Social media sites are now making celebs more accessible to fans who want to interact with them. It serves both ends as celebs get a chance to interact with fans on a one-to-one basis, while the ordinary man gets to communicate with his idol. Facebook has started charging UK users to send messages to celebrities.
However, would you be willing to pay to interact with your favourite star? That’s a question doing the rounds on networking sites.
Pay to connect
Facebook now charges users up to £10 to message celebrities in the UK. The fees vary depending on the popularity of the recipient, with a current maximum charge of £10.68 to contact celebrities such as Olympic diver Tom Daley. It puts him a tier above US gangster rapper Snoop Dogg and Booker prize-winning author Salman Rushdie, both of whom cost £10.08 to message.
The fee structure is decided by a mathematical formula that takes into account a number of factors, including the number of followers a user has on Facebook and how many messages they receive. Charges to contact somebody using the system can rise and fall under the system. The fees were introduced for 10% of British users as a trial at the end of last month with the plan to introduce it to all members of Facebook in the country.
The charge can be paid online instantly with a credit or debit card. Under-18s are barred from making such payments and are also blocked from receiving unsolicited messages. Facebook faced criticism after details of the costs became known, especially because it has boasted that ‘the site is free and always will be’.
Peter Wood, social media director at digital marketing agency Steak, tweeted: Facebook charging users in the UK to contact celebs online. 1-0 Twitter. Seems a bit mean to charge someone to send fan mail. In their defence Facebook says, “We are testing a number of price points in the UK and other countries to establish the optimal fee that signals importance. Part of that test involves charging higher amounts for public figures, based on the number of followers they have.”
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