Video Ads Coming To Facebook

According to the Financial Times, Facebook users might find video advertisements in their newsfeeds as soon as July, with Facebook hoping to grab some advertising revenue away from TV and open up a new revenue stream to appease shareholders. Facebook’s client council include brands like Coca-Cola, Ford, and Unilever, all of whom expect to take part in trials. The worry, however, is that users will find the experience so disruptive that they will move on to other websites and social networks. Indeed, just last week it was reported that Facebook’s user numbers are on the decline despite Facebook Home and other attempts to keep users engaged. Facebook will present the videos silently, with the user choosing whether or not to activate the sound. At what price will this video advertising come? That remains to be seen, but raises another question: how long until Facebook offers an ad-free newsfeed, for a price?