Facebook Messenger, one of the most used text messaging apps on the planet, is starting to show ads to some global users. The Facebook company announced that starting today it is running a test with certain users, this one having the role of determining whether the permanent display of advertisements in Facebook Messenger is appropriate and could affect the use of the application.
Australia and Thailand are the first countries where users will see ads in Facebook Messenger, the new function being dedicated to local companies. According to Facebook, Facebook Messenger ads will be displayed on the main conversation page, under the most recent conversation with a local brand.
The new ads of Facebook Messenger will be marked accordingly and will be integrated in a slider that will allow us to slide from left to right to see them all displayed. These Facebook Messenger ads can direct us to companies' websites, or various offers they have running, all directly from the application.
Facebook Messenger displays ads in the application
These new ads for Facebook Messenger also aim to convince users to interact more often with a certain company, something that has not happened until now. The good part of this system is that Facebook Messenger ads will only be displayed if users have ever interacted with the company that displays the ads.
This limitation is meant not to annoy Facebook Messenger users at first, but it won't be there for very long. When Facebook realizes that Facebook Messenger ads start making serious money, everyone will see them without restrictions, and that will negatively affect the experience people have with the platform.
"This week we are launching a very small test in Australia and Thailand that gives businesses the opportunity to place ads on the Messenger home screen. This means that a business is able to place an ad in an area of Messenger below your recent conversations. No one will see an ad in a conversation without clicking on an ad experience on the Messenger home screen or starting a conversation with a brand – these test ads won't originate in your conversations."
Those from Facebook say that Facebook Messenger ads will help companies increase consumer satisfaction and brand awareness. Of course, everything sounds good in theory, but we know how Facebook works and the ads in Facebook Messenger will extend even to companies with which users have not interacted.
