Facebook Rolls Out Video Poll Ads, Expands Playable and AR Ads

In case you didn’t know, there are 66 days until Black Friday, 69 days until Cyber Monday, 89 days until Hanukkah, and 92 days until Christmas.

With the holidays right around the corner, Facebook is introducing new interactive advertising to its news feed. Last week, the platform announced the rollout of video poll ads, and the expanding of augmented reality (AR) ads and playable ads.

Video poll ads

After seeing the success of poll stickers for Instagram Stories ads, Facebook is bringing the capabilities to its video ads at the end of this month. 

A Facebook video poll can be set at a specific time during a video to quickly and easily get consumer opinions.

Facebook stated, “For example, in 5 out of 9 brand lift studies, we observed poll ads increased brand awareness compared to video ads.”

Eric Eckstein, senior director of digital marketing at E! Entertainment, added to Facebook’s announcement: “E! continually seeks deeper ways to connect with viewers. The launch of Facebook poll ads was an exciting opportunity for us to use media in a fun and interactive way ahead of the season 4 premiere of Total Bellas. Giving fans an opportunity to engage with the show helped us create meaningful interactions that drove success throughout the season.”

Some ways you can use Facebook video polls to increase engagement are:

• Ask the audience a question related to the video
• Collect the audiences feedback on the video content
• Offer options to your audience on what your next video topic should be
• Learn who your audience is and collect information to get to know them
• Ask questions to learn about your customer’s pain points to help create future content

Augmented reality (AR) ads

In July 2018, Facebook first started to test its AR ads with a select number of brands.

In early stages of testing, WeMakeUp had an AR ad that allowed consumers to "try on" its latest shade of lipstick. Facebook stated “as a result the brand drove a 27.6 point lift in purchases with the average person spending 38 seconds interacting with the ad unit.”

After seeing the value and success, Facebook is going to open these ads tools to all advertisers for a beta program this fall.

Playable ads

Lastly, Facebook is expanding its playable ad format to all advertisers globally, now available for reach, brand awareness, and conversions.

In the above example, Vans, the streetwear company, created an ad where users are able to guide Vans legend Steve Van Doren down a mountain, collecting gifts along the way. The ad also included direct links to the types of product features within the game to help promote offerings. The experience drove a 4.4 point lift in ad recall and a 2.4 lift in favorability. 

Playables ads on Facebook can:

• Create an immersive preview. Showcase your app or game with a lead-in video in News Feed that prompts people to play.
• Allow people to test drive your app. Offer people the chance to preview your game right from your ad before they install.
• Find engaged players and customers. Drive higher-intent players for your game or customers for your business.

What does this mean for marketers?

These latest Facebook ad updates help expand the possibilities for mobile advertisers. These new ad formats were designed to help boost engagement and allow advertisers to be able to deliver a more interactive experience, all while helping differentiate their brands from their competition.

Will AR ads go beyond make-up? What other ad updates will Facebook roll out before/during the holiday season? Let us know your thoughts in Elite!