6 ms·

Yeah, great lesson that unless you are a billionaire who is ready to spend millions on superbowl ads, you have no business starting a new brand.

rightbyte 4y ago
How about, unless you can pay someone to spy on prospective customers, you have no business starting a new brand?
ericmay 4y ago
I’m not sure where that tangent came from but that certainly wouldn’t be the lesson learned. The lesson