Dive Brief:

• After publisher complaints that Instant Articles advertising policies were limiting revenue, Facebook expanded the number and type of ads publishers can run on the app.
• Key changes include more ads per Instant Article, the option for Facebook-only campaigns for advertisers, and allowing publishers to highlight and link their own content at the bottom of app articles.
• More than 100 publishers run Instant Articles daily, and according to Facebook, 300 more are enrolled and waiting to be onboarded to the app.

Dive Insight:

Ever since its testing launch in May, Facebook’s Instant Articles has seen very quick growth spurt, which has brought with it growing pains.

The social network has made tweaks to Instant Articles based on its publisher partners’ concerns and the latest comes after complaints that the app’s policies constrain revenue. In response Facebook now allows Instant Articles content to include an ad for every 350 words, a change from the previous ad per 500 words policy. Other changes include Facebook-only campaigns that offer a more premium return for publishers, and allowing publishers to have control over links to editorial content that allows them to link to their own content, even branded and sponsored content.

Michael Reckhow, Facebook’s Instant Articles product manager, told the Wall Street Journal the reasoning behind the move, “We’re continuing to listen to publishers about what they want from Instant Articles, and we’re going to continue to do this. This is one step forward but we will continue to listen.”

He added, “Based on feedback we’ve had from publishers, they need additional ads in Instant Articles to match the number of ads they have on their websites.”

Publishers have reason to invest in Instant Articles. In November, the NewsWhip shared early data on The New York Times' performance on Instant Articles, revealing that stories on Instant Articles are three times more likely to be shared. But despite the solid figures, Facebook also has reason to listen to its publishers, especially as alternatives – Apple's News app, Google's AMP project – keep cropping up.

Instant Articles rolled out to all iOS users in October.