Facebook Will Add Instant-Play Video Ads to Newsfeed

Facebook has announced that advertisers will soon be able to start hosting instant-play advertising videos in users’ feeds, as it looks to boost its income streams.

Facebook said videos will instantly play as users scroll past them in their feeds, but no sound will be made unless a user chooses to hear it by pressing the sound icon on the video, or touching the video if viewing on a phone or tablet.

Users can also simply choose to scroll past the video and ignore it. Videos will also only download to mobile devices when a user is on WiFi, so no data allowances will be used up, Facebook said.

Explaining the update on a product page Facebook said to begin with only select users would see the new style of advert, but that over time it could be of benefit to many of its advertising partners.

“We’re beginning to test a similar video-viewing format for advertisers. Marketers will be able to use this new format to tell their stories to a large number of people on Facebook in a short amount of time – with high-quality sight, sound and motion,” it said.

“We’ll continue to refine this new way for brands to tell stories on Facebook to ensure the best experience for people and marketers.”

The push comes as Facebook looks to expand its advertising potential to help drive revenues. So far, its focus on mobile advertising has helped reassure investors of the long-term growth of the company, with its share price rising as a result.

This article was originally published on V3.