Facebook is now rolling out auto-play video advertisements on users' news feeds.
The first ads will be from Summit Entertainment and Mindshare, which are promoting their upcoming movie, Divergent. As people scroll through their news feeds, these ads will come to life automatically, though the sound will be muted. Click or tap the video to listen to it.
Facebook started experimenting with auto-play videos in September on the Pages of musicians and bands, as well as individual accounts and verified Pages. That rolled out to iOS earlier this month, and it is now extending to ads after the social network noted a 10 percent increase in people watching, liking, sharing, and commenting on auto-play videos.
"It's a better experience for people and it's leading to increased engagement," Facebook said Tuesday.
"Compelling sight, sound and motion are often integral components of great marketing campaigns," Facebook said in an announcement. "Particularly when brands want to increase awareness and attention over a short period of time."
At the end of each clip, a carousel of two more videos will appear, providing addition content from the same marketer. Like, comment on, or share the videos, or just keep moving through the news feed to see what your friends are up to.
"The format isn't intended for every video ad or Page post video on Facebook," the company said. "It meets specific needs for certain marketers with certain objectives."
At this time, videos play only from individuals, select Pages, and Summit Entertainment's Divergent promotions. So, while you shouldn't expect to be inundated with silent video clips, the social network noted that it will continue to refine the feature to create new ways for brands to tell stories on Facebook "to ensure the best experience for people and marketers."
In the fall, Facebook launched its "video creative" service, which allows mobile app advertisers to insert a marketing video in the app ads that appear on the news feed.
For more, check out PCMag Live in the video below, which discusses Facebook's new ad strategy.