March 23, 2009

Social Networking and Advertising

By: Christina Smith

Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin, Classmates.com, Orkut, Friendster. Im sure youve heard of at least one of these sites. You may even belong to at least one or two of them, if not all of the sites mentioned above. According to the recent Nielson study, Global Faces and Networked Places, two-thirds of the worlds population visits a social network or blogging site. These sites have surpassed email as one of the most popular online activities. They are changing the way people behave, communicate and interact with others. Below is an e-card from someecards.com, one of my favorite free e-card sites. It is a perfect example of how social networking sites have permeated our culture.  



Not only are social networking sites like Facebook used to contact long lost friends, classmates, and former coworkers, its also used as a stalking mechanism where people can stay updated on their friends social lives, relationships, and events. The trick is to separate what you've read online from what you've learned through a chat over coffee.  Like Christine Reus said, "I meet new people, and that's the worst, because I've seen them on Facebook. I know all about their life and who they're dating, but I have to pretend I know nothing about them."

To some, like I've mentioned, social networking sites are a way to reconnect and stay in touch with people who do not live in close proximity to you. To others, such as online advertisers, the fact that millions of people spend hours online will see this as an opportunity to attract better ad revenue. The problem is, most social networking users despise ads. They feel as if ads intrude upon their personal space. Facebook appeals to all age groups because of its clean, simple design. Advertisers need to regroup and research the best ways to use ads to their advantage. Advertisers should consider working with sites such as Facebook more closely to gain a better understanding of the site and to learn which age group to best target. In addition, since most networking sites stress friendship, ads should be more focused on adding value to a users life. As the Nielson study pointed out, social networks lend themselves greatly to generating brand affinity for advertisers through fan sites, which in essence acts as advertising.