There's been quite a bit of a stir over Facebook's Paper App. The sleek app is actually a news reader that doubles as a way to interact and view your Facebook feed; it can categorize stories and make it easier than ever to view what's going on in the world. Yet while the app has received praise, consumers have voiced the worry that Facebook will put ads on the new platform, according to CNN.
Apparently, those fears are being put to rest. COO Sheryl Sandberg stated that it's unlikely that you'll see ads on the new app any time soon. More specifically, she cited the fact that mobile ads don't perform well for marketers. In additions, they have "a limited or negligible impact on engagement," according to TechCrunch.
The new app allows users to navigate through their news feeds item-by-item with a mere swipe of a finger. Each item takes up the entire screen and has any accompanying captions overlaid. In additions, users can pan from left to right simply by tilting their device. The standalone iOS news reader can also deliver human and algorithm-curated full-screen articles and photos in categories that you select.
Ads are actually key for Facebook, especially as it adapts to increasing mobile use. Although increasing ads on Facebook news feeds have been successful, they may not be nearly as useful in an app like Facebook Paper.
"If we can get ads that are better targeted, higher quality, more relevant, we can bring more value to customers and do so in a way that really contributes to the user experience," said CFO David Ebersman in an interview with CNN. "Our aspiration here is for the ads to be as engaging as the organic content you find shared by your friends."
While there may be ads on the horizon, though, it's likely that for now the new app will remain ad-free.
