Dive Brief:
- Facebook has rolled out its “watch and scroll” feature that allows users to watch video while scrolling through the newsfeed on the desktop version of its platform, per Adweek. It previously added the feature to the mobile app in February.
- For advertisers the feature should open up new video ad inventory because the platform would be able to display two videos at once. For Facebook, the additional inventory means increased revenue.
- The feature is initiated by users who find interesting videos in their news feeds and click to turn on the video’s sound. It then appears in a side-by-side view that pins the playing video to the desktop while the user continues to scroll through their news feed.
Dive Insight:
Facebook has been emphasizing video content for some time, and execs with the social media giant have made public statements that the platform is heading toward a video-first experience. Facebook has also warned investors about ad load concerns in the ratio between organic video content and video ads, although the watch-and-scroll feature might alleviate that issue.
What might be the more important test with the new feature is Facebook might find out exactly how much video its users can really handle. The user experience behind watch-and-scroll is similar to what a number of publishers such as CNN and USA Today have added to their digital platforms to allow visitors to watch videos while reading content.
One problem with how some publishers are deploying the technology is depending on the outlet, the video might autoplay with the sound on and in some cases can be difficult to shut off — a user experience not unlike much derided ad formats like pop-ups, autoplay video ads and ads that users can’t easily cancel out of, all formats the Coalition for Better Ads considers below the threshold for acceptable user experiences.