Recent studies show that only 12 percent of a Facebook user’s friends see the average status update. However in a Facebook first, the social networking giant is trialing a product that allows users to pay $2 to prioritise posts in their friends’ news feeds.

Tested on Kiwis

The feature was first reported by Stuff after a Facebook user in Whangarei, New Zealand, initially thought it was a hoax. Facebook has since confirmed that the offer was genuine. “We're constantly testing new features across the site. This particular test is simply to gauge people's interest in this method of sharing with their friends,” said spokesperson Mia Garlick.

The trial is being quietly carried out on Facebook’s 1.4 million New Zealand users, where the company has tested new features in the past.

Spotlight on You

Trial participants are given the option to spotlight a post after submitting it by clicking a new ‘highlight’ button next to ‘like’ and ‘comment’ on individual posts. The user is then prompted to “make sure friends see this” by paying via credit card or PayPal. The fee for highlighting posts ranges from zero to US$2.

Amplified status updates and photos are placed on a yellow background, and presumably maintain prominent placement on the user’s Timeline and their friends’ News Feeds.

“It may work by/to appear higher in the news feed, stay visible for longer, and appear to more friends,” speculates technology writer Josh Constine. The word “Highlighted” is placed under the post to denote posts that have been amplified.

Pay To Be Popular

Under normal circumstances, the only way to maximize the visibility of a post is to garner as many likes and comments as possible. The current algorithm helps broadcast relevant and engaging content, but the new “pay to promote” system means that if you’re not interesting or interactive enough, money can buy visibility.

When questioned as to who might use the tool, Facebook gave the example of a small band plugging an upcoming gig or someone selling their car. If the testing proves successful and paid post promotion becomes a feature of Facebook, it will represent the platform’s first attempt to earn money directly from its 900 million-strong user base. 

Facebook’s IPO

The trial aligns interestingly with Facebook’s IPO, as it gears up for a public listing expected to value the company at about US$90 billion.

“From Facebook's perspective, it's simply another advertising product and, a potentially a very lucrative one,” said Ethan Hays, search director at New York ad agency Gyro. “Testing out incremental, non-invasive ad products is to be expected of a company like Facebook, whose core product is a technology-based marketing platform.”

Facebook has not commented on whether the trial would be extended to include other territories.