Facebook Planning Pay-Per-View for Ads

According to a new post on the InsideFacebook blog, Facebook is planning to provide users with an incentive to watch internet marketing ads whilst playing game apps by paying them (in Facebook Credits) to do so.  

Facebook already have a trial ongoing; earlier this year, they struck a deal with in-app deal provider TrialPay, using the DealSpot product.  Launched in February and covering around 50 applications, the trial offered users targeted in-game offers based on their geography, transaction history, and rules laid down by the developer.  Offers vary from deals from group offer companies such as LivingSocial, time-relevant offers such as Mothers Day gifts, or branded videos.  

Game developers skin an icon, calling it something like "Today's Deal!" and when players click on it, a video player opens up over the game.  After the offer is shown, users receive the pre-determined number of Credits, and can close the window to go back to their game.  They are also given the option of clicking on links for the advertisers website or Facebook page.  

This arrangement is now being expanded, and will cover video views in Facebook sidebars that will appear on the site to players.  Facebook says the goal of the venture is to help developers to monetise a higher percentage of users by teaching them about Credits and encourage them to keep a balance of them.  The more cynical marketer might observe that's it's very much in Facebook's advantage too -  it desperately needs to grow user acceptance and adoption of the virtual currency, as it's demanding that all applications use only Credits for payments by July 1st.