Posting a Facebook update and making sure it gets the maximum exposure could soon be as simple as opening your wallet, if you can believe it. The social media giant is rolling out a new program that will allow its members to pay a small fee to highlight or promote their posts.

A Facebook spokesperson said the “pay to promote” system, which ensures status updates are more visible to a member’s Facebook friends, is currently being tested in New Zealand to gauge user interest. Different highlighting methods are used depending on how much someone pays, with the maximum fee set at $2.

Ian Maude, internet analyst at Enders Analysis, said that Facebook’s “overall revenue has grown much more quickly than their audience,” but since there’s been a recent slowdown, the company is now experimenting with new income models.

“We’re going to see a lot more ideas like this where they are testing out different ways to try to make money,” he added.

In other words, you may be seeing a lot more of photos of your Facebook friends’ kids than you ever cared to.

[BBC]

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