Facebook recently released its first agency-designed ad unit as an effort to help its users engage with brands. The unit allows brands to ask a question, which then appears in the ad space on users’ home pages.  When someone interacts with the content, the story moves into this person’s newsfeed, where friends can see it and participate in the conversation.

The purpose: Facebook knows that a good web marketing strategy focuses on engaging customers beyond self-promotion and a sales pitch. Brands will have to spark an intriguing, funny, or poignant conversation that will have a life of its own.

Even if you don’t want to pay Facebook for ad space,…