Facebook recently announced that by summer 2018 all pages will have a “View Ads” tab. Spurred by the political ad revelations of the 2016 election, it’s the platform’s latest attempt at becoming more transparent. Not only will users be able to see a 4-year archive of all ads run by a page, but also the demographics on who was served the ad.

What This Means For Marketers

• A peek behind the curtain: We’ll be able to keep tabs, literally, on what our competitors are up to (and vice versa), including how they’re testing and who they’re trying to reach. This could help us differentiate and strengthen our own approach.
• Time to revisit dark strategy: This tab could change the game for what it means for content to be “dark.” The more ad test versions we create, the more users and competitors alike will get a glimpse into how the sausage is made. We may have to reconsider the amount of ads we produce, and prioritize testing variables in order to maintain our brand equity.
• Monitor user behaviors: Brands should monitor if and how users react to the new tab in social. We’ll track commentary on pages to gauge whether or not the tab introduces an experience that will cause larger issues for brands down the road.