Facebook users now have another way to obtain virtual currency, compliments of application-discovery service and mobile ad network Tapjoy and pay-per-call marketer RingRevenue, but there’s a catch: You must pick up the phone and call advertisers.

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The crowded Facebook campaign-management field has a new addition with some questionable features: Self-described “Facebook marketing bomb” FaceDominator.

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Facebook advertising developer Nanigans is thinking global, examining three key metrics in 20 countries to highlight where opportunities lie for advertising on the social network.

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Consumers are more likely to identify with brands’ ads when placed next to personal information on their Facebook pages, compared with on strangers’ pages, finds a new Journal of Consumer Research study. What’s more, the higher the Facebook user’s self-esteem, the more positive his or her attitudes are likely to be toward the brand (if, that is, the ad relates to the self).

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Drinking alcohol is one of the most social activities people partake in. Therefore, it’s ideal for alcohol brands to have a significant presence on Facebook and other social networks. This way, these brands can partake, monitor, and start conversations about the various drinks they offer.

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Sponsored stories in both the news feeds and tickers of some Facebook users are starting to move beyond the like and adding new calls to action.

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Remember Facebook’s explanation earlier this week about sponsored stories and other ads? The social network may have a lot more explaining to do if one unconfirmed report is true, and this time it involves the new timeline profile.

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Facebook continues to emphasize the negative in its insights for page managers, which could be a positive for marketers.

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Facebook sought to calm users’ fears about the news that sponsored stories would be added to the news feed by posting a link at the top of the homepage directing users to a page that explains advertising on the social network.

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Facebook’s sponsored stories advertisements will start appearing in the news feed beginning next month.

These promotions that refrain users’ engagement with a brand until recently appeared only in modules specifically designated for advertisements.

This fall, Facebook started moving sponsored stories through the ticker, and so far, labeling appears to have prevented people from confusing the promotions with activities generated by friends.

Ben and Jerry’s has signed up to become the first advertiser to run sponsored stories in people’s news feeds starting next month.

The introduction of sponsored stories in the news feed next month will mark the first time Facebook has incorporated advertisements in this space since 2007 — that was Beacon, which had backfired for reasons of privacy.

Some might argue that many of the same privacy problems besetting Beacon are creeping back to the site, just in time to cause problems for sponsored stories joining the main news feed.

However, our peer blog Inside Facebook says it expects that sponsored stories in the main news feed ought to enjoy strong clickthrough rates by virtue of more targeted placement among viewers receptive to the content.

Already sponsored stories have demonstrated clickthrough rates 46 percent higher than all other types of ads on Facebook, amounting to the most cost effective form of promotion on the social network.

Facebook currently offers seven different variations on sponsored stories, although the ones that refrain likes have been the most popular sp far.

Readers, how do you think sponsored stories will fare in the main news feeds on Facebook?