Facebook: Would you pay for friends to ramp-up your online marketing?

September 3, 6:24 PMOnline Marketing ExaminerCheryl Phillips

 Facebook has evolved into a very effective marketing tool for many businesses. However, growing a large following is not something that can typically happen over night. At least not without paying for it.

 uSocial.net, the same company that allows you to buy Twitter followers, is now offering to boost up your friend count on Facebook.

 Announced on the uSocial.net site:

   We've just launched a world-first range of products which will enable you to invest in packages of up to 5,000 targeted Facebook friends, or up to 10,000 targeted Facebook fans which we will deliver to your very own profile in a matter of weeks.

 The cost? You can buy 5,000 Facebook "friends" for 7.6 cents per friend ($654.30), or up to 10,000 Facebook "fans" for a mere 8.5 cents a fan ($1.167.30). That might be a little steep considering that uSocial does not seem to give any guarantee that your new friends will friend you back.

 The company promises that your new 'friends' will be be "real users and exactly relevant to what you are looking for". Basically, this is like buying a targeted marketing list, something that companies have been doing for years. However, reading through the pages of fine print on the uSocial site seems to be more of a daunting legal contract than a fast way to add to your marketing list.

   While they may be issued, uSocial will not offer refunds unless under special circumstances.You also understand and agree that the Service may include advertisements and that these advertisements are necessary for uSocial to provide the Service.

 All of this legal-ese aside, are friends or 'fans' truly interested in what you are marketing if they didn't discover you the old fashioned way? Forced friendships never seem to work in the real world so it will be interesting to see how it pans out online.

 What are your views on paying for Facebook friends? Take the poll....

Posted via email from Yellow Door Media