Twitter Fleet Ads: Just The Facts

June 14, 2021

Carolyn Harding

Twitter Fleets were originally launched in November 2020 with the goal of giving Twitter users a “new, ephemeral way to join the conversation and share momentary thoughts.” Similar to Instagram and Snapchat stories, Fleets disappear after 24 hours. Now, Twitter is expanding Fleets to include full-screen, vertical ads, which will appear in between Fleet stories. “As we continue to bring forward more ways for people to talk and connect on Twitter, we’re constantly thinking about how we can extend these new formats into new offerings for our advertisers and partners,” Twitter shared in a blog post.

What Are Twitter Fleet Ads?

Referred to by Twitter as “full-screen billboards for advertisers,” Twitter Fleet ads are currently being tested among a select group of U.S. users. According to Twitter, Fleet ads “support images and video in 9:16 [the aspect ratio used for tall videos and images]. For video, the format supports up to 30 seconds of content.” Digital advertisers using Fleet ads will also have the option to include the “swipe-up” feature, directing Twitter users to the products or services they are promoting.

Why Did Twitter Launch Fleet Ads?

Fleet ads have the potential to give Twitter a leg up when competing with the latest ad offerings from social platforms like Instagram and TikTok, as each continues to elevate their respective platform and reach a wide range of demographics, both of which are appealing factors for advertisers. Additionally, full-screen mobile ads continue to be a growing trend, as consumers appreciate this format. According to recent research from Twitter, “more than 75% of people say they like ads in this [full-screen] format, and among those that are using Fleets, 73% of people say they browse what other people are sharing.”

“As we experiment on this new surface [Twitter Fleets] for ads, we’ll take a close look at how vertical, full-screen ads perform on Twitter. We want to understand how this content performs for customers not just for Fleet ads, but for future iterations of full-screen formats on Twitter,” Twitter shared. Adding, “We also believe that ads should be non-intrusive and bring value to people, so we’re focused on learning more about how people feel about and engage with this new placement.”

How Can Twitter Fleet Ads Benefit Digital Advertisers?

Leveraging these Twitter Fleet ads allows advertisers to capture the attention of consumers where they are spending a significant portion of their time. Just as importantly, Twitter Fleet ads allow advertisers to leverage a format that Twitter users seem to appreciate.

“Media buyers say they’re hopeful for Twitter’s latest offering as the platform looks to play catchup in its ad capabilities, especially in comparison to Facebook, Instagram and now Snapchat. The latter of which has caught the attention of ecommerce and direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands after honing in on its direct response advertising options,” wrote Digiday reporter Kimeko McCoy.

Twitter Fleet ads advertisers receive a number of metrics – including clicks, impressions and website visits – to monitor and analyze campaign performance. For advertisers promoting video through Fleet ads, Twitter shared that it will report on “video views, 6s video views, starts, completes, quartile reporting and more.” Testing new formats almost always makes sense for advertisers, but the longevity of campaigns should be based on performance metrics.

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