Media Exposed #9: How They Know Me So Well...

Facebook advertisers really
know how to target me!

Most of us have a Facebook, where we go to connect with friends, post pictures, update what we're doing, and so on.  But, Facebook is also a place where advertisers try to sell users certain products tailored to their personal profiles.  Yes, this sounds a little strange, but it's very true!  With all the personal info we submit onto Facebook, such as certain shows and books we like, places we've shopped at, hobbies we partake in, and so on, we think only ourselves &/or friends and family can see it.  In reality, Facebook takes this online info that we "submit" and categorizes us into certain demographics based on age, what we like, and more.  Then, the company that owns Facebook sells this personal information and demographics that they've collected to advertisers, who then post their ads onto our pages and on the sidebar of our news feed page to try to sell us a certain product, get us to watch certain shows, etc.  Anybody else noticed that?  This advertising technique is known as "narrow casting", where advertisers tailor the ads they put up on social networking websites to the individual using the website.  This way, they can sell more products because it targets its exact audience who personally said they liked the product through information they've submitted in polls, surveys, status updates, or simply clicking the "like" button on pages.

By "narrow casting" people, advertisers use the technique of "repetition", as those same ads continuously pop up on the side of the page we're looking at or using.  This especially goes for Facebook; when you go from your news feed page to your profile, the same ads appear, and even when you leave and come back later or the next day, the same ads or new ads tailored to your personal preferences appear and continuously come up while you're using the social network.  This is how advertisers make sure you're constantly exposed to the product, so that eventually you might want to check out the link from the ad they posted on the side of your page and go buy that product or watch that show, etc.  Also, looking at the "narrow-casted" ads that are personally put on the page to fit the individual--specifically talking about facebook, there are numbers that show you how many people have "liked" that page or link that ad takes you to.  This is how advertisers can appeal to "the need to satisfy curiosity", as the ads on Facebook are very brief and vague, and by seeing how many people have checked out the link and liked it makes us want to check it out, too.

Have you been sucked into the Facebook "narrow-casting" advertisements?  I have before. Looking at the ads that appeared the last time on my Facebook page, advertisers tried targeting how I like Carrie Underwood's music, I love and go to Disneyland, and how I love the show GLEE.  They really know how to target their audience well!  How well do advertisers know you on Facebook?