“Sponsored Ads” Coming to a Facebook Newsfeed Near You

In the last ten years advancements in internet technology and social tools changed the way the world communicates. Social networking sites connect advertisers to large groups of like-minded people. Advertising on Facebook and the controversy surrounding personal privacy is not new. All users have been exposed to the “tailored” ads that conveniently appear on the right hand side of the home page. 

Facebook’s 800 million active users are about to get a new dose of targeted advertising. Starting in 2012, Facebook will insert “Sponsored Story” ads in user newsfeeds in an attempt to boost interaction with marketers. The ads will appear in the newsfeed just as other posts do, with the exception of being labeled “sponsored” in the bottom right-hand corner.

These ads are created around a user “liking” a brand’s fan page, “checking in” to a venue, or using an app, among other types of status updates. This is Facebook’s attempt to turn you and your friends’ activities into advertisements. For those of you in theTwitterverse, Sponsored Stories will be similar to Promoted Tweets on Twitter which run in the stream of updates or stories a user sees, and has the same look and feel as other posts.

I know what you’re thinking. “My newsfeed is going to get bombarded with an onslaught of advertisements!” All you Facebookers can relax. You will see no more than one Sponsored Story in your feed per day. Facebook plans to incorporate these ads gradually so they don’t infuriate users. 

What is your opinion about ads in your Facebook newsfeed? Do you think users will view this change negatively? Leave your comments and feedback below.