Facebook announced updates to its branded content policy that will enable verified Pages to share branded content on Facebook, potentially opening up the social network as a way for publishers (and others) to better monetize content. Branded content for Facebook purposes includes text, photos, videos, Instant Articles, links, 360 videos, and Live Videos that mention or feature a third-party product, brand, or sponsored.
As Facebook notes, this stuff is typically posted by media companies, celebrities, or other influencers. They’re also providing a new tool that makes it easy to tag a marketer when publishing branded content. Facebook says publishers and influencers must use this tag for all branded content.
“This update is something that media companies, public figures, influencers, and marketers have been asking for, as branded content is a growing and evolving part of the media landscape,” Facebook’s Clare Rubin and Nick Grudin say in a blog post. “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. We know that many of our partners have existing partnership deals with marketers, and this update gives them the ability to extend their branded content business onto Facebook.”
“For brands and businesses, the new tool will introduce more transparency and allow them to better understand how their marketing initiatives are performing across Facebook,” they add. “Additionally, marketers can now leverage branded content creative for ads and actively engage in sponsorships to ensure their campaigns are useful, interesting, and entertaining to their target audiences. We are committed to ensuring that the branded content experience is engaging for people on Facebook and that the ecosystem thrives for our partners and marketers.”
To use the new tool, you can get started here. You can view the new branded content policy here and the updated ads policy here.