My two cents worth? To beat the competition it helps to be in the right time, at the right place. Social media can help you do this. Or to put it another way, with a quote taken from a nice post on the subject of social networking & profit: “Relevancy is not enough in advertising. It’s about relevancy and timing.”
Talking about relevancy and timing here’s a great example from Laura Fitton of how to alienate people with the way Facebook Ads suck up data from users, unless you remember to opt-out of Social Ads:
“Wow! Leaving the group efactor on Facebook! DO NOT WANT the fact that I joined their FB group to be a part of their Ads. WTH? Repeat: this was NOT efactor’s doing. this is a Facebook-wide issue. it affects you too. Social ads are opt OUT. Privacy>News Feed>Social Ads.”

Facebook Social Ads Permissions
Hi Stuart,
I read those predictions on social networking and profits. FB will not be able to make money through advertising but will have to do it through subscriptions.
Like this, I have made my share of 10 predictions for 2009
http://windchimesindia.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/predictions2009/
Have a look and let me know what you think of it
Nimesh