Facebook Tool Links Ads with In-Store Sales

Facebook has launched a tool to help telecoms carriers and operators to measure the success of their advertising on the social network. The product links sales, including those in stores, with ad impressions served.

The firm says Telco Outcome Measurement is a response to advertisers' need for a better measure than clicks. On its blog, Facebook says its measurement team 'found that in telecommunications campaigns, more than 90% of people who made a purchase after viewing an ad on Facebook had never clicked on that ad.'

The tool uses the network's 'mobile reach' system which provides it with information about devices, operating systems and carriers, followed by the creation of test groups from among its mobile user base of 819 million, 'to determine how and when an ad on Facebook correlates to certain actions, such as a group of people switching to new handsets, tablets or carriers.' The result is insight into the types of ads and frequency of placements that yield the best ROI for the sector.

Facebook says its initial research suggests that telecoms ads delivered in News Feed on desktop are seven times more effective than right-hand side placements, while ads delivered on mobile are nine times more effective than ads on the desktop. The company insists privacy was 'top of mind' in designing the new service, with information delivered to partners in an aggregated, anonymous sales lift report.

Telco Outcome Measurement is now available to partners in nine countries, including the US, and the firm has set a target of 25 by the end of the year.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.