14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook has rolled out a couple of new features and updates to its self-serve ad platform. Enticing for Facebook page admins, there is now a better way of promoting your page to attract more fans. Also new is the possibility to specify the tab on which users land when clicking on an ad.
All Facebook, a blog dedicated to the social network, has the details on the new features designed to make the life of advertisers on the site easier.
The big new feature is Sponsored Stories, which has popped up before. Essentially it transforms user actions - likes, status updates - into ads.
Put another way, advertisers can now pay to have the actions of your friends related to the brand they're promoting showcased to you, an ad with a personal touch.
While some people may not like the idea, Sponsored Stories can prove very engaging for users, they're much more like to click on an ad if one of their friends is involved.
Facebook Page admins can create either "Like Stories" and "Page Post Stories," for the two types of actions covered.
Facebook has been testing this type of ads for a while, but it's only now that they become available to everyone that there's a chance to see how well they perform.
Another option now available to Page admins is what tab to first present to users landing on the page, coming from ads. This enables admins to select the option that showcases their page the most, Photos, the Wall or anything else.
With investors dying to through their money at Facebook, the company really doesn't have to worry about its financial success too soon, but that's not stopping it. Facebook is already said to have made some $2 billion in ad revenue in 2010 and the figure is expected to more than double in 2011.