It has been the eternal challenge for digital advertisers and marketers: how to capture and track the growing number of users who rely on their mobile phones to find and purchase at brick and mortar stores? It’s safe to say that every platform is (not so quietly) working on its own solution.
Facebook tests dynamic ads for retail
Currently in beta, Facebook just announced its own answer to this conundrum. Called dynamic ads for retail, the new ad product will feature products that are in stock at retail outlets near a mobile user. Dynamic Ads for Retail also enables you to run unique ads for multiple locations of the retail chain. Each local retailer will only advertise products that are currently in stock.
Here’s how dynamic ads for retail work: Based on where a Facebook user is currently located, she will see ads targeted to her interests and location, featuring products that are currently in stock at a nearby retailer. She will also see pricing and promotions that apply to the local advertised retailer. When a product goes out of stock at her local store, it disappears from her feed.
Pretty clever, if we must say so ourselves.
Bringing tools for local retailers to a whole new level
Dynamic ads for retail piggybacks on two of Facebook’s recent innovations: local awareness ads, which target ads to users who are near a bricks and mortar location; and Facebook Locations, which enable retailers to centrally manage dynamic local content for multiple locations.
But wait there’s more: A new way to optimize for store visits
Soon retail advertisers will also be able to optimize their ads based on how well they attract foot traffic. Known as the store visits objective, this metric is an estimate built around visits by Facebook users who have enabled the network’s location services on their phones.
Together, dynamic ads for retail and the store visits objective pack a mighty punch: Target ads to users who may be interested in your product, show them products that are currently in stock at your local store, and optimize your ads based on actual visitor foot traffic.
Facebook is currently testing dynamic ads for retail with a handful of big retail chains. Expect to see this feature roll out to other accounts this fall or winter. Here’s hoping these products will roll out to all advertisers before we go full swing into holiday shopping mayhem.