For the past few years, as advertisers spent more money on sponsored content across the Web, posting that content to Facebook was technically against the rules unless it was part of a paid ad placement on the social network.
But the site is changing its tune. Facebook will now allow branded content to appear in all forms as long as media companies and marketers undergo a simple verification process, said Dan Rose, Facebook’s vice president of partnerships.
Advertisers and Web publishers can post articles, videos, and images that marketers have paid for to their Facebook pages; to date, they have only been able to post such content within ad units. The new “organic content” policy applies to Facebook Instant Articles, videos, and even the new Facebook Life product.
“For a long timeFacebook has been primarily about distribution for media companies for media companies. But we’re increasingly trying to help partners make money,” said Mr. Rose. “And this is something they’ve been asking for a lot.”
This change should be welcome news to publishers like BuzzFeed and Forbes, which have made sponsored content a staple of their ad offerings. And for Facebook, the new policy should theoretically bring in more revenue. Marketers and their media partners will likely run Facebook ads to ensure that more people can see this sponsored content in their news feeds.
Branded content on the site will be required to feature a new icon designed to make it clear to consumers that the content comes from a paying advertiser.
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It’s worth noting that the Federal Trade Commission issued guidelines on native advertising late last year and has been vocal in urging publishers and advertisers to be more clear in labeling sponsored content. Facebook said its effort wasn’t to address FTC concerns, saying that responsibility lies with publishers and marketers.
Facebook’s policy explicitly states, “third-party advertisements on Pages are prohibited, without our prior permission.”
But now, Clare Rubin, Facebook’s product manager, wrote in a blog post that “branded content is a growing and evolving part of the media landscape.”
“People will now be connected to more of the content they care most about on Facebook as publishers and influencers gain an incentive to share more quality content, of all kinds, with their fans,” she wrote.
Facebook is also introducing a new tool to help brands better track when media partners, or even paid celebrities, post content featuring their products. Mr. Rose said this tool will help companies identify which sponsored posts resonate with users, and they can pay to run more ads promoting this content.
There are some restrictions. While a brand like Pepsi could post a video featuring a social media star holding a can of soda, or a company like BuzzFeed could post a list produced on behalf of a big movie advertiser, this content can’t feature blatant ad formats such as pre-roll video ads or banner ads.
