What Happened
Facebook is building out its video products on mobile as it chases more ad dollars. The social giant has started testing a slew of video-centric features on its Android apps, including a dedicated video tab and subscription-based video channels. Facebook first started testing similar features on its desktop sites in March.
The move is most likely motivated by Facebook’s desire for more mobile ads. Earlier this week, Facebook shared that its overall ad sales hit $6.2 billion during the second quarter, increasing its overall ad revenue by 59% compared to last year. The growth is largely attributed to the strong performance of its mobile ads as 84% of its ad sales came from mobile.
What Brands Need To Do
As Facebook continues its quest to challenge YouTube’s position as the destination for online video, it presents video advertisers with more opportunities to engage with its over 1.7 billion monthly active users with video ads. As more and more people start consuming video content on mobile devices, it is imperative that brands follow the viewers and consider adopting a mobile-heavy media mix to reflect the shift in audience behavior.