Social networkers can sit on the computer and become lost in a virtual world for hours. It can be a stress release or it can be a source of stress. Where did all those hours go? Oh yes, that is right! They were spent clicking away through Facebook, twitter, or YouTube. During this time, did you notice all of the advertisements?
Unless your YouTube video had a commercial at the beginning of it or you accidently clicked an ad on the side of your Facebook page, you probably were so intrigued by your online experience that your mind only focused on your intended clicks rather than the advertisements. The internet is a booming industry, but are the advertisements booming on the internet?
Now the craziest part of all of these advertisements to me is that my Facebook advertisements are geared toward me and your Facebook advertisements are geared toward you. Did you realize that? On social networking sites, online advertising is able to target offers that are relevant to the lives and interests of the consumer; me and you. David Parkman says this type of advertising is, “the most powerful form of advertising ever created, not counting search.”
Do you know what is being advertised on your Facebook? I was surprised to see how well my advertisements were geared toward me; I have apartments, wedding rings, and colleges. Go look, find out, and see if your advertisements know the “real” you.
Even though it is a few years removed, in 2010 according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau,United Statesadvertisers spent $25 billion in online advertisements. That is 15-percent of the overallUnited Statesad market. In the end, online advertising is only estimated to have obtained less than a dime per hour, in comparison to print publications getting $1 per hour of reader’s attention.
Maybe in the future online advertising will be a success. For now, it is hard to make a profit because the internet is so large and relatively new in comparison to other forms of advertising. Internet consumers are in the “zone” monitoring their Facebook and tweeting their latest news that they are not even noticing advertisements.