Are FB Canvas Ads A TV Network’s New Best Friend?

It’s been rough out there for TV Networks lately. With linear viewing down across the board, audiences taking advantage of more options and outlets than ever to watch what they want, when they want, and now major cable networks announcing significant cut backs on ad load in a bid to create “a better overall viewing experience,” change is not coming, it’s here.As digital users continue to shift their habits, networks are scrambling to keep pace. Audiences are spending more time surfing social rather than on desktop surfing the web, and with that TV networks are forced to continue to find new and effective ways to seek out and connect with their audiences.  Targeting and reach are both key, but equally as important is providing relevant content experiences that engage and entertain.  Storytelling through ads has always been at the center of TV marketing, and recently it has become a big push for Facebook with the launch of Canvas.Canvas is a native ad product from Facebook that allows for a more content-rich way to engage users scrolling their newsfeed without making them leave the social network, creating a much more seamless and fluid experience than mobile rich media currently offers to date. FB brings a level of storytelling and immersion back to digital that has yet to proliferate in mobile advertising. And this is a massive opportunity for TV networks. Here are a few key reasons why. Canvas is not just a “social ad” - it’s deeper opportunity to forge a meaningful connectionWith 1.3 billion users and counting, Facebook is unlike any publisher/platform in the world.  Audiences of all shapes, sizes and types exist here, and nowhere else can you target like you can on Facebook.  This is where fans and communities are consuming content in massive quantities and this is where TV networks need to be in more rich and engaging ways.Given the rich content format and targeting ability, TV networks need to consider Canvas ads as part of their larger mobile strategy, and not dismiss them as a strictly social buy. The overall experience that canvas provides is ripe for TV fans. Lightening fast load time for mobile, a rich format with multiple content options, and no need to leave Facebook for the experience make this a no brainer for networks who value engagement as a key metric to driving tune in. Engagement is the priorityIn today’s feed-driven world TV networks must focus on engagement over click through as their key metric.  As user habits are constantly evolving, relying on in-that-moment content to hook fans or potential audience is more critical than ever.With Canvas, networks can deliver deeper content experiences, not just a message or video or standard show promo. They can leverage the features of Canvas such as the carousel to provide a deeper dive into more characters, or plot lines. They can target and test video performance, and enable users to interact in more unique ways by panning larger images, all while measuring what’s working and what’s not.  And keeping users engaged with an ad they chose to engage with is far more realistic - and more measurable - than expecting (or hoping) a potential viewer to leave what they are doing to visit a TV network’s mobile site. Real-time insights drive ad optimizationWhat characters are getting the most interaction?  What videos are people watching the most?  How many actions did people take within the unit?  How long did they engage with the unit? What are the results of our polls? How many people entered the sweepstakes? Traditional rich media brought with it a myriad of opportunities to learn more about how consumers interact with content.With Canvas, the rich media mobile evolution is finally moving forward in smarter and more fluid ways.  Now, the ability to alter the content experience based on real-time data is easier, and smart agencies and TV networks that understand and prepare are poised to optimize canvas content quickly to maximize engagement and help build audience. Speak to your audience, not at themWith FB’s ability to target on the most intimate of levels, Canvas allows for a more current programmatic approach to reaching people, enabling networks to tailor content specifically to the interests of their audience.  This is essential if you believe in the value of speaking to your audience and not just at them. Fan communities are vast and diverse, responding to different things, at different times, and for different reasons.TV networks must evolve to adopt more custom approaches to marketing in a world that has become more on-demand than ever before. Creating one canvas for your Facebook ad is a missed opportunity if your goal is awareness or building community.  Creating multiple canvases, each with specific targets in mind is where we as an industry need to be focused in order to improve our chances of really connecting with our audience.The digital display space in general has been challenged more than ever in recent years.  The rise of mobile, the death of Flash and the proliferation of ad blockers have wreaked havoc on the industry.  In a time where technology, data and creativity must come together in harmony to truly make a memorable and lasting impact on consumers, Facebook’s Canvas ads are a welcome next step in the evolution of digital marketing.With Canvas, networks can begin speaking to people again, and not just at them, learning more about their audience and providing content that ther fans want to interact with. When that happens, everyone wins.