What Happened
Nearly nine months since its debut, Facebook is ready to make its mobile content initiative Instant Articles available to all publishers. Starting on April 12, anyone with a website and a Facebook page will be able to take advantage of the program and publish content directly on Facebook instead of posting links that direct users to their own sites. Facebook initially placed some restrictions on ad placement in Instant Articles, but loosened its grip after pushback from major publishers. Now some publishers are reportedly able to generate the same amount of ad revenue from Instant Articles as from their own mobile properties on a per-view basis.
What Retailers Need To Do
Making Instant Articles widely available will no doubt increase its reach and encourage more publishers to try it out. For brand advertisers, this presents more opportunities to reach mobile Facebook users by offering them quick access to content. At a time when more and more consumers are turning to ad-blockers for a less cluttered online experience, Instant Articles can provide brands with a valuable platform where the ads will not be blocked.
For more information on how brands and publishers should deal with the rise of ad-blockers and earn consumer eyeballs, check out the Ad Avoidance section in our Outlook 2016.
Source: Wall Street Journal