By: Scott Stein, VP of Client Services, Leonard & Finco Public Relations
When I open up my Facebook page it’s no surprise that the
ads in the right hand column focus on cycling, photography or music, since many
of my “likes” on Facebook fall into those categories.
But when I’ve opened Facebook lately, I’ve also noticed ads
for Spokane, Washington. How does Facebook know that we’re heading to that part
of the country this summer for a family wedding?
Of course, Facebook knows because my wife and I have been
online looking up things about the Spokane area and Facebook knows what I do
online. It’s part of their “targeted advertising strategy” as the social
network looks for ways to increase advertising dollars.
But instead of just relying on what people “like” on their
own pages, Facebook is now also partnering with several companies to collect
valuable behavioral data. Working with companies like Acxiom, Bluekai, Datalogix
and Epsilon, Facebook is getting information that ranges from spending habits and
transaction information from retailers to website tracking and info from
financial services companies, court records and federal government documents.
In a recent New York Times piece, Facebook’s product
director for ads, Gokul Rajaram, said Facebook’s goal is to “improve the
relevance of ads people see on Facebook and the efficacy of marketing
campaigns.” He adds that “it’s ultimately good for the users. They get to see
better, more relevant ads from brands and businesses they care about and that
they have a prior relationship with.”
For businesses, and as a consumer myself, that seems to make
sense. I do pay more attention to those ads that focus on products I may be
interested in. But I’m a bit concerned that everything I do seems to be tracked.
And, yes, I made the move to be part of Facebook to be social and to share
information with “friends.” I just wonder who else is paying attention to my
browsing and buying habits.
What do you think? Should I be concerned? Am I just
paranoid?
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