TMI!!!! (Too Much Information)

Facebook is advertising in a new way which I am sure you have heard because it has been in the news and my peers and I have talked about it in class. Facebook has been advertising to your friends the purchases you have made on other websites like overstock.com and fandango.com. Members have been wanting an easy opt out button for this feature, but facebook doesn’t allow members to do that. Facebook members have been outraged at this feature because it is a complete invasion of privacy. Over 50,000 members have signed a petition for them to stop this advertising feature that facebook has implemented to turn their popularity into profit.

What facebook is doing is using internet tracking to see what you are buying and interested in to than send you adds based on your searches and purchases. Pretty sleazy if you ask me, but also brilliant from a marketing perspective. Problem is, people don’t like this big brother aspect of facebook and don’t want everyone to know what they are searching online, which makes sense.

But get this, I was reading an article about how people were complaining and Mr. Zuckerberg, creator of facebook, said, “Facebook executives say the people who are complaining are a marginal minority. With time, Facebook says, users will accept Beacon, which Facebook views as an extension of the type of book and movie recommendations that members routinely volunteer on their profile pages.” Can I just say he’s a butthead (since I don’t want to use a harsher word.) People shouldn’t have to get used to something they don’t want to. I know many people were upset when the mini feed came out but at least we can change the privacy levels on that. In this article, Facebook, since it has been pressured by protesters, has decided to put up a notification every time you have something that could be shared on facebook, asking whether or not you would like to share it. This should make people happy for a while, but you know there are going to be tons of people, probably even those who protested Beacon, who allow some of their interests and purchase on facebook. People like to share too much information.

Conversation Targeting Advertisements

Advertising niche markets online just got easier thanks to Buzz Logic’s new on-demand software application, Ad Targeting.

“Now available within BuzzLogic’s on-demand software application, Ad Targeting enables advertisers to isolate influential blog and social media conversations occurring around products, brands and issues, then immediately target ad campaigns into the online conversations shaping consumer perception and buying behavior.”

This new software allows users to create conversation queries, similar to key words, to find out who are the influential leaders who are driving online conversations on various topics and communities that pertain to certain topics. Once they have this research they create text or display ads that pertain to topics that those communities identify with. This system uses online influence to double advertiser’s performance. Let’s see how well it work . . .

Where do you find your Influence?

Ch 4 Measures of Influence in The New Influencers helps its readers understand the importance the internet has for small marketers influence on their audience. There is a mindset in the marketing world that big markets are better even if they reach fewer people effectively. By effectively I mean that the content is related to the customer and fits into exactly what they are looking for. Small markets are more efficient because they are focused on niche marketing and while they might reach fewer customers they are more likely to effectively hit their target audience causing more influence than larger markets.
Social media takes small markets to a new level. It allows them to compete with the big markets in a fashion that was not possible 20 years ago. It is possible for small markets to have a website that if not only more effective than a larger one, but also is more personable. Most of these small markets have few staffers but generate immense traffic and therefore, lots of influence.
Paul Gillin states that linking is the blogosphere’s version of feedback. Being able to track how often blogs are linked to helps show the influence a blog creates. I know I personally link to other blogs and articles, not to show that I know how to link or that linking it fun, I do it out of respect for other peoples work. This is what Gillian says bloggers do; they direct traffic elsewhere as a expression of respect for other bloggers. They show where they are getting their influence from.
One thing that Gillin pointed out that I thought of a few weeks ago is the negative influence that blogs and other sources of conversational social media generate. For example, if I blog that I absolutely hate Product A, I might get many responses from people who also hate product A. Depending on the amount of people that link to my blog that stomps all over product A, it could make out the product to be worse than it is. It other words, because of the influence social media has on the public, one blog could ruin a brand.

Podcasts for Buddha

Chapter 8 of the The New Influencers titled Talker made me realize that I am never alone in my interest for weird things. Talkers is about the phenomenon of podcasting which has been around since 2004ish. The other day in my Internet and Social Media for Public Relations class we edited a potcast on Garageband. This made me realize how easy this is to do. If I wanted to tell people something I could do it via podcast. *not like people would actually listen* But there is a chance.

Take for example the story about the BunnyBlab podcast (in the New Influencers). Dana McCurley has a podcast devoted to Bunny Care 101. She has four furry, hopping friend of her own and shares about various bunny care aspects via 20 minute podcasts. Although Dana only has about 40 listeners her blog archive will be helpful to those who buy bunnies in the future.

Now who would have thought about a podcast devoted to bunnies? Not I! That’s what great about podcasts, they, like blogs, can be devoted to anything. It is not like radio where you have to reach a general audience. Podcasts are for the niche audience. I could start a podcast devoted to people who collect mini Buddha statues, and although there might not be many people out there who do, I am sure I can snag a listener or five! It is good to know that you are not alone in your interests. :)