New Platforms Give Google Kids the Option to Leave the Nest
There’s been a lot of chatter recently about the new release of self service ad platforms embedded inside the social networks, Myspace and Facebook. Several months ago Facebook launched its Flyers interface, which offered advertisers the opportunity to embed their ads within members’ pages on a cost per click basis. Facebook recently upgraded this system to Flyers Pro, which included more advanced reporting features, and Myspace announced plans for a similar ad platform last month. So what is it about these offerings that’s got people excited enough to proclaim the end of Google’s reign of terror over the world of CPC advertising? Volume and demographic information.
Between the two networks, there are an approximate 152 million users, many of whom visit their profiles more than once per day. Of the 152 million potential customers, many are teenagers with disposable income… disposable income and an insatiable desire to be told what to spend it on. Obviously the volume of users on these networks represent an advertiser’s dream, but the kicker is that these potential customers volunteer loads of personal information. Each online profile offers up a wealth of demographic information, allowing advertisers to target their ads not only to someone who has searched for their product, but someone who has expressed an interest in the product and is in the demographic that most frequently purchases that product. In other words, my pizza place can stop targeting someone who searches for pizza delivery, and start targeting someone who is a 20 year old college student and President of the “I love stuffed crust” fan club.
It has been noted that one key difference between Google users and those who are logging in to social networking sites is intent. In theory, Google users are actively searching out a product for the purpose of buying. This intent is missing from the motives of social network users. However, the fundamental principle is the same. You are providing advertisers the opportunity to serve targeted ads directly to their desired demographic. In the case of social networking sites, that demographic can be extremely well defined. In short, I think we can get over the problem of user intent. If I see the right ad, there’s a good chance it can actually put me in the mood to buy something.
Long story short, this isn’t the end of Google. Google’s going to be around for a while. Case in point– Google’s new Open Social system. This new platform gives developers standardized tools to build applications and embed them into multiple sites. Those of us who make a living off of the symbiotic relationship we have formed with Google (think tiny birds cleaning an alligator’s teeth) can breathe a sigh of relief. However, for some businesses, these ad platforms embedded in Facebook and Myspace might provide the perfect compliment to a search campaign. They offer advertisers the ability to target a particular demographic more accurately than ever before, and it just so happens that there are 152 million users, giving advertisers a wealth of opportunities to acquire new customers. However if advertisers see that there is no intent to buy on these sites, the Google safety net will always be there to welcome back its prodigal sons and daughters.
