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Mobile apps are consistently increasing each day, leading to increased internet traffic by about 53%, based on research released by Statista. App developers and marketers are aware of this, which is why they are looking for means to reach a high number of potential audiences. One of the ways they are achieving that is by the use of the audience network from Facebook. Since its development, an increasing number of app developers and marketers embrace the network in their marketing strategies. We are going to discuss what is Facebook audience network, FB audience network ads and what is audience network on Facebook.
But what exactly is an audience network, and why is it important, particularly in the digital world? Before we jump right into that, let’s first understand what the network is all about.
What is Facebook Audience Network?
Audience Network is a platform that lets publishers extend their Facebook advertising outside Facebook on third-party ads. The network is both an in-app and off Facebook advertising means for different mobile applications.
People use different mobile apps every day apart from Facebook, so as an advertiser, you can ensure that you reach as many of them as possible by advertising your products and services on those apps. The audience network lets you enjoy Facebook’s ad system while you are reaching other customers outside Facebook.
The journey of the audience network Facebook began in 2014 when it was first created. Application companies and marketers barely knew the nitty-gritty of the network. However, the app has evolved over the years to become one of the go-to tools for advertisers looking to extend their reach outside of Facebook. About 50% of mobile apps depend on the audience network on Facebook to meet viewers.
Benefits of Facebook Audience Network
When it was first set up, the audience network Facebook was used to extend reach on third-party websites and mobile apps. However, Facebook recently announced that the network would only be for in-app ads. After the announcement that occurred on the 11th of March 2020, many mobile app developers, publishers and advertisers signed up for the Facebook audience app.
The audience network ads are mostly suitable for advertisers who already have an established audience on Facebook and want to expand the reach off of Facebook. However, this does not mean that beginners cannot use the ad system on their apps.
The network also provides a monetization opportunity for app owners. As customers are busy engaging on ads that are available on social media platforms, you will benefit from Facebook’s ad revenue. The network ensures that while the audience has a wonderful experience on different mobile apps, this is how Facebook makes money. In 2016, Facebook made $5.63 billion, which was almost 80% of its total income from ad revenue. The most amazing thing is that these ads appear not only in the news feeds but also in other mobile apps through the help of an audience network on Facebook.
You may wonder whether it’s really necessary to use the audience network for your business when you already have ads on Facebook and other social networks like Instagram. Well, there are two major reasons behind this that you need to consider carefully. The first one that you will be getting an off from Facebook reach.
Remember, your goal as an advertiser is to reach as many customers as possible. Some customers spend time on other apps apart from Facebook. So Audience network helps you reach these other customers by showing the ads on your mobile apps. Therefore, even if your audience doesn’t have a Facebook account, they can still see your ads. Another advantage is that the ads can “hang around” on your apps more than they can on Facebook news feeds.
The second reason is affordability. It cost much less to use audience network placement compared to other ad placement. It costs an arm and a leg to post on Facebook and Instagram, so when using the audience network, your cost per click (CPC) lowers on your business ad campaigns.
Other reasons why you should use audience network include:
(Image Credit: AdEspresso)
Security
The audience network provides you with security, which is a bonus for your business. There is no bot traffic and it is virtually fraud-free. Bot traffic is the traffic that occurs on the website. It is caused by software applications that are running tasks that are automated. Unlike humans, bots perform repetitive work at a higher speed. Bot traffic is both a blessing and a curse as it can be used for good and bad. When used to the disadvantage of the business, bot traffic can overwhelm a website to the point of taking it down.
Therefore, by offering you a bot free audience network, you are assured of security.
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Re-marketing Opportunities
The audience network allows you to reach your audiences by expanding the reach of your campaigns. If you are a highly motivated campaigner with a high objective, the audience network gives you the advantage of reaching them easily.
Also, it gives you the chance to reach your potential customers at different stages of their journey. This is made possible due to the fact that the network targets customers who have already been on your app, especially those who look like potential customers.
The Advertiser’s Outcome Score
The audience network gives you an outcome score. This is basically feedback that lets publishers know the performance of their ads on the mobile apps. The score also compares your performance with that of ads on newsfeeds. Here is an example of the advertiser’s outcome score:
(Image Credit: Website Magazine)
The performance score allows you to continuously improve the content you advertise on the apps outside Facebook.
