Forrester and Nate Elliott just released a short but insightful paper on Why FaceBook is Failing Marketers. He and the other authors include survey feedback from the value marketing professionals receive from Facebook. It’s worth it to read the whole article if you have access to Forrester.
What I like best is his analysis of the promise of Facebook marketing vs the actual result.
Facebook no longer supports social marketing. Yes, you heard us right. Sure, the company still teases marketers with the promise that it will better connect them to their customers. (see endnote 9) But in reality, it rarely creates such connections. Everyone who clicks the like button on a brand’s Facebook page volunteers to receive that brand’s messages — but on average, Facebook only shows each brand’s posts to 16% of its fans. (see endnote 10) And while Facebook upgrades its paid advertising tools and offerings monthly or more, it’s done little in the past 18 months to improve its unloved branded page format or the tools that marketers use to manage and measure those pages. (see endnote 11)
Personally, I agree with Nate and his fellow authors. When I use Facebook I view ads that have no relevance to me and yet Facebook knows my religion, what I like, where I live, the fact that I have a family, am married, and even the location of pictures I post. I should be a marketers dream based on what you can piece together about me. Instead I get this:
What facebook decided I should see
Just so you know, I have never posted a recipe or indicated I have a new business or like Asian food. I do like Asian food but anyone from Perficient reading this should not assume I’m looking to leave my current position for my new business. You can assume that someone just paid for an ad impression to nowhere……..
