As the inventory grows and the open movement gets bigger and bigger and Facebook Connect takes off, I would think there’s going to be a big play there at some point for one of the bigger ad networks. But even Google hasn’t cracked the code on how to monetize social network traffic – it’s a paradigm shift for almost any ad network, and that puts us and any other ad network working on this at an advantage. Besides, they’ve got hugely successful business already, and they can probably barely keep up with growth on the rest of the internet.”

Rob makes a good point here. The larger advertising networks have traditionally been slow to respond. Garrish advertisements are the norm, not the exception. As the internet’s evolved, so too has internet advertising. But still, it’s rare to see a unique and engaging banner advertisement that’s able to break through the clutter.

I’m not saying SocialCash is there, yet. Aesthetically, their ads aren’t there. And from a creative standpoint, they have a long way to go before they become something of an industry standard. But in terms of targeted engagement, they have the idea down.

As social media continues to rapidly expand, traditional advertising networks will push deeper into capitalizing on the opportunity. But they’re still trying to figure out how to best utilize the space. They’re not only trying to figure out how to leverage the unique opportunities of social media in terms of targeting, but there seems to be an attempt at valuating the social media’s sustainability as a space and a platform. What networks seem sustainable, and in what form will those networks, like Twitter and Facebook, take in the future. Right now, it’s up to the the independent third-parties to break into the space and monetize.

This is their gold rush.