Facebook has begun testing a new feature that would allow users to increase the visibility of their posts for a fee, in what appears to be a new bid to add more profitability to the social network.
"As part of a test starting today, people in
the US can promote personal posts to their friends on Facebook," the
company said in a statement Wednesday.
"Sometimes a particular friend might not
notice your post, especially if a lot of their friends have been posting
recently and your story isn't near the top of their feed," it said.
"When you promote a post -- whether it's
wedding photos, a garage sale, or big news -- you bump it higher in news
feed so your friends and subscribers are more likely to notice it."
The option will be made available to users with fewer than 5,000 friends and subscribers, Facebook said.
Facebook did not specify the price of the new
service, but TechCrunch.com said it would start at $7 per post, making
it a potentially major source of profit for the social network, which
counts 955 million members.
The testing began in New Zealand in May and has gradually spread to other countries.
A dismal stock market debut in May raised
questions about Facebook's profitability, and since then the company has
said it is considering new revenue-generating schemes, including
charging for some services.
Last month the company revamped its "Offers"
service to require payments, starting at $5 per ad, for the deals
offered through Facebook -- making companies pay for what had been free
advertising until now.
Facebook has also added a feature that lets
users send real-life cupcakes, coffee, stuffed animals or other gifts to
friends in the social network.
The "Gifts" program is being rolled out
gradually, starting in the United States, and Facebook stands to get a
fee for brokering purchases.
The world's largest social network has seen
its stock price sag since its market debut at $38 per share. Shares
closed at $21.83 Wednesday.
© 2012 AFP
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© 2012 AFP
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