Would you pay for Facebook posts? Mark Zuckerberg thinks you might.

The social media giant is exploring the possibility of adding a “tip jar” to posts in another way to endorse them or support a cause, according to the Verge. Facebook may also be considering letting users take a cut of ad revenue the site takes from ads and branded content, although indications from the survey where this information was gleaned may mean this feature is restricted to verified users (a.k.a. celebrities and corporations).

Unlike YouTube, where users earn ad revenue related to the amount of views their videos get, Facebook doesn’t currently have a method for users to earn money by posting directly on the site. Currently, ads are shown during instant articles (which now anyone can publish), and the site is also testing ad suggestions at the end of videos.

“It’s still very early, but we’re committed to creating sustainable, long-term monetization models for our partners and we’re listening to feedback,” a Facebook spokeswoman told The Verge.

Facebook’s increased interest in monetization seems to be another step in the direction of trying to become the preeminent instant sharing platform on social media, by trying to ape what Twitter, Snapchat, YouNow, etc. have done so well. Facebook Live is a new live streaming service that plays video in your timeline, which is among some of the recent innovations to that effect.

The survey acquired by the Verge also asked what content users go to Facebook for the most, how they watch video, aside from the questions about monetization. But Facebook might be heading in this direction soon, and as they’ve become the preeminent social media and sharing site on the web, maybe this too will strike gold for them.

[Verge]

About Matt Lichtenstadter

Recent Maryland graduate. I've written for many sites including World Soccer Talk, GianlucaDiMarzio.com, Testudo Times, Yahoo's Puck Daddy Blog and more. Houndstooth is still cool, at least to me. Follow me @MattsMusings1 on Twitter, e-mail me about life and potential jobs at matthewaaron9 at Yahoo dot com.