Facehook

I’ve been hearing a lot of bad talk lately about Google.

Specifically, the big thing now seems to be “Screw Google – Get on Facebook”

I’m no fan of how Google does some of the things they do, and if you’ve been banned by Google then they are probably not an option for most anymore – and yes, Google is not the only player in town.

But I’m also not a fan of Facebook as a user (I got a personal page there about a month ago) and I get offended and cringe at most of their ads – This is mostly the advertiser’s fault – I can make myself over 100 years old in my profile and I get the exact same ads. Whether I say I am 18 or 110 I’ll get the same ads that say “Women only looking for guys 18 to 35 like you” or “Women only looking for guys 65 and older like you” for the same product (I have also changed other parts of my profile to see what would happen and I usually get almost the exact same ads). I’m not a big believer in targeting by age *at least* half of the time but haven’t yet figured out whether I think this way because that’s how I personally feel because it happens to not work with me and I am abnormal or if indeed making a presumption about someone because of their age is a retarded thing to do. I’ll let you know when I figure that one out.

But here’s why I think that the advice that is going around is BAD.

They are basically telling people who put all of their eggs in one basket with Google and got screwed to put all of their eggs in one basket with Facebook, because Facebook gets 5 times the traffic Google does and has 1/20th the advertisers (which is probably going to change making that point of no affect) and that nothing works like Facebook and it’s the place to advertise. Bah!

Of course there are going to be some who do well on Facebook but why do they and what about all of those who don’t?

I’m not saying don’t use Facebook. I’m actually considering it myself.

But social traffic is quite different from search engine traffic where you can target people that you are 99% sure are looking for something specific.

Also, when you consider the evolved, fabricated attitude adopted by most Facebook users as opposed to most other social sites, that I have seen anyway (“Why are you trying to friend me! I don’t know you! Gasp!” or “How do they know I like animals! I’m being cyberstalked!”) you have a defense that is probably not worth trying to break through. Personally I would also avoid anyone under 22 to 24 in Facebook (until a year or two after college age) in most cases cause 95% of them probably aren’t going to buy squat but might click your ads anyway – if not report them as either offensive, repetitive or whatnot.

You should try more than one place for traffic and not rely solely on one even if Google can be seem to be bastards and even if Facebook does get 5 times the traffic and their clicks are cheaper. And to say Facebook gets 5 times the traffic is really pointless because when you use Google you target by keywords and in Facebook you target demographically, either way you need to narrow down who it is that is most likely to want what you have and when you target demographically and are dealing with people that you don’t know to be looking for anything you are being presumptuous at best.

Facebook may get 5 times the traffic of Google (so I’ve heard) but it is totally different traffic.

It’s a completely different animal and unless you have a lot of money to spend testing it or someone who has had some success who can eliminate the learning curve you may not have much luck but a lot of regret.

Here are my answers to some points I got in an email from some marketer today:

1. Facebook has way more traffic. Over 39 BILLION
page views a month

* It’s also very different kind of traffic not to mention the traffic is also not looking for anything and also a congregation of some of the most lame minds in the world.

2. He has been TARGETING his ads so that only
people who really want his stuff see his ads… duh!

* Well, that’s easy when you use the demographic features and it’s not that they really *want* to see your ads. This is not as effective as targeting someone when you know exactly what they are looking for.

3. Facebook is simple to use and fast, you’ll be
getting killer traffic in just a few hours

* No comment from personal experience but even on Facebook you might ideally have to spend $50 to $100 a day and “just a few hours” isn’t any faster than using Adwords.

4. Facebook ads are 1/4 – HALF the cost of
Google Adwords

* What does this even mean? Google keywords don’t come in just one price and you pay mainly according to the position you want to get.

5. Facebook loves affiliates and they love their
advertiser and marketers…

* Of course they do for the same reason Google does. Don’t make the mistake thinking ANYONE loves you because they only love you as much as you can stuff their pockets and Google doesn’t hate affiliates.

I’m sure Facebook can work for some, on some, with certain offers (although I have a hunch that since I have only ever seen almost always the same half a dozen ads rotating within the 3 ad spots on the right side of my Facebook profile that any successful campaign will be short-lived since it will become repetitive to the users it does pop up for – eiter they have already bought or will never buy) and while I’m not a big Facebook fan I’m not trying to piss on it as a way to advertise and make some money.

What I don’t like is that some of those who were singing Google’s praises two months ago and trying to deny some of the lies about the “slap” are now changing their tune to push this new Facebook fad to replace all other places where you can advertise.

Don’t just use Google and don’t just use Facebook. Use both and use others, too.

If you do plan on using Facebook and have no clue then you are more likely to have success with crap like Farmville guides or whatever it is they play there.

Advertising properly on Google is like going to a bank and asking people in line if they are there to cash checks.

Advertising on Facebook is like going to the supermarket and trying to sell apples. You’ll soon realize most are not there to buy apples and you have to figure out who it is that wants them so that you don’t get accused of harassment – and it’s not as simple as narrowing it down to the produce section or even hanging around where the apples are. You also deal with people who have way lower attention spans, are more jumpy, have managers walking around and a security guard that is only 30 feet away.

More people go to banks to cash checks than they do to supermarkets to buy apples.

But whatever you do don’t forget the basics about how people’s minds work and the Affiliate Black Book is not Google specific but can be applied to anyplace where there are people.

- Sancho

PS. Facebook is also compared to Google’s Content Network and I do suggest you try out the Content Network.