Consumers expect you to use your manners in social settings

And social networking sites are no different.

There was a very good story in this morning’s New York Times about consumer reactions to advertising in Facebook. The social networking site allows advertisers to design ads in a self-service format, and then deliver those ads to people who match one or more specific criteria (single, married, in their twenties, etc.).

The article cites two issues that rubbed consumers the wrong way. First, the “creative strategy” behind many ads is very poor… to the point where many campaigns come off as a “scam.” Secondly, it is a bit unnerving for some people to realize they haven’t just shared their information with “friends,” they have shared that insight with companies who would like to sell them something. (Although the practice of behavioral and contextual targeting is becoming more commonplace.)

Implications: If an advertiser fails to understand the attributes and needs of the target audience, and the benefits which are sought by those consumers, any resulting ad campaign is likely to be seen as shallow and irrelevant. The same campaign, when modified by name-dropping a person’s favorite movie, song, or actor simply adds another later of gimmicky fluff… resulting in a campaign that is not only shallow but insulting. (It’s like saying, “Hey, we both enjoy movies that feature John Travolta… you should buy our stuff!”)

Social networking is a conversation among friends. And just like the friendships you made in high school, or in your neighborhood, or in your office… the most meaningful of these relationships take time to build, require trust to advance, and involve a sense of relevance to both parties. If you don’t play the game by the same rules as everyone else on her “friends” list, you will be seen as intruding on the conversation, and become very easy to ignore.

As long as its networking utility exceeds the accompanying annoyance of really bad advertising, Facebook users are likely to keep using the social networking site in droves. However, advertisers run the risk of diluting the value of exposure on that medium, if they continue to place materials that are either annoying, irrelevant, presumptuous… or all of the above.

[Author’s note: Speaking of Facebook, note that you can now receive Elm Street consumer trend updates via Facebook and Twitter. Just click on the icon of your choice in the right-hand navigation bar, and “Fan” or “Follow.” I promise to remain focused on business and consumer trends. Not your astrological sign or favorite song.]

Mike Anderson