Not long ago, we all heard of Facebook’s big mobile ad launch, and advertisers were excited for yet another opportunity to advertise with the world’s most popular network. According to forecasts and professional opinions, the mobile Facebook ad platform would be one that would definitely improve Facebook’s name in marketing. So, how have these ads really been doing so far? Well, according to an article written today on MobiAD, a popular mobile marketing news website, it is starting to look like these numerous predictions about the ads were absolutely correct. The numbers have been good, and already the ads have outdone the desktop versions of Facebook marketing.

Based on a study of nearly 280 million ad impressions from four Facebook Ads API partners (TBG Digital, Nanigans, AdParlor, and Spruce Media), Facebook’s new mobile ads have done quite well. The study showed that sponsored stories on mobile platforms got more than 13 times the CTR and more than 11 times the eCPM of ads on Facebook’s desktop network. Also, these mobile Facebook ads have earned double the CTR and a little over 2.5 times the eCPM of web based Sponsored Stories from the network. In a provided chart on placement targeting, the CTR of desktop news feed ads were at .588%, while mobile news feed ads were at 1.140%. So, needless to say, mobile ads have been a breakthrough in the line of Facebook’s marketing techniques.

In a quote reported by MobiAd, Hussein Fazal, the CEO of AdParlor, stated:

By allowing advertisers to show ads only on mobile, Facebook is definitely going to be able to generate more revenue. We have seen a tonne of interest from advertisers who want to advertise just on mobile.

In another study conducted by another Facebook API partner, SocialCode, more insight was given into the increasing success of the mobile advertising of the social network. In a study of 7 million impressions, where desktop ads received well over 1 million impressions and mobile received a bit over 240,000, mobile received just under 500 more clicks than desktop ads did. For desktop ads, the CTR was at .099%, while the mobile ads had a CTR of .790%. One of SocialCode’s innovation officers, Addie Conner, stated that Facebook mobile ads have been so successful because of their thoughtful placement. She stated in an interview with MobiAd, “If you can make it an ad that users don’t hate, it’s actually extremely monetizable.”

Sure, there were reasonable doubts about Facebook’s mobile advertising, but those can all be put in the past, as it is pretty clear that Facebook’s mobile ads are pretty effective. Facebook has apparently been recently working on location-based ads, which is not an unfamiliar idea in the marketing world. They have been testing the location targeted advertisements for a while, and will probably release them in the relatively near future. Until then, Facebook’s mobile advertising will continue to be closely watched, and advertisers will probably start to see some great results from the network after a shaky advertising past.

Written by Michael Levanduski

Michael Levanduski is a news reporter at Performance Marketing Insider. He’s been a writer at one level or another for the past 15+ years. He has three kids and lives in Grand Rapids, MI.

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