Facebook Frames Create New Marketing Opportunities

When the Supreme Court ruled in June that same-sex couples would have the right to marry in all US states, Facebook users showed their support for all of their gay community, friends, family members and colleagues by activating an option add a rainbow overlay to their profile images.

Support for Charlie Hebdo

We saw this same kind of support in January in Paris. Armed with assault rifles and other weapons, terrorists forced their way into the offices of the satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, killing 11 people and injured 11 others. As if this wasn’t enough carnage, they murdered four Jewish hostages a few days later. These terrorist actions stunned the world. Facebook supporters who deplored the violence added the colors of the French flag, red, white and blue to their profiles.

Now Facebook is rolling out Frames on a broader scale because these screens represent important opportunities to generate revenue from marketing dollars.

How do Facebook’s screens work?

Key in facebook.com/profilepicframes. You’ll go to a webpage that has your Facebook profile picture on it—a great opportunity to swap out your photo if you’ve been thinking about this. There’s a dropdown with a list of what seems to be mostly European sports teams—remember that social media isn’t just an American obsession; we’re part of a global community that loves to be connected, and the rest of the world is crazy about soccer. There are line items for movies, Canadian Football League and Major League Baseball. Causes include World Wildlife Federation, Make a Wish, Girl Scouts and Australian Marriage Equality. There’s another feature on this page, another dropdown that lets you create an end date, identifying how long you want your Frame to run before it reverts back to your original unadulterated Facebook profile picture—1 hour, 1 week, 1 month or never.

Don’t like these choices? Wait a while . . .

If you don’t like or aren’t familiar with any of these choices, don’t select them. There will soon be more that will be added to these lists. Given the breadth of options available, it’s pretty easy to envision the monetization potential of these screens. Big brands will love the ability to reach Facebook’s 1.591B active monthly users. For the entertainment sector, this is a great way to promote a new movie and build a connection with their audience. People are passionate about their sports teams—let’s get some of our own American teams into the mix. Causes are endless. Politics? Of course! Don’t be afraid to have opinions. It’s endless. I can’t wait to see how Facebook’s Frames evolves.

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