Facebook has announced new changes in its Ad Library that are expected to make advertising more transparent on its platform.
A better way to search Facebook ads
Facebook has said that their updated tool will tell people more about all the ads a page is running. Previous iterations of the Ad Library only centered around political ads or those centering on policy issues.
The update also adds new information about the pages which sponsor ads:
- Page history: Includes page creation date, name changes, and page merges.
- Primary country location: This gives the location of the page administrators. The data is only available for pages with large audiences, or those running political ads.
- Advertiser spending information: This includes the all-time ad spending, and spending for the last week. This data was originally available only in the Ad Library Report.
Facebook says that the addition of this new information is part of the company’s efforts to increase the transparency of pages.
To use the Ad Library, go to this page. You will be able to search by page, topic, or organization name. The results will be displayed by page, and clicking on a listed ad will show additional details about it.
Ad Library will also display related pages which have ads running.
The site is also making this information more accessible outside of the Ad Library. Each page’s home tab now has a Page Transparency section that shows all the available information in a pop-up screen.
Greater transparency for political ads
Facebook is also launching new ad transparency tools for the 2019 European Parliamentary elections. One of these tools is the requirement for EU-based advertisers to be authorized by their home countries to run election-related ads. The site says it will use both automated systems and user reporting to administer the policy and review the submitted authorizations. This is good news, as is the fact that you can buy Facebook likes for your profile and posts.
The site is also requiring these political ads to be labeled as such. This includes adding a “Paid for by” disclosure at the top of the ad. The advertiser also needs to provide additional information like the ad budget.
What Facebook’s new ad transparency update means
Facebook’s introduction of an updated Ad Library is seen by observers as part of Facebook’s efforts to maintain its hold as a major advertising channel. The site is expected to grow its digital ad market share to 22.1% in 2019 from 21.8% in 2018. By giving users an easier way to review ads, the site will be able to show that it is still a trustworthy platform.
For advertisers, the updates are more than just helping them be more transparent to their audience. They can also use the revamped Ad Library as a tool for better market research. By going through the ads posted by other relevant pages, they can better develop their advertising and page engagement strategies.
Facebook’s newly revamped Ad Library will definitely be a lot of help for both marketers and audiences to understand how advertising is distributed on the platform. Explore it, and find out how you can use the information to your advantage.