Before you start using the audience app, you need to consider the following things; the format of your ad placement and the different types of audience ads. These include:
Native ads are used to design the perfect ads unit putting in mind the location size, feel, and look.
- In-stream video ads, which are every marketer’s favorite tool.
- Banner ads are those that appear on the top right side of the app.
- Rewarded apps appear on the gaming apps.
- Interstitial ads pop up when the apps are in transition mode.
Keep in mind that there are no restrictions on the kind of ads that you can use. Whether you choose to use videos or images or both, they will serve to improve your ROI. However, you should consider Facebook’s recommendations at all times if you want your ads to have a great look.
When you are using in-stream video ads on Facebook placement or audience network placements, you should use the ratio 1:1 for squares and 16:9 for the full landscape. For the other ads, ensure that you use the 9:16 or 16:9 aspect ratio.
Facebook Audience Marketing Objectives
When you are considering the ads campaign, there are certain objectives that you need to consider. Here are all the audience network marketing objectives that you should use for your campaigns.
- Brand awareness
- Traffic
- Reach
- App installs
- Engagement
- Conversions
- Video views
- Catalog sales
Video views, brand awareness, reach, and engagements only use videos. Consequently, this is something that you should put in mind in your ad placement campaigns.
Steps to Joining the Audience Network
Before we jump into the steps, you should know that Facebook has strict policies on who can join their network. This eliminates the possibility of your ads being posted on apps filled with spam and also on low-quality apps. Therefore, don’t expect certain apps like those that promote gambling or sell adult content, work at home schemes, or unsafe products. You can get a full list of the publishers at Facebook’s brand safety option on the business manager. To access this list, go on the business manager and access the drop-down menu. Select the brand safety, then choose the publisher list. If you want to download the full list, click on the “download publisher list.”
- The first step to joining the network is by login into your Facebook account then go to my page.
- Click on the publishing tools.
- Go to the configuration on the menu that is on the left side.
- Navigate through and click on the audience network and follow the provided steps to activate the ads.
After you have created the audience network, you need to visit the audience network UI to create a placement.
- Visit the “My apps” and select the apps to be added to the audience network.
- Go to the Placement on the audience network and click the “create ad placement.
- You must enter the placement’s name then choose the banner as the display format.
- Save the whole thing.
(Image Credit: AdEspresso)
Monetizing Your Audience Network
Facebook allows you to earn money using the platform’s audience network to engage customers outside Facebook’s newsfeed. However, monetization does not occur simply by joining the audience network. This means that you must first add the apps to the Facebook monetization manager.
Monetizing your apps is not hard. All you need to do is keep the following things in mind.
- Ensure that the app is available on Android or IOS operating devices.
- Your personal Facebook account
- The app’s code allows you to integrate SDK, the knowledge of the platform, and the programming language.
- Your payment account.
Now that you have all these requirements in place, you can go ahead and set up the monetization manager. The process includes the following steps:
- Visit the monetization manager.
- Choose your business account. You must create one if you don’t have any. However, you will need a personal Facebook account to login and confirm your identity.
- Create a property that is basically a collection of the apps that you wish to add to the monetization manager. You must select the choice that supports your app; for instance, is it an iOS app or an android app.
- Enter the details of the app. This is the Google Play URL for that particular app.
- Add your payment information where money will be sent to. You can select an existing account or add a new one if you have one.
- Verify all the information. The review lasts at least 72 hours. During this time, you can verify all the information you had provided earlier.
- Choose the ad format placement, whether it is gaming, native, or any other.
- SDK integration. Ensure that you follow each step on the website for developers to integrate the SDK. The SDK is a tracking tool created by Facebook for the purpose of monitoring all the activities and performance of the ads on the audience network.
- Test the integration. You will need to login into your Facebook business account, then open your mobile app and choose the ad request.
- Click on ‘done’.
Monetization Tips
If you would like to generate more revenue, you can boost the network payouts with the following tips.
