Word of mouth has always been powerful, but for the most part, it’s also been terrifically difficult to impact.

Facebook looks as it is going to change that with its Social Ads. With this system, you can place your ads so they are shown to users whose friends have recently engaged with your Facebook Page or engaged with your website through Facebook Beacon. Even better, you can target based on keywords, geography, even relationship status (e.g, single, married, dating). This new approach puts social networking to work … to spread your brand message.

Just write your ad, decide who should see it, and then decide where you want to drive traffic … for as little as $5 per day.