Facebook's Privacy Policy Is Better than You've Heard
Facebook's Privacy Policy Is Better than You've Heard
There is a guy (or a girl) who doesn't really mind that Facebook knows a lot about him. He doesn't mind that Facebook uses this information to serve up ads. In fact, he likes it. This guy is you; or at least he should be.
Online advertising has come a long way. Just a year ago, we were punching monkeys and other funny creatures to "win a free iPod" or "clicking here to refinance my home." That is to say that, with a few exceptions, online advertising was terrible. Not only were these ads ignored, those who did click on them were awarded with a nasty virus or spam trap more often than they received a $299 electronics device for free.
In today's world, ads are actually becoming relevant. Today on Facebook, you might get two ads... one about deals in Columbus (or deals in whatever town or city you live) and one about Website Magazine, a geeky SEO/online marketing magazine that I really like (assuming you like that sort of thing). Targeting an audience by job title and geography is just the 101 stuff.
Let's assume you are a small business owner who has recently been searching online for an extended line of credit. The next time you log in to LinkedIn, you see an ad for a business credit card and a web conferencing solution (a great tool for small businesses). Are these ads better than punching a monkey or home refinancing? You bet.
And while we all know that Google is the largest search engine in the US, not everyone knows that a whole lot of the ads you see on sites you visit every day, from the Wall Street Journal to your neighbor's blog, are served by Google. Have you ever almost booked a trip to Mexico and suddenly started seeing ads for discounts on trips to Mexico, even though you were on a site about used cars? You say to yourself "Hmm.. what a coincidence." Turns out, it's not.
That's the magic of Google. While Google doesn't give away its secrets, consider this - let's say you use Google Talk, Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Docs. Going through these tools, a person (or a robot) could learn a whole lot about you... and serve up really targeted ads.
And yes, I know, you never click on ads; you also always leave Vegas with more money than you showed up with. But, for the rest of us, here are three reasons why I think targeting ads through the use of information consumers volunteer on social media is a good thing:
1. It's good for consumers. If you love 80s music, you would probably love offers and deals about concerts, t-shirts and memorabilia related to the 80s. If you are an important CTO, why wouldn't you want to at least be offered a white paper on cloud computing. Or if you're a mom with a newborn at home, what's so 'intrusive" about diaper coupons and discounted baby wipes. These ads are a whole lot more relevant to you and your life than most billboards you'll pass on the highway.
2. It's good for publishers. Hey, most people don't want to run crappy ads on their site. And if they are running ads, they are probably only making money when someone clicks an add. The last thing a publisher wants is 100 "punch the monkey" ads running on their site. Plus, when ads are highly targeted, they can charge a premium.
3. It's good for advertisers. If you are selling concert tickets, or server virtualization, or diapers, it's probably not a stretch to assume you would love for your messages to reach rockers in Columbus, or CTOs in Chicago, or working moms in Tallahassee. And most people are willing to pay to reach that exact audience.
You see, it's not about millions of ad impressions. It's about getting the impression to the right person's computer screen at the right time. And it's not like this is anything new. Consider this: if you are watching a sporting event at 9:00 p.m., have you noticed that you don't ever see any commercials advertising 10 year old girl shoes?
Advertising companies have been profiling consumers since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. And they use every available means to do it. If you don't like Facebook having information about your daily habits and tendencies, you probably will also want to call up yellow pages and get your name removed. You might also want to call up your local government offices and hospitals and kindly ask them not to publish your name if you ever break the law or get into a car accident. You should also probably start wearing a mask when you go shopping.
Or, you can embrace this new and progressive trend toward the advertiser consumer relationship. You still are free to ignore ads. But at least now the ones you do happen to notice might be useful. Unless, of course, you really need a pair of 10 year old girl shoes.
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