We’re just weeks away from ads showing up in Facebook Messenger
In case you don’t remember, Facebook has been testing ads on the home page of Facebook Messenger. Well, that functionality is almost on its way out, with Facebook’s head of Messenger saying we’re merely weeks out from a global rollout.
Before you panic, Facebook will not be shoving ads directly into your conversations, but instead on the home screen where you go to see who’s online and ready to mingle. They’ll use the same target-based auction algorithm that they use for Facebook at large, so expect the ads to be fairly relevant to your interests (or, at the least, your general demographic).
This will join Sponsored Messages — a way for businesses to message you if you’ve already engaged with them — as Facebook looks to expand their monetization model. It’s all supposed to be designed to be non-invasive, and for the most part, it has been.
But this is the first time you’ll see them forced upon you in some way, with Facebook opting to insert them between your list of conversations. It’ll be easy enough to scroll past them, but still pretty hard to miss.
This is just something we’ll have to get used to in social media, unfortunately. They’re not selling a tangible good or any services other than connecting you with people, so the only way they can make money is by selling valuable ad space for the billions of eyes fixated on these timelines and DMs.
[via Venture Beat]