The newsfeed is where most ads are placed on Facebook. But what about non-feed ads? As it turns out, when advertisers are choosing the placement of their Facebook ads beyond the newsfeed, they are shying away from the right-hand column and in-stream video, and instead opting to place ads in Marketplace. This is per a report [download page] from Tinuiti which looked at performance data from Facebook programs under their management.
There has been a shift in investment in non-feed ad placement on Facebook between Q4 2019 and Q4 2020. In Q4 2019, the largest share of non-feed Facebook ad spend was allocated to either the right-hand column (2.2%) or in-stream video (2%). However, one year later, the share of ad spend dedicated for both the right-hand column and in-stream video dropped to 0.4% and 1%, respectively. Indeed, along with Facebook Stories, the right-hand column accounted for the smallest share of Facebook ad spend in Q4 2020. In the meantime, investment in Marketplace ads increased in Q4 2020, accounting for 2.7% of total Facebook ad spend, up from 1.9% in Q4 2019.
Allocation of ad spending on Instagram remained relatively steady throughout 2020, per the report, with Q4 data showing 72% of Instagram ad spend went towards ads on the feed, while about one-quarter (23%) was allocated to Stories. A separate analysis of Merkle’s clients in Q3 2020 found that Instagram Stories accounted for more than one-third (35%) of impressions on the platform.
Separately, looking at impressions by device across all Facebook properties, mobile apps accounted for an impressive 92% of ad impressions by December 2020. A closer examination finds that the iPhone accounted for two-thirds (65%) of Facebook property ad impressions, compared to 27% for Android. Furthermore, in December 2020, the return on ad spend on iPhones was 38% higher than it was on Android smartphones.
The full report can be downloaded here.
About the Data: Findings are based on anonymized performance data from Facebook programs under Tinuiti management.