Wondering whether those Facebook ads have any effect?  Facebook and Nielsen have teamed to give SOME users a way to measure the ROI.

With more than 300 million users, Facebook has provided an attractive advertising venue for quite a while.  The ability to “slice and the dice” the demographics to secure targeted, affordable ads has proved particularly attractive for many users.

As with many other aspects of social media, the tantalizing question remined: “Is it paying off?”

Now Facebook and Nielsen (yes, that’s the polling organization that tracks TV viewing habits) have collaborated to answer that question.

Their new project, dubbed “Brand Lift,” will poll Facebook users to measure recall of the ads, brand awareness, and considerations regarding purchase.

Sounds great?  Here’s the catch:  The new product will reportedly be offered only to Nielsen customers.