Pic: Adweek

Over at Adweek, Brian Morrissey makes a very strong argument that Facebook advertiser applications are finding very few takers. His overview entitled Apps: The Newest Brand Graveyard, lists four brands with Facebook Apps that are struggling to find users - Fed Ex [1,500 users,] Ford [106 users,] Nike [3,400 users,] and Microsoft [8,500 users.]

For anyone who believes that marketing through social media will work for the brand and/or provide a revenue stream for Facebook this article is worth reading. Here's an extract -

'Brands, in general, have found Facebook unforgiving terrain for marketing. It's well known, for instance, that banner ads perform poorly on the site. (A recent IDC report called advertising on social networks "stillborn.") But the Facebook Platform, launched 18 months ago â€" which lets developers create social applications for users â€" was thought to offer the perfect opportunity to move beyond banners to provide "branded utility." So far, however, Facebook apps from brands like Coca-Cola, Champion, Ford and Microsoft are as popular as desolate Second Life islands.'

Just last month I posted how P&G's Head of Digital, Ted McConnell isn't a believer.