
Who else is a little uncomfortable about the new Facebook Sponsored Stories advertising format? Sure, I’m all for transparency, but when it comes to a company paying for what I have said about them to be used in an ad, I feel…watched. (Insert joke about a marketer worried about being monitored online here)
As of right now, there are only 4 types of actions within Facebook that can be sponsored:
- Likes
- Check-ins
- Actions within custom apps
- Page posts
Okay, I’ll admit: these are all opt-in actions. Users are willingly choosing to speak out about these businesses. However, many people may be doing so without realizing that they can be quoted as an advertisement. Just like every time Facebook unveils a new profile or News Feed format, this could cause a subtle uprising of protest that hits everyone as they suddenly realize that their joke about Joe’s “Crab” Shack becomes the next ad campaign.
From an advertising standpoint, this is fantastic because now users can essentially create their own ads. Sure, the businesses decide what to sponsor, but if the community has a general sentiment towards your company that you want to portray to others, there’s no more explaining to people that “Facebook users like us.” Now, you can just quote the user and let them do the talking. This is like Roger Ebert saying “Two thumbs up” instead of The Social Network saying “Roger Ebert says Two thumbs up!”
With the sometimes negative comments on Facebook about a brand, I wonder if anyone will have the ability to create sponsored stories. For example, your competition is getting bad-mouthed; will you create a sponsored ad exposing the public’s negative view? Bad business ethics, sure, but when have all businesses been honest?
I for one am excited to watch this new advertising format as it comes to fruition. Let’s just hope that Sponsored Stories doesn’t become the New Coke of Facebook.