Facebook has become an integral part of many people’s lives, allowing them to stay connected with friends and family and share life’s moments. However, in recent years, users have complained about the increasing number of ads cluttering their News Feeds and interrupting their experience on the platform.
What are the main types of ads on Facebook?
There are three main types of ads that users encounter on Facebook:
- Sponsored posts – These appear in the News Feed and are posts created by advertisers to promote their business, product or service. They look similar to regular posts but are labeled as “Sponsored.”
- Display ads – These are banner-style ads that appear on the right side of Facebook pages. They can be targeted to specific demographics and interests.
- Suggested page posts – These are posts from Pages that a user doesn’t follow but that Facebook suggests they might be interested in. They are a form of advertising.
How have ads increased on Facebook over time?
When Facebook first launched, it had no ads at all and focused solely on the user experience. Here is how Facebook ads have grown over time:
| Year | Ads Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Facebook launches with no ads |
| 2006 | Facebook starts allowing ads from select partners |
| 2007 | Facebook Ads platform launches, opens ads to all businesses |
| 2008 | Facebook surpasses 100 million users, ramps up ads |
| 2012 | Sponsored posts introduced in News Feed |
| 2014 | Suggested page posts added |
As Facebook has grown to over 2 billion monthly active users, its advertising business has exploded. Facebook’s average revenue per user from advertising increased from $1.86 in 2013 to $7.37 in 2018.
How many ads does the average Facebook user see?
It’s difficult to determine an exact number of ads the average user is served by Facebook. Here are some estimates:
- One study in 2018 estimated users see between 86 to 320 ads per day on Facebook.
- Facebook said in 2021 that a typical user spends 29 minutes per day on its platform and sees 150 ads per week – so approximately 21 ads per day.
- Another estimate is that users see anywhere from 500 to 5000 ads per day when including both Facebook and Instagram.
The number of ads varies based on how heavily a user uses Facebook, their demographic data, interests and other tracking factors. Facebook’s ad load has grown significantly over the years as its ad business expands.
At what point do ads impact the user experience?
There is no definitive threshold for when the number of ads becomes excessive and harms the user experience on Facebook. Here are some factors that contribute to ads feeling overwhelming:
- Seeing too many sponsored posts in the News Feed in a short span of scrolling
- Ads are too intrusive or cover too much of the screen
- Too many ads are irrelevant to the user’s interests
- The same ads are shown repeatedly in a short time frame
- Too many ads interrupt or break up the organic News Feed content
Facebook maintains that users prefer to see relevant and useful ads. But surveys have shown over 60% of users feel they see too many ads already.
How have users responded to the increase in ads?
The proliferation of ads on Facebook over the years has drawn rising user complaints and fatigue, including:
- In a 2019 survey, 63% of Facebook users said they were seeing too many ads.
- A Mashable poll in 2018 found 47% of users were ready to quit Facebook because of ads.
- There are over 2 million Facebook group members complaining about the platform’s ads.
- Companies have reported declining Facebook ad performance, suggesting users are tuning them out.
This suggests Facebook may have gone too far with its advertising strategy. While users understand that ads fund the free platform, they become frustrated when the volume detracts from their experience.
Steps Facebook has taken to address ad complaints
In response to this feedback, Facebook has announced some changes to rein in its advertising machine, including:
- Reducing the amount of low-quality clickbait ads to improve relevance
- Offering more control for hiding specific ads a user doesn’t want to see again
- Plans to focus more on storytelling and creative marketing versus straight commercial ads
However, these measures only provide minor relief for the ad overload issue. Facebook will likely continue aggressive advertising as its business model depends on it.
What are recommended limits for Facebook ads?
Here are some suggested thresholds for Facebook ad quantity:
- No more than 2 sponsored posts within every 15 organic posts in the News Feed
- No more than 1 display ad per page
- A maximum of 30 ads per day for light users, 50 for average users
- No more than 3 repetitive ads per week
Facebook would likely resist such specific limits. But implementing guidelines like these could improve the user experience and prevent ad burnout. Of course, users can also take matters into their own hands…
Tips for users to control their ad exposure
If they find ads on Facebook excessive, users do have some options to mitigate their ad load including:
- Making their News Feed preferences See First or favorites to reduce sponsored posts
- Blocking specific advertisers they don’t want to see again
- Installing the Facebook Purity browser extension to remove ads
- Following the steps to opt out of targeted advertising
While Facebook wants users to see ads, putting some guardrails in place can help balance its business model with user satisfaction.
Conclusion
Facebook has rapidly increased its ads over the past decade, contributing to many users feeling overwhelmed. While metrics vary, the typical user likely sees hundreds of ads per day across Facebook and Instagram. There are reasonable arguments around advertising funding Facebook’s free services. However, the volume has clearly reached an excessive level where too many ads are interrupting and degrading the user experience. Facebook has taken small steps to address complaints but avoids concrete limits on ad quantity. For the sake of its community, Facebook should implement measured guidelines on the maximum number of ads permitted within timeframes, content views and screen space. In the meantime, users have options to install tools or alter settings to hide ads themselves. But ultimately, Facebook must reign back its unchecked advertising machine to prevent further user disengagement.