Speculations surrounding Facebook’s recent public debut had everyone guessing what impact new stakeholders would have. Many speculated that ads for outside marketers would become more intrusive – some to the point of turning off the Facebook customer. Others predicted preferential ad treatment for the network’s largest stakeholders. Still others had the optimism to hope that the repercussions of going public would be minimal, preserving what was left of Facebook’s “integrity as a social network”. While the jury’s still out on the final verdict, for now it seems, Facebook is rethinking the ad streaming options it gives advertisers, restructuring their ad model to give marketers more control over how and where their content is seen.

the perks of placement options
Soon, Facebook will debut a couple of new placement options for advertisers to choose from:

  • In the News Feed, only on desktop computers
  • In the News Feed, only on mobile devices
  • All desktop placements (News Feed + right hand side of the page)
  • All News Feed placements (desktop + mobile)
  • All placements (News Feed on all Internet devices + right-hand side of the page)

More than likely the most pervasive upcoming ad options will cost you. However, in the long run, specifically placing your ads will help you more accurately reach your target audience and enhance your use for existing Facebook Analytics.
staying up on what’s to come
There’s no doubt more changes are on the horizon for online marketers using Facebook as a platform. Recent reports indicate that Facebook fandom is a valuable tool for growing profits, so stay on top of both your Facebook conversations and ads to make sure these platforms support, rather than take away from each other. Treat your ads like ads and your conversations like conversations and you’ll be sure to stay ahead of the Facebook curve.