LeviF wrote:
I'm not sure why, but I often wonder if paid internet advertising with Facebook, Adwords, etc actually reduces credibility of a business like ours...
Good point......For
me the
honest answer is no with Google. I am a trading software-a-holic and often times while "shopping" on Google have found the Adwords results MORE relevant than the organic search results. I've never thought less of a vendor because I found them with an Adwords click verses an organic results click (in fact there is a subtle feeling that if they have the money to advertise they must be more stable)...Google does a good job of keeping results honest because the more relevant your ad and subsequent landing page, the less you pay for the ad. They give each of your ads a "quality score" based on this. If you are trying to sell something unrelated, or un-relevant to the keywords you have chosen to advertise with you will be penalized with a much higher cost per click. This encourages advertisers to try and only very narrowly seek those specifically interested in what they have to offer, THAT'S SMART! I don't know about you, but if someone has worked THAT hard to make sure I am interested in what they offer BEFORE they show me their ad, I WANT TO SEE IT!
Facebook ads on the other hand feel cheesy, cheap AND MOST TROUBLING,
IRRELEVANT to me. If Facebook knows so much about me then why don't I give a shit about the things they are advertising to me!?
Here is my current screen shot of Facebook ads:
I literally do not have the slightest interest in ANY of those! This is the brilliant business intelligence 100 billion dollars can buy me?
Yes LeviF, things on Facebook DO have a lower credibility to me.
Want more????
Here is a discussion forum I tried to set up at one point (3 years ago), I paid for ads on Facebook and quickly got over 100 people to sign up, but then dropped the idea within a week! Why??? Look at the wasted pixels that were used as posts!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9 ... 495&v=wall
Maybe Facebook eventually morphs into something it currently isn't, and those with the foresight to see "what they will become" can enjoy the ride. But I stand by my opinion that I just don't "get it" (yet)....
Yes, I know they have 947 quadrillion-billion users, and certainly that has value......I just wonder if the value is a lot lower than many are assuming.