Apple has rolled out what is perhaps the most important update ever to its mobile advertising platform, giving anybody with an Apple ID the ability to create iAds for free.
Using the updated iAd Workbench tool, anyone can make their own iAd campaign in a simple, Apple-style interface. It just got a whole lot easier to make iAds for iOS devices.
And that’s not all Apple has added.
AdAge reports that iAds can display short videos set to auto-play, a feature recently reported on by the same site. iAds could previously only redirect a user to an iOS app, but now advertisers can link up a website or other content from the iTunes Store.
Previously, only registered developers — who pay $99 per year to be part of Apple’s program — could make iAds. Apple hopes the changes broaden the appeal of the iAd platform for advertisers like app makers, filmmakers and small-business owners. It’s easy to imagine a film studio buying an iAd that plays a short movie trailer and redirects to the movie’s website.
What we’re seeing here is the democratization of iAd
Creating iAds looks like a relatively straightforward process, thanks to the iAd Workbench tool. Apple can auto-target specific demographics that fit the product being advertised. Payouts can be based on cost-per-click or cost-per-thousand impressions.
What we’re seeing here is the democratization of iAd. Apple used to sell iAds for millions of dollars to big-name brands, but lowered its rates after that approach failed. Now it’s just as easy for a coffee shop owner to make an iAd as it is for Nissan.
Source: AdAge
