Facebook to show ads on Messenger globally to boost revenue

Ads on home screen fits company's vision of connecting 1.2 bn users with 60 mn businesses

In the following weeks, you may see ads in your Facebook Messenger as the company is extending beta test of home screen Messenger ads worldwide.

A report in the VentureBeat on Tuesday quoted Messenger's head of product Stan Chudnovsky as saying that the update would be rolled out slowly, but the targeted promos would be widely visible by the end of 2017.

"Advertising is not necessarily everything, but it's definitely how we're going to be making money right now. And going forward, there are some other business models we are exploring as well, but they're all around ads one way or another," the report quoted Chudnovsky as saying.

The beta version of Messenger home screen ads started in January in Australia and Thailand.

These ads on Messenger home screen fits the company's vision of facilitating connection between its 1.2 billion users and the 60 million businesses on Facebook.

"Ads in the Home tab will follow an auction-based model and will feature the same sort of user-targeting capabilities found on Facebook or Instagram," Chudnovsky noted.

Currently, Messenger ads include sponsored messages and ads in Facebook News Feeds that redirect to Messenger conversations with a bot or human.