The social media site portal pro launched its ad program Tuesday on the Facebook Messenger platform, the first such program on the platform to launch on the same day.
Facebook is now the only social media platform to offer an ad program that is tailored to its platform and is a follow-on to Facebook’s announcement earlier this year that it would launch an ad product for Messenger, an effort to bring its app more in line with the ad-supported messaging app Google Now.
Facebook said it would be partnering with the platform for Messenger ads, which could also be shown to people who subscribe to Messenger’s premium messaging service, as well as to people using its free Messenger app.
Facebook, in an announcement Tuesday morning, said it will be partnering Facebook Messenger ads with the social networking giant in an effort “to make Facebook even more like Facebook, as an integral part of the messaging experience on Messenger.”
The program will include ads that are displayed on Messenger’s Messenger app and will be available to Messenger users worldwide in English and in Spanish, Facebook said.
Facebook also will be providing a Messenger ad SDK to advertisers.
The ad program will be in addition to the Facebook ads that already appear in Messenger, according to Facebook.
“Facebook Messenger is a world-class platform with a robust app that connects users and businesses,” said Matt Kramer, the vice president of advertising at Facebook.
He added that the program will allow marketers to reach a wider audience through more direct marketing.
“The platform is going to be a key player in connecting with consumers and businesses, and now we’re taking a significant step in helping advertisers reach the people they need,” Kramer said in a statement.
The new program will run through the end of September, with advertisers in the United States being the first to get the ad experience, said Mark Zappala, Facebook’s vice president for marketing.
But for advertisers in other countries, it’s possible that the Facebook program could come to other platforms soon, he said.
“It’s just a matter of when.
We’re always looking to partner with companies and brands around the world, and we’ve got a lot of opportunities here.”
Zuckerberg said Facebook plans to partner “with all the best advertisers on the planet,” and the company is also “actively exploring new ways to connect with users through our Messenger app,” including offering more ads on the Messenger app, he added.