Facebook introduced an interesting incentive program yesterday to get users to watch more of the site's ads.
Basically, Facebook is giving Facebook Credits to people to watch certain ads, most of which will be through some of the games on the site. Current partners with the incentive program include Zynga, CrowdStar and Digital Chocolate.
While having the Facebook gaming powerhouses backing the program is good, there are two glaring issues Facebook is overlooking.
First off, the incentive for users isn't all that much. Granted, Facebook Credits can be used for real-world purchases through the Facebook Deals platform. However, most ads reportedly only yield one credit, which is equivalent to about 10 cents. I just don't believe that will be enough reason for most users to try this program out.
Secondly, and more importantly, is how advertisers will (or should) feel about paying users to watch their ads. While I'm sure this will boost ad views, there will be little to no effect on the sales of the products in the ad. Users aren't going to care about what the ad is saying, they will only care about amassing Facebook Credits.
The bottom line is I don't think this is good for advertisers, and I don't think it's worth it for users. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if users just click play on the ads and go back to playing Farmville while they reap the benefits of this ill-conceived program.
