• Inside Facebook, Tuesday, August 2, 2011 10:10 AM

Facebook just announced the official launch of Ads API, so developers can now create tools and services that create, buy and manage Facebook ad campaigns. As Inside Facebook notes, the Ads API had been in limited private beta since late 2009, and has been used by brands via third-party providers to run and optimize multimillion dollar ad campaigns too complex to be conducted through Facebook's self-serve ad tool.

"Developers can now apply to join the program, which may lead to the rise of many new Ads API tool and service providers," IF suggests. "The influx might create new small acquisition targets for Page management companies, or commodify ads management, with an economy tier of tools and services emerging to serve smaller advertisers."

On the other hand, the development might lead Page management companies to build ads products and services in-house, slowing the recent wave of consolidation between the two industries. Before the start of the Ads API program, the bulk uploader system for the manual self-serve tool was the most efficient way to run ads on Facebook, according to IF. However, this apparently restricted large-scale ad purchase, A/B testing and dynamic bid optimization, making it difficult for advertisers to obtain optimal performance and see the potential of Facebook ads.

Read the whole story at Inside Facebook »