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Facebook Letting Some Users Rate Ads


Approach walks a fine line

Given the option of voting ads "up" or "down," a natural response is to either vote them all down (who likes ads?) or ignore the issue (since any participation would waste time).  Still, Facebook's allowing some users to have a say which is a move in the right direction.

In theory, this will help the company improve its ad targeting system.  After giving an ad either the thumbs up or thumbs down, users are being asked to select the reason behind their rating.

Facebook Ad Voting
 Facebook Ad Voting Options

Facebook should learn, then, what sorts of people consider a picture "good" and "interesting" even as others call it "bad" and "pornographic."  Perhaps a few more users will even click on ads in order to find out whether they're "misleading."

Not everyone's able to vote, so either a slow rollout or a limited test seems to be taking place.  Then, since Marshall Kirkpatrick encountered a smaller set of explanations than Rob Webb, there is the possibility that there's some sort of error affecting the process.

Whether Facebook will acknowledge users' votes - remember, there may be a whole lot of "thumbs down" - is also a decent question.  Advertisers, not users, offer the company money.

Either way, for Facebook this data is invaluable in its efforts to create an effective ad platform while maintaining a positive user experience.

We'll keep an eye out for any changes that occur as a result of this development.

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About the author:
Doug is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest eBusiness news.

Comments

Rating Ads

This is a fantastic idea for both Facebook users and marketers to help find a happy medium where they can coexist and better benefit each other. Another shining example of why Facebook is a star!

I think this is a great

I think this is a great idea.  I usually do not click those ads, but some of them are pretty offensive and I could do with out having to see them.

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