In this digital age, if you need something, all you need to do is open a browser on your phone or on your computer then type in whatever you need. Or if you need an answer to a certain question, you just need to type in the question, and a multitude of answers will be provided to you in an instant.

This is how we solve our problems today. We use search engines to find the solutions or answers to our inquiries. And many marketers, especially Google, have been using this as a form of advertisement. Once you typed in a question, a recommended answer from a paid ad will be on the top of the search results. This is an effective way to get people to visit websites and try on services and products.

Google has been proven this to be effective and has been using this since then. Many marketers also believe in this that is why they continue to invest in Google search ads. It is no surprise if Facebook will start to consider using their own search tab to inject advertisements. Why not? People also use the Facebook search bar to search for certain people, topic, brand, pages and the likes. So why not inject some advertising opportunities to this function?

Facebook is launching an experiment on the viability of using its own search result tab in advertising. They announced recently that they will use to test its viability on its search result and Marketplace search results. And if the test will be successful they will continue to upgrade and expand this feature.

Facebook Search Results

Finally, Facebook is tapping its search function and converting it into an income-generating feature for advertisers. Search has been in Facebook for a long time and this is the first time that Facebook has considered it to be used for advertisements.

The Search ad will be launched to a few advertisers. Moreover, it will be available to a few automobile and retail advertisers. Once the Search ad booms, it will soon be applied to all kinds of industries and will open a wide range of search results ad inventory.

According to Facebook product manager Zoheb Hajiyani, the Search ad test will be a small one while they are still evaluating its effectivity. And once Facebook proves that the Search ad is beneficial to many people and businesses, it will immediately expand this feature so everyone can benefit from it, not only the selected few.

Advertisers who will join the test can configure their ad settings by selecting “Search results” as an additional advertising feature. This is applicable to the primary search and the Marketplace search inventory.

Since Facebook has already a set of beta users for the feature, Facebook users may now see some search results that are related to auto or retail products. Unlike in Google Adwords where you need keywords for your product or brand to be searchable, on Facebook, you cannot set the keywords or phrases. Also, it will only be available to static images and carousel ads. The Search results ad won’t be supporting video ad for the meantime.

And since it is in the testing stage, it won’t be available in other countries. The countries for testing will only be US and Canada. If this kind of ad becomes successful, Facebook might open it to more countries, so other advertisers from around the globe will be able to experience this kind of digital marketing opportunity.

Furthermore, in order for users to identify that it is a sponsored ad, the ad will have a “Sponsored” tag. This will give them the idea that they are seeing this because it is a sponsored ad and they have the option to change the setting of the ad if they don’t want to see something like this.

Ad breaks Available to Other Countries

Another update that will create new advertising opportunities to Facebook users is Ad breaks. Recently, Facebook announced that it will open its Ad breaks to other countries.

Ad break is an opportunity for advertisers to earn advertising revenue from the videos they create. Currently, Ad break is only available to US, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. And this September, it has expanded to countries in different continents like Europe, Central and South America, and Asia.

Now, Ad break will be available to countries like  Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Malaysia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, and United Arab Emirates.

In August 2018, Facebook Adbreak also expanded to Facebook pages. But it is limited to Facebook pages that have 10,000 followers and with a 30,000 one minute video views.

Facebook Watch Now Available in Facebook Life and Desktop

Another major update for Facebook that would be very beneficial for users, especially to advertisers is Facebook Watch being available in Facebook Lite and desktop. With this, anyone on their mobile or desktop can now watch and stream videos.

The Facebook Watch has an astounding 75 million daily visitors. And it will currently grow with this new move from Facebook. This is another marketing opportunity for advertisers to showcase their ads and brands. With this, they will be able to tap a larger audience.

With the new Ad break opening in 14 countries, plus this upgrade on Facebook Watch, it can be said that Facebook is trying to encourage advertisers to put efforts on video ads. Video ads, aside from static images, are a good way to promote your product, services, and brands if used correctly.

These are just some of the new updates that advertisers need to look into if they are using Facebook as one of their digital marketing strategies. Facebook is creating new opportunities for advertisers so they can promote their brands better.

They are also doing this so advertisers do not need to go to other platforms to promote their brand. With this, you can expect that in the coming year, they will produce more upgrades and changes that will change how we market our products on social media. So better keep a close eye on these updates to ace your digital marketing strategy and help your business scale.