In the September 2011 issue of Ad News, News Digital Media’s commercial director, Tony Prentice, is reported as saying:
“Facebook will last as a social network. My personal view is it won’t have advertising longevity”
He proposes an outline of Web 3.0, in which consumers will move back to the familiar and back to the brands they trust. According to Prentice Facebook will face “wear out”. He says that Web 3.0 is “about cutting through the noise and figuring out who you can trust. My personal view is Facebook is about adding to the noise, not taking it away.”
As part of the same article Leigh Terry, CEO of OMG, states that Facebook as of now is performing – “Facebook lives and dies by its relevance...If the ad is relevant on Facebook, it works.”
So, what are your thoughts on Facebook advertising? Do you agree with Tony Prentice and support the idea that Facebook for advertising has a limited shelf life? Or, like Leigh Terry, do you think that as long as advertising through Facebook is relevant to the user it will continue to be a strong means of SMM activity?
I think as long as it is relevant, it will have its place. It comes down to the same old thing of zapping. If something is not relevant, you will switch channels or get busy with something else, therefore not engaging. However, if an ad is relevant, you tend to zap less and perhaps even pay some attention. Same with FB in my view, as long as the ads show things I like, I will pay attention, perhaps even click through if I am on the hunt for something in that particular category.
ReplyDeleteRoss
I assume that Prentice is referring strictly to PPC advertising on Facebook. I agree with him, but would extend further... PPC advertising will die, as it is merely an extension of the old-fashioned "advertising as interruption".
ReplyDeleteInstead, brands will have to find ways to communicate with their customers in ways that add value. Facebook pages that provide the customer with a reason to visit, and benefit from that visit, will succeed.