Facebook Says Redesigned Right-Rail Ads Are Performing Better

Last April, Facebook retooled its long-neglected right-rail ads, boosting their size and reducing the number of ads that appeared for desktop users. Today, the social network released details about how the new format is performing.

Not surprisingly, Facebook reports, the news is positive. In an eye-tracking test, Millward Brown found that the new ads were more effective at attracting and maintaining people’s attention than the previous format. Compared to the former ads, they are:

• 29% more effective at attracting views (noticing the ad)
• 50% more effective at driving dwell time (total period of time spent looking at the ad)
• 46% more effective at driving reading behavior (eyes locked on an ad, moving left to right, top to bottom)

Advertisers, Facebook said, are having more success with the new format, with digital marketing platform TellApart reporting a 100% increase in click-through conversions and Brazilian ecommerce fashion company Dafiti saying it’s seeing a 52% higher ROI and 70% higher conversion rate.

Right-rail ads are also much cheaper than News Feed ads, which according to Facebook ad tech partner Nanigans cost an average of $5.62 per 1,000 impressions. Right-rail ads have an average CPM of 10 to 20 times lower.