stake in the ground when it comes to the viewability debate.
“Viewable ads based on our metrics verified by a third party is what we are interested in from an investment standpoint”, Scanzoni said.
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As Third Door Media’s paid media reporter, Ginny Marvin writes about paid online marketing topics including paid search, paid social, display and retargeting for Search Engine Land and Marketing Land. “Our hope is that these steps will lead ultimately to 100 percent viewability through third-party verification across the industry”.
