Facebook is testing a new type of sponsored page post for the news feed – one that does not require a user to be a fan of the brand (or even a friend of one) in order to see it.
While the new ad unit will look almost identical to its socially relevant counterpart, it will feature a “Like Page” button in the top right corner and a small indication that it is “Sponsored” at the bottom. Previously, ads in the news feed would feature social context: fans and/or friends of fans who have connected with the page.
This potential new ad unit is not the only new non-social offering from Facebook. In last week’s blog post, Facebook Introduces Mobile Ads for Apps, we revealed that mobile app ads would also be shown to users that do not already connect to the apps socially. These new offerings could really open a new door for advertisers, especially with the new targeting capabilities (like age, gender, and specific location) that have also been recently announced. For example, restaurants and retail could benefit from this new ad unit because the wouldn’t have to rely on social context in order to connect with audiences.
Do you think that sponsored page posts will do well in the news feed without social context?