Facebook has announced that it will begin trialing adverts in users’ news feeds in the near future. It is a somewhat unsurprising move for the social networking site, who has implemented a system of ‘trial and introduction’ to all form of advertising in the past, which allows some users to get to grips with new types of advertisements, before they’re introduced to everyone.
The effects these adverts will have on brands could be huge, as those with cash to splash are likely to change tactics from attracting consumers to their ‘like’ page, to spending big on specific targeted news feed ads.
It’s therefore conceivable that a brand with little or no fans on Facebook can reach its target market by placing ads directly into users news feeds, simply by having deep pockets.
Several companies’ time on Facebook has been about gaining ‘likes’ and interacting with consumers, so to what extent will this practice die as a result of the new adverts?
This is particularly worrying as the site has been built on social interaction, having allowed people to communicate in a fun and new way. Eventually brands caught on and set up their own sites to communicate with fans, some letting them know about new and upcoming products, others running competitions, all in the name of generating sales and increasing brand value.
On the face of things, it seems far more cost effective to simply pay to place a targeted advert into news feeds, and sit back as the rewards are reaped. But it will be disappointing if the brands that we love to interact with on Facebook decide to give it up in exchange for an easier ride.
Ultimately it will come down to how clever and engaging these adverts are. We’ve already seen that the promotional tweets on Twitter, where adverts are placed at the top of trending lists and into users timelines, have been a success, but that’s largely due to the use of video and pictures which can be placed within them.
Full details of the new adverts, including how they will work, have not yet been disclosed. Will they run in the form of normal online advertisements, as some already do on the site, or can only brands with a Facebook page advertise on users news feeds, thus promoting the brands’ specific page? At Underscore, we await the answers to these questions with anticipation…