Facebook is piloting an option to allow non-commercial users to promote their posts to the top of their friends’ newsfeeds. The option, currently on trial to some US users, means that members can pay around $7 for a promoted post.
The option may appeal to people with an important announcement to make, as it means a status update will be less likely to get lost in a long list of posts. At peak times of the day, with lots of users online posting updates, it can be difficult to get a post noticed.
The option to pay for promoted posts is already available to businesses on Facebook. By paying for an announcement, businesses are able to ensure that it is seen by more of their ‘fans’ on Facebook. As more and more people interact with a post, it then becomes visible to users’ friends, increasing the reach of an advertising post.
The success of personal promoted posts remains to be seen. While some users may promote posts about major life events, the option could have a wide range of uses including those wanting to highlight campaigns and people simply promoting their posts for a joke.
Business owners on Facebook will be watching closely to see how this latest development unfolds. A deluge of promoted posts could lead to users feeling that their newsfeeds are swamped by this type of post, or could mean that promoted announcements become easier to ignore. For Facebook, the option may have to prove that it can generate extra revenue without driving users away from the site.
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