On April 10, the vice president of client relations at Internet marketing company fishbat, Inc. details an article published in The Guardian, which outlines how Facebook is testing out a paid messaging feature in the United Kingdom.

According to the article published by The Guardian, Facebook recently began testing a new feature in the United Kingdom which allows people to message celebrities for a fee. Individual basic users could contact people outside their circle of friends for a price up to £11, the article says. High price celebrities, like Olympic swimmer Tom Daley, cost about £10.68, while other lesser-known figures like BBC reporter Robert Peston cost only 71 pence.

Justin Maas, the vice president of client relations at Internet marketing company fishbat, Inc., says Facebook has been testing a similar paid messaging operation in the US since December. “In December, Facebook announced that users could message people they weren’t friends with for $1,” he says. “Facebook remains that it was testing that feature, as well as the new UK feature, to reduce spam. However, it might have the reverse effect.”

Maas says that the low pricing could increase revenue for the social network, but also increase spam. “Die hard fans might be willing to spend hundreds of dollars messaging their favorite celebrities,” he says. “It would definitely lead to an influx of spam messages and could be an annoyance for high profile figures. Facebook might think that this is a new way to make money, but it could actually deter celebrities from allowing messages on their profiles. Some celebrities might even leave the social network all together.”

Though paid messaging is only in trial mode, Maas says it might not be the best way for Facebook to boost revenue. Instead, it should focus on advertising, Maas says.

fishbat, Inc. is a full service Internet marketing company. Through social media management, search engine optimization (SEO), web design, and public relations, fishbat strives as a marketing firm to raise awareness about your brand and strengthen your corporate image.