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Facebook Advertisers Should Pry More
By Matt Keough | November 29, 2007
Cnet news is reporting that Facebook is not going to kill the Beacon program that MoveOn.org has been protesting. I’ve heard a few arguments against social advertising on Facebook. The first complaint is that the Beacon program is not opt-in and the notification that you were about to broadcast your shopping habits to your friends was not obvious enough. I do feel sorry for the guy who unwittingly let his girlfriend know he bought her a pair of gloves for Christmas. But that is what you get if you are already shopping online. I’m waiting until about the 23rd.
But the larger argument is protesting the ever-increasing intrusion of online advertising, tearing into our privacy. The relentless charge of the evil marketing juggernaut. The scary idea that there are databases out there tracking our every move. On Facebook it is kind of difficult to complain that there is targeted marketing. Firstly, it is a service that provides value at no charge to the user. How would you expect them to pay their bills if it were not for the advertisers?
Secondly, the users can share as much or as little data about themselves as they choose. You do not have to share your religious beliefs, political affinity, relationship status or any other information to use the service.
Finally, if you do share these bits of data there is no guarantee that you will automatically unleash I highly trained online marketing attack dog, seeing only highly targeted ads that scare you with their intimate knowledge of your ‘private’ life.
I am married. I share this fact in my profile. Yet, I still see plenty of Facebook Flyers attempting to help “find the right one” and cure my dating dilemma.
If anything, I wish that I would see only more relevant advertising when I choose to share my information! I did find the right one years ago and whoever paid for that ad just wasted my time. Now, if I saw an advertisement that would help a clueless married guy buy a better gift than a pair of gloves for his wife, that would be a good use of my time and good use of someone’s online advertising spend.
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November 30th, 2007 at 11:13 am
I don’t see targeted advertising as a negative, particularly if the release of the information is optional. Don’t want to tell them your affiliations? Don’t. I think seeing ads that appeal to me make the experience more entertaining.
November 30th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
I too get annoyed with spammy advertising; however, I have to agree with Mr. Keough that the advertising is not simply just directed at content in my profile.
My question is if I set my profile to limited, then is less of my data searchable in the ad network?
December 5th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Matt, I think your example is a humorous illustration of misguided advertising. However, this got me thinking … to play devil’s advocate (pun intended), there are some people who are married who may in fact be interested in “finding the (next) one.”
Of course, your point still stands–they didn’t hit the mark with you, and I’d wager in the majority of cases where they serve up the dating service ad to the same people who declare they’re married, they’re also not hitting the mark.
I do like it, though, that every time I check my spam in Gmail I get ads for spam casserole recipes.
By the way, did you know that in South Korea, spam is considered a delicacy and sells for $40 (U.S.) a tin?