Sunday, November 11, 2007

Facebooks Latest Move

Facebook announced this week that corporations can now create their own Facebook pages for free and can buy banner ads that would appear under feed items, with links that'd take users back to the brands' profiles. The New York Times Co. has already set up pages for its publications (New York Times, Boston Globe, etc.). Facebook users can declare themselves "fans" of a product or brand and spread their thoughts on it to their Facebook pals.

It's an interesting move, really. But as many reports have noted, some marketers will have to do more than simply post content for Facebook members to preach the gospel according to [Insert Brand Name Here]. Coupons? Freebies?

Where will this lead? How will marketers keep their Facebook pages from being overlooked, left alone in a corner of the social media marketplace, as so much unloved (and "unpoked") Internet fodder? With so many more social networking sites popping up, will this potentially pervasive ad targeting drive Facebook members to use other sites instead?