• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, August 2, 2017

While it’s safe to say most publishers remain skeptical about Facebook as an advertising partner, the world’s dominant social network has been introducing a number of new features in an attempt to woo them back.

That includes greater control over how they monetize their content.

This week, Facebook revealed a new tool that allows publishers to set CPM targets for ads appearing with their content on the Facebook Audience Network.

The new CPM Targets tool, announced by publisher solutions product marketing manager Amelia Zins in a blog post, allows publishers to set minimum bids for ads next to their content on the Audience Network. However, the new tool offers a bit more flexibility than a simple price floor.

Facebook will accept some bids that are slightly below the target price — as long as they are balanced out by bids over the target price. That enables publishers to hit their CPM target without sacrificing too much revenue.

Among other benefits, the tool allows publishers to set varying price targets for different ad formats and audience segments. It also promises to restore some publisher control over what constitutes “premium” inventory, as well as the user experience on their sites. For example, reducing clutter by refusing to run ads for very low CPMs.

This is just the latest in a series of new products introduced by Facebook as it seeks to repair its relationships with content owners.

Last month, Facebook disclosed that it is preparing a digital subscription system, which will enable publishers to limit the number of articles Facebook users can see for free through their news feed, capping it at 10. After that, they would have to buy a subscription.

The social network also recently announced it is allowing publishers to create Groups linked to their Facebook pages.