Small and mid sized advertisers are finding more choices available to them as platforms expand their self-serve platforms.

Facebook

The Kelsey Group points to Facebook opening its Ads API to all qualified developers as one example. Facebook has always collected much of its advertising revenues from small and mid-market businesses via the self service platform—some 60% of its global ad revenues, in fact.  "Now it has opened up its Ads API to all qualified developers, it will enable more partners with local audiences (agencies, media, etc.) to manage scaled ads campaigns on behalf of a fleet of clients," it concluded.

It cited the French directory publisher PagesJaunes having recently joined the API program as one example. The  French online directory and map group joined in order to be able to offer small businesses a social recommendation service on Facebook. PagesJaunes said a test version of the presence pack was currently being trialed by around 50 local advertisers in Paris, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux and Grenoble and pilot service is due to go live in the Paris area at the end of January. (via TelecomPaper).

Project Devil

AOL is also working on building a system for agency holding companies to build Project Devil ads in-house, according to ClickZ. "We believe most clients could extend the amount of content they run in advertising," said CEO Tim Armstrong. "The system we have been working on is an enterprise system that could go inside the holding companies. We're taking our software and user interface and white labeling it."

Also, Twitter will be rolling out a self-serve ad product, aimed at small businesses.

Publicizing What They Have

Companies that already have self-serve platforms are doing their best to play them up to their intended audience. Last November, Reddit launched a campaign to give local businesses free advertising—free self-serve ads–targeted at localized subreddits. The ads, which ran for three days, had a value of about $100, Venture Beat said.