So I thought I'd test drive this new, new paradigm in advertising, called Facebook Ads. What's to lose? $20 a day at $.05/click. Interface is easy enough, told me after choosing some keywords/behaviors/interests to target that I could potentially reach 8,700 profiles (no indication of active or not). Although, thinking about it, the process is overly simplistic without any of the tweaks Goo, Hoo and Soft have worked out over the years.
Doesn't give me any confidence that this was really thought through.
Okay, won't take American Express. Explain please! Thousands of $$ are on a corporate amexes every month with search engines. You don't take that card for payment? Moving on, it couldn't verify my address with the card entered.
Unable to verify credit card address. Please check that your address is entered correctly. If so, you may want to try a different card or contact your card issuer to insure that your current address is up to date.
I have this card all over the place with the same address. Your advice to me is that I work it out on my end? Can I call someone or live chat - because you really want my business! Nope, just policies and threats about canceling my Facebook life . . . Oh My, don't do that, where would I turn? And, I suppose "insure" and "ensure" are synonymous, but I'm not convinced that insurance is what my bank will provide in this case.
Not the experience I was expecting, but beyond that IT'S GOT TO WORK!!!
Again, Scott Karp provides great insight on Facebook's Vulnerabilities and points out that sort of open isn't really open and that advertising is only as good as the relevance to the user no matter the context. Otherwise it continues to be be interruptory and not voluntary.
More from Nick Carr and Umair.
Best quote so far
"The social graph, it turns out, is a platform for social graft." Robert Handrow November 7, 2007 07:33 AM