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Have you noticed videos automatically playing in your Facebook newsfeed lately? Ryan Carter from Parachute Media has, and was so excited, he shared his thoughts.
Over the past week, he counted the number of different types of content in his feed. On average, 26 out of 30 posts were videos uploaded to FB that auto-play.
“Is Facebook trying something new out? Seems like the average is higher in the evenings than the mornings. It’s not directly from brands but friends sharing them.”
Facebook started testing autoplay videos back in September 2013. Scroll over a video in your newsfeed and it would start playing without sound. Simply click / tap for audio.
Then in December, they rolled out an ad format to support videos.
Before this feature, photos were the king of engagement. But Facebook’s data now shows a 10% increase in likes and shares on videos since implementing auto-play.
Mind that not all brands have the means to create awesome media, and not all users will sit through playback.
They certainly caught the attention of Ryan Carter, a social media strategist in Nashville, TN:
It looks great! I watched each one of them because the first one is short and a teaser. Then you slide over and watch the next two that are recaps of last season of night shift I think. Never seen it but it grabbed my attention. Opens my eyes to new ways of telling a story on Facebook. I’ve never heard of Night Shift but I watched each video! It sucks you in, like clicking play on the next recommended video on YouTube.
Facebook is making heavy investments in mobile ads, like we saw at F8 last week.
Have you promoted any videos lately?
Are you seeing increased engagement?
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other organizations that have many locations.
He has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs because of his partnership with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Companies like GoDaddy, Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, 7 Figure Agency, and Vendasta partner with him to create training and certifications.
Dennis created the Dollar a Day Strategy for local service businesses to enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring. He's coaching young adult agency owners who serve plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians in conjunction with leaders in these industries.
Mr. Yu believes that there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers need to be certified and licensed. His Content Factory training and dashboards are used by thousands of practitioners.