Monetize Different Properties
It is certain that monetizing your audience network can earn you revenue. However, you can monetize your other properties if you want to generate more income. For instance, instant articles, games and in-app purchases can earn you money when you monetize spaces for them.
Test Multiple Placements
You need to test different ad placement if you intend to increase revenue. This is because you may not know what placement will work well for your ad. Therefore, take advantage of each option and see what works well for you. There are websites you can use to test your ad placements such as Ad Espresso, for instance:
(Image Credit: AdEspresso)
Prevent Any Ad Blindness
One of the most challenging parts of any ad placement is allowing users to navigate through to the end of sales funnel and finally completing the conversions. This is because of the possibility of accidental clicks that occur when preparing your ad placements.
Pricing for Facebook Audience Network
The pricing of the Audience Network from Facebook in terms of cost per mile (CPM) dropped by 32% in the previous year compared to that of Instagram. Facebook’s CPM was $7.94 while that of Instagram was $11.63. Also, the CPC was 23% cheaper for the audience network than Instagram. The CPC for Facebook was $0.69 while that for Instagram feeds was $0.89.
The installation fee for Facebook audience placement was also cheaper in the previous years. For the Facebook audiences, the installation fee was $1.59 while that for Instagram was $1.69. Even though these prices are quite affordable, app developers can access a whole new platform of different audiences at a small conversation rate.
However, even though the conversion rate is lower when you first use the audience network, the cost per purchase usually increases with time. Therefore, at the end of the day, the fee charged for audience network placement conversion is almost similar for placement on news feeds.
Having looked at all the perks that are available on the audience network, you may wonder whether you should consider it for your business. The answer will depend on what you really want to achieve for your business and what the audience network entails. However, if you do not wish to choose the audience network, there are other audience networks you can consider.
Other Audience Networks
Audience network is a good platform, particularly on monetization. However, there is no assurance when it comes to control or transparency. This is why you should consider other alternatives.
Audience play
Audience play lets you create your audience network without relying on the audience network. With audience play, you can extend your customer’s reach on other social media platforms, including Facebook, and consequently increase your ROI. You are also not restricted to apps alone. You can also monetize websites safely and also generate alternate means of revenue.
We hope that you found this article useful.
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Microsoft Audience Network
Microsoft audience network is an advertising solution that is powered by Microsoft’s artificial intelligence. It is similar to Facebook Ads (FAN). It helps advertisers predict engagement, select personalized offers and manage ROI. For example:
(Image Credit: Four15 Digital)
Google Display Network
The Google display network is where all your Google ads appear. Your network is simply a group of many different websites, videos and various apps, blogs, news pages, and google sites. To get started with the Google display network, start by creating your campaign. Ensure that you use text or images or both for advertising what you are offering. The next step is extending your reach by selecting the Google display interest and demographics. Finally, select the budget that you are comfortable with and also decide how you will pay for the results.
LinkedIn Audience Network
LinkedIn audience networks allow advertisers to conduct their ad campaigns safely on the audience network. This audience network helps customers grow their ad campaigns and also reach their target customers and audiences. One of the best features about the audience network from LinkedIn is that it does not compromise on quality or safety. This is thanks to the automated checks that it conducts regularly. The image below shows examples of LinkedIn’s Audience Network Ads:
(Image Credit: Clix Marketing)
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Facebook Audience network is a great tool that has allowed marketers to reach customers from different platforms and not just Facebook. The tool allows you to choose the ad formats that you want and the different types of campaigns available. Partnering with Diib Digital will offer you the unique opportunity to see real time metrics on your Facebook campaigns, including your Facebook Audience Network analytics. Here are a few of the features of our User Dashboard we’re sure you’ll appreciate:
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FAQ’s
Facebook’s audience network is an excellent way for you to advertise to lots of people and keep the costs lower for multiple placements. It also gives the app owners a direct source of monetization.
They appear on apps in the Audience network.
This is a way for you, the advertiser, to find your existing audience on Facebook. You can use sources like customer lists, website or app traffic, or engagement on Facebook, to create Custom Audiences of people who already know your business.
Revenue from all apps linked to the same account is paid once a month.
Facebook advertising costs, on average, $0.97 per click and $7.19 per 1000 impressions.
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