Advertising through Facebook
Facebook has become a part
of globalisation as it has spread all over the world (excluding some countries)
and is able to advertise businesses, products and other desirable objects. Technology
is a fundamental enabling force in the globalizing of economic activities.
As I stated in my first
blog, Fisk, L. (2011) said in an article on www.socialmediatoday.com, “Today
and every day, 500 million users log-in to Facebook.” As of 2012, Facebook had
reached 1 billion active users, and is still climbing in numbers. Facebook is a
site that connects all these people to one another, giving them the ability to
share thoughts, ideas, and life events with each other. We advertise on Facebook
whether it is about a restaurant review, or a social event, or even just what
we are doing for the day. However, our activity on Facebook enables Facebook to
recommend businesses, products, and ideas that we may find interest in through
the use of advertisement on Facebook.
On Facebook, we are
constantly observed by our peers, and Facebook itself. In order to recommend
advertisements, Facebook recognises our ‘likes’ on Facebook, and can send
advertisements in relation to our likes. However, in order to gain more
information about what your preferences are, when removing an ad, Facebook asks
why you removed it by providing a series of options so it can re-evaluate which
ads would appeal to you. However, Facebook is not limited to sending you
recommendations according to your profile; Facebook also recommends pages that
your friends have liked. Facebook also considers your relationship status as a
key factor in recommending ads. When single, Facebook may advertise dating
websites and exercise, but when in a relationship, Facebook would advertise
engagement rings, weddings, and nice resorts, as this could appeal to you if
you were in a serious, long term relationship.
For more information on
how Facebook determines what advertisements to recommend, I suggest you look at
the article on http://www.socialadstool.com/facebook-ads-guide/how-facebook-ads-work/
to find out what Facebook really knows about you and your interests.
References:
Dicken, P. (2007). Winning
and losing: An Introduction. In Global
shift: Mapping the changing contours
of the world economy (pp.437-453). London ,
England
Fisk, L. (2011). Leveraging the Power of Facebook.
Retrieved at http://socialmediatoday.com/lindamfisk/385515/leveraging-power-facebook
Link Credits:
Facebook
Ads Guide: http://www.socialadstool.com/facebook-ads-guide/how-facebook-ads-work/
Image Credits:
Facebook Ads Logo: http://www.imgrind.com/5-tips-to-rock-facebook-ads-with-in-2012/
Hi Summer,
ReplyDeleteI like how you have observed how Facebook takes in factors such as our relationship status and social settings when deciding what products to advertise to us. We are much like the panopticon mentioned by Turkle (1995) in week two’s reading in this sense. However not only are we being observed to ensure we behave appropriately, we are also being monitored so Facebook knows which products are best to advertise to us. As Dicken (2007) states “the era of globalisation has been marked by dramatic increases in technology, trade and investment”. Facebook’s clever marketing strategies and increasing popularity have definitely contributed dramatically to the development of globalization and international consumerism. Just last year studies showed that “65% of companies use Facebook as part of their marketing strategy” (Moth, 2012). It’s amazing to see how much one site can contribute to the development of companies; it just goes to show the power and influence that social networking has over us.
Thanks
Reference:
Dicken, P. (2007). Winning and losing. In Global Shift: mapping the changing contours of the world economy. London: SAGE Publications Inc.
Moth, D (2012). CTRs on Facebook ads increase 50% in the past 12 months. (May, 2012) Retrieved from: http://econsultancy.com/au/blog/9825-ctrs-on-facebook-ads-increase-50-in-the-past-12-months
Turkle, S. (1995). Life on the Screen: Identity in the age of the Internet. New York: Simon &Schuster