Last week the social networking site launched a new tool for Facebook and their advertisers to monetize the social interactions that occur on Facebook launching the Sponsored Stories application.
Sponsored Stories are a way for Facebook to take content from its users that discuss a brand/store and turn them into advertising. -
In other words, the people who like your business page are creating your ads for you, on the fly, when they take actions around your business. These ads are only shown to friends of the person who took the action that filled in the ad.
For instance, say you "LIKE" Chamberlain's Steak and Chop House in Dallas, and one Saturday you check-in to Chamberlain's, via Facebook's Places app; If Chamberlain's was buying Sponsored Stories, your friends would see an advertisement that you just checked in at Chamberlain's. The ad might look something like this:
These ads will allow Facebook advertisers to target your friends, but only with content you have already shared. In essence, advertisers will be promoting you directly to your friend's News Feed.
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