SocialTwist, the company behind the Tell A Friend plugin, has launched TAF4 Ads, a widget to refer ads to friends. Visitors to websites that have implemented TAF4 ADs can pass on any banner ad to their friends and an accompanying comment with it. So, for instance, if I visit this demo page and think that the ad banner is interesting, I can click the TAF link and send it to my friends. They emphasize that this word of mouth personal referral approach should result in higher click throughs for an ad.
However, I dont buy it. Online ad banners are obtrusive and hardly ever have I found ad banners engaging enough that I want my friends to take a peek at it. In fact, I block all ads using the AdBlock Firefox plugin. I mean, think of it – who in their right minds will click on the banner and want to send a link to your friends about it ?
I guess in their effort to desperately monetize the Tell a Friend plugin, SocialTwist has come out with this lame advertising model.
What do you think ?
