News Bits: Facebook Thinks Small

Written by Erin Barker

Friday, November 14. 2008 at 11:50 AM EST 1 comment

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While MySpace splashes its "hero ad" across nearly the entire screen, Facebook concentrates on smaller ads -- even including personal ads now. But does size matter when it comes to social networking ads?

The strategy behind smaller ads, Facebook argues in an article from The New York Times, is that they're more cohesive and less disruptive. "The classic interruptive model is a pretty uninspired way to really get to a consumer," said Tim Kendall, director of monetization.

Uninspired or not, MySpace still trounces Facebook in ad sales, and Facebook's revenue this year is expected to be less than the $300 million it had planned.

So can sites like these really have success without the in-your-face methods? Facebook has tried a few different ad strategies over the years. Last year it tried social ads, until Beacon creeped everybody out, and more recently they've been pushing "engagement ads," which ask the user to do something, like send a gift. According to some, personal ads, targeted to exactly the type of suitor you're hoping to reach, are being tested now.

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