What’s all the fuss about Facebook’s new Sponsored Story? Is it paranoia to worry that these new Facebook social ads will have the ability to reach in and grab your personal Facebook information? Remember the old joke-Am I paranoid if someone really is following me? Facebook has been under fire for its perceived lax security: updates that wiped out users’ privacy settings, apps that passed on user’s personal information, phishing emails that didn’t originate with Facebook but were thought of as another Facebook annoyance, etc. The good news is that you have the choice of how you and your information will be used in the Sponsored Story ads.
If you’ve used Facebook for a while you probably free classified ads pakistan already know the ads to the right side of the screen are pretty simple and these new ads also promise simplicity. Here’s a scenario of what might occur if say Chipolte were an advertiser and you “Liked” Chipolte on Facebook. Say that one day you and your best buddy, let’s call this fictitious buddy Brad, stop in for lunch at Chipolte. You thought your barbacoa bowl was the best you’ve ever had so you post on your Facebook status “Magnifico barbacoa with @Brad at our favorite @Chipolte.” Your friends might see the comment with a link to Chipolte in the right sidebar ads.
If you want to go stealth, here’s how to turn off your participation in these social ads– there’s a setting for that. Go to the Account tab on the top right of your Facebook profile. In the drop-down menu select Account Settings. Then select the Facebook Ads tab. If you don’t want your face, likes, or info to be shared in an ad, simply change “Only my friends” to “No one” and then click the blue “Save Changes” button.
If you are ready to swing to the other side of the exposure pendulum then you’ll want to leave your Facebook Ads set on the option for “Only my friends”. Your friends may see you in a sponsored ad, however that’s where it ends (No, you will not be seen by all 500 millions Facebook users!). If you’re itching for your 5 minutes of fame then you’ll need to employ some savvy strategies to get featured.
“Like” products and services who you know are Facebook advertisers or apt to run ads on Facebook. Advertisers will be able to use people who like them on Facebook. If you “liked” a lot of fan pages when you first signed up on Facebook… review them and delete the ones you may no longer like as much.
Talk about advertisers in your Facebook updates. The power to get noticed is at your finger tips. Comment upon, praise, or recommend an advertiser that you like by using the “@” plus their like page name (“like” pages are the new fan pages). It’s suspected that advertisers will be able to track these updates and uses them in their ads.
Get Your Game Face On. Advertisers will be able to bring your profile photo over to their ad. If your friends will recognize you from your pet’s photo then by all means keep it on your profile. Others may opt for sprucing up their profile with a new headshot, after all a product spokesperson has to look sharp!
So if you want to maintain your privacy, or if you want to be the Ashton Kutcher of Facebook, you get to choose. Just be aware that if you don’t choose, your Facebook Ad settings are pre-set to “Only my friends” and you may become a product spokesperson without realizing it!
Vanessa Wood believes “All the world’s the web!” There’s room on the internet for your venture to be the next Internet phenom. Vanessa has years of corporate and small business experience that she brings to clients’ web and blog design. She is the owner of Design to Spec LLC. Vanessa is an avid blogger on social media topics and best practices for the web.