LAGbook Officially Launches “Sponsored Results” Search Ads

Africa's largest and fastest growing social network today officially launches its Sponsored Results search typeahead ad unit, in which it began testing a week ago.

Lagos (I-Newswire) August 25, 2012 - Africa's largest and fastest growing social network today officially launches its Sponsored Results search typeahead ad unit, in which it began testing a week ago.

LAGbook's Search Ads lets advertisers target users searching for specific people and insert a link into the typeahead results that points to a sponsored or promoted external or internal link.

Businesses who advertise using the Search Ads, appear above the top organic result making them powerful for diverting traffic to their link.

Currently LAGbook is running a test Sponsored Search Result for LAGbook Capital, its venture capital firm focused on investing and acquiring promising African internet start-ups in stakes and cash.

The Search Ad unit could allow LAGbook to begin challenging local search engines for search ad money.

According to Chidi Nwaogu, Co-CEO at LAGbook, "We just started rolling out Sponsored Results more broadly today. We are releasing Sponsored Results as a great way for you to create more awareness for your LAGbook contents and external website"

LAGbook has made some modifications to the Sponsored Results design since it first began testing a week ago. It now appears in a separate, section in the typeahead results.

According to Chika Nwaogu, Co-Founder at LAGbook, "This we believe will establish the fact that they’re paid marketing much more clearly than the small gray word Sponsored seen previously at the bottom of the search ads."

Chika continued "Users also have the option to hide the ad by clicking a small ‘x' in the corner of the Search Ad. Advertisers are be able to purchase Sponsored Results through the "Take this Spot" link at the top of the Search Ads."

LAGbook is getting aggressive with its ad placement. Sponsored Results can appear above the organic result for what a user was obviously looking for. This could be a powerful way for Businesses to redirect traffic from users searching for a specific person on LAGbook.

“Sponsored Search Results launches today and we wanted to share the details of this innovative product with Advertisers. Daily, many people on LAGbook use our search to find people. We want you to leverage on this. Sponsored Search Results give brands the ability to purchase ads in search results, thus bringing more awareness and traffic to their LAGbook contents and external website.", says Chidi Nwaogu.

"Brands are able to drive offsite using this product, as well as drive to specific LAGbook Pages e.g. Applications, Blogs, Groups, etc." added Chika Nwaogu.

According to Josh Osemwegie, LAGbook's VP for Finance, "We're serious with our profitability. We've rolled out a couple of advertising services, which includes the newly launched search ads. We're not only building Africa's largest social network. We're building a successful internet enterprise."

LAGbook is an African-based social networking website targeted specifically at the youth demographic (18-30), but permits registration of people 13 and older. The social network with over 280,000 registered members, is most popular amongst internet users in Germany, United States, Turkey, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, China, Romania, Israel, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Denmark, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Mexico, France, and especially in Nigeria in the city of Yaba, Lagos, where the social network was incepted and ranks #2.