Facebook’s Sponsored Stories; Are They Right For Your Business

Facebook proves its worth in the advertising world. More and more companies want to experience the Facebook marketing rush, both big and small businesses. Facebook is adding another advertising feature that gives more emphasis to real experiences by real people with the brand.

Facebook presents Sponsored Stories. The idea is to get the activities of users from their wall and transform them into ads that will show up on the right most screen of Facebook. For example: if I posted “I love Coca Cola, it’s very refreshing” on my wall, then it has a chance to be an ad and be shown to my friends and other users.

It gives the brand’s campaign more personality because it is going to use people’s testimonials and activities with these brands.

Of course this feature is going to be tested for a while first, because some issues such as accuracy may emerge. If someone posted “What a long line, and the wi-fi’s broken, I love Starbucks!” the computer will always treat this message as positive. The example above can ruin the brand’s campaign, opposite to the real intention of Facebook promotion.

Another issue will be about its legality. Since the promotion will use real people, not brand employees, it will use the person’s information and profile picture. What if the person doesn’t really want to engage in the promotion? The law protects peoples’ privacy, and Facebook doesn’t.

The Facebook promotion has been tested by big brands and some non-profit organizations, Ben Parr reports on Mashable :

Facebook’s roster of launch partners includes Coke, Levi’s, Anheuser Busch and Playfish. Also, the social network is partnering with a slew of nonprofits for Sponsored Stories, including Donors Choose, Girl Up!, Malaria No More, Amnesty International, Women for Women, Autism Speaks, (RED), Alzheimer’s Association and UNICEF. However, anybody will be able to bid on Sponsored Story slots (by a per-impression and/or a per-click basis) starting January 25.