The first question I ask myself is why are there so many online advertisers? It seems the simple answer is because so many people are spending more and more time online. It seems that advertising online would be a good outlet then…. However, people constantly complain about television ads and radio ads, so why would they embrace internet ads? At least thats my logic and after reading a few articles about where this internet phenom is going I am not the only one who feels this way.
It seems that even research shows that the ad click-through rate is less than one percent across the industry. That statistic seems so insignificant to me, so why do people continue to advertise online? That one percent supposedly encompasses mouse errors as well. I know the only time i’ve ever clicked an ad has been by accident.
I know the percent is low but I do see the appeal to online advertising…With sites like Facebook and Twitter it becomes increasingly easier to reach mass audiences. How is it that Facebook attracts so many users and advertisers but those users aren’t interested in the advertisements? Maybe it is the way they go about their advertising. I’ve known for some time now that no matter what you post on Facebook its never truly private no matter what your profile settings are. This means that Facebook can give/sell your personal photos to advertisers and I know people personally who have seen their picture show up on a random advertisement without their permission. This seems wrong, but unfortunately its something you agree to as a Facebook user when you check the box that states you’ve read the terms of use.
I do believe this action that upsets so many users may be under review by the FTC, and if it isn’t in my opinion it should. I realize you agree to it as a user of the social networking site but it just doesn’t seem right. If they do regulate this I think it will affect advertising on the site in a negative manner. But can you picture a world without Facebook? It seems like a distant unimaginable thought. Even though users don’t seem to engage in their advertisements, it has to be what keeps the sight running. Without advertisers investments it would surely fail, but will we ever see the day that takes place? Or will a more popular site spring up? These are often the questions I ponder when reading new information about internet social media.