Share the Wealth, Facebook!
In case you missed it, Facebook has announced that it will begin targeting ads based on content in its users’ profiles. This is very similar to what Google does with its Adsense program. I think this new ad system will benefit both users and advertisers. Advertisers will be able to better target ads to profiles based on people’s favorite tv shows, interests, books, movies, etc—in addition to age, gender and location like they have access to now.
Facebook’s users will also benefit from this new ad system, as they will see more relevant ads and offers. Overall, this looks to be a huuge win for Facebook.
Something Facebook seems to be missing is how to give back to its users. Without us, there would be no Facebook, and without our juicy profiles, there would be no new targeting system. It seems like they should come up with a revenue-sharing system of some kind, to reward those who are active participants on the site. We share our lives, Facebook should share the money. What do you think?
For more information about this stuff, see Mashable and Darren Herman.
August 23rd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
DEfinately, why do these web 2.0 companies think they can just hoard all of the money for themselves? If I’m going to post slutty pictures of me and my friends on facebook, I think I should be compensated somehow.
August 23rd, 2007 at 2:58 pm
ha. Thanks Sarah. While you may want to watch what pictures you do post, the point remains the same. It’s the users’ content which makes Facebook’s world go round, so they deserve a piece of the pie.
August 24th, 2007 at 7:48 am
Good point. but that’s what most social networks do. Get all the user numbers up, and start the ad sales, otherwise, what’s the incentives for the creator/ ppl working working to provide the platform
August 24th, 2007 at 8:05 am
-Priscilla- Thanks for your comment. I don’t blame creators for trying to capitalize on ad sales, but I think there’s enough $$ to share here. I guess Facebook has no real incentive to do this, since they’re already popular and established, but imagine if a new network started up with a revenue-sharing model…I would think this would be a great way to shake up things and draw attention—especially for a niche-oriented network that isn’t trying to directly compete with Facebook.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:25 am
hey, check out http://www.velvetpuffin.com and let me know what you think.
Scoble did a demo on it some weeks back - http://www.podtech.net/scobleshow/search/Velvet+Puffin
It’s a local client of mine. would love to get some feedback
cheers!
September 11th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
[…] few weeks ago I posted that Facebook should share some of its wealth with its users; after all, without our juicy profiles and content, Facebook wouldn’t have been able to […]