Facebook is testing a new tool called ‘bandwidth targeting’ letting advertisers send ads based on the quality of a user’s network connection, moderating type of ad to whether a user is on a 2G, 3G or 4G.
Facebook said that the feature is rolling out globally starting today through its Ad Create tool, Power Editor and the API.
The targeting feature is based on aggregated group data about connection type in order to keep it all anonymous.
As well as helping to deliver appropriate campaigns, Facebook said it could also be used as a tool to push more localised campaigns.
For example, say a device manufacturer in the Philippines is launching a new model designed for first-time smart phone buyers. In order to reach people who may be ready to upgrade their phone, the manufacturer might want to reach an audience of people that use feature phones and also have access to a 3G or 4G network.”
The graphic below demonstrates how the ads could look in practice, following a trial in Thailand.
Facebook product marketing manager Brendan Sullivan, said: “Targeting by mobile network type helps advertisers choose creative that will run smoothly on any given device and connection speed. For example, serving a video ad to people in Indonesia with 2G connections may mean wasted impressions if people are unable to load the video or it buffers for minutes when clicked.
Optimizing the creative — for instance, targeting a video campaign to people with high-speed connections, and swapping in an image or link ad for people with slower connections — means ads can perform more efficiently for the people seeing them.”
Facebook already allows targeting by device type, model and operating system of a mobile device, and it now allows targeting by the type of mobile network being used.
The move also forms part of a bigger strategy at the company to localise services and make them more accessible to users in markets outside of developed, mature countries like the U.S. and markets in Western Europe.
