Meta has announced some new Reels ad options that will help more businesses tap into the popularity of the format, while it's also testing new third-party verification elements to reassure brand partners.

First off, Meta's expanding its Reels advertising options, and more brands can now access the option.
Meta first rolled out ads on Reels last year and is slowly increasing the program with more creators and ad formats, which means more options for marketers to tap into the growing popularity of Reels.

And Reels definitely has become a much larger focus for Facebook and Instagram users. According to Meta, people now spend more than half of their time on Facebook and Instagram watching video, while people are also re-sharing Reels more than 2 billion times every day, doubling over the last six months.

The meta realigns its algorithm, this time around AI-based content recommendations to basically make short-form video a main focus so as to keep users glued in apps – which posts with links get far less exposure than before.

In other words, if you want to maximize your reach on either app, you should be looking to short-form video – while using Reels as a vehicle for your promotions is also becoming an increasingly valuable consideration.

Meta's also bringing app promotion ads to Reels, on both Facebook and IG, adding another consideration for Reels promotions.
Meta's also testing music optimization in Facebook Reels, to help create more creative and engaging tools for single image Reels ads.

when selected, the process will be able to automatically apply free music from Meta's Sound Collection library to your single image ad.

Single image ads in of themselves don't leverage the proper engagement value of the format, but Meta's research finds that adding music can increase interest.

"We know that Reels ads with both music and voice-over show a +15-point statistically significant higher average positive response score than those without sound and that's why we want to make it easier to source, select, and add music during the campaign creation process."

It's a low fi way to tap into the popularity of Reels, and adding simple music and/or movement can help to increase engagement.

On another front, Meta's also launched a new test of a brand suitability Inventory Filter to help manage ad placement, while it's also working with Zefr on new third-party verification solution with select advertisers.

These new options will provide more assurance for brands in Reels ad placement, helping to maximize reach and performance with their chosen audience.

These are some useful add-ons, and given the rise of Reels, could be really valuable for brands looking to get the most out of their Facebook and Instagram ads.

If you haven't considered Reels ads yet, perhaps the above stats will make you think about it, while simple, single image ads could be an easy way to get started on this front.