The various book-promoting applications and groups on Facebook, as well as the number of culture-hungry members of the social network, might make an investment in a Facebook Social ad seem like a great marketing venture. However, as Megan McCarty points out on the Wired blog, these ads could do just as much to alienate and confuse your fans as entice them:

“Have you used Facebook to give a shout-out to businesses you like? Best make sure your profile picture catches your best side, because you might be an unwitting star in those businesses’ next Facebook ad campaigns… [W]hen you add [a corporation’s] application, there is no notification that you are allowing [the corporation] to use your name and profile picture in a display ad. Currently, there is not even any way to opt-out of participation in Social Ads, other than by avoiding associating yourself with any corporate brands on Facebook.”

A fair warning to both Facebook users and those thinking about using the ad features: right now, both the ethical and legal implications of these kind of ads might bring just the kind of awareness that you’d rather avoid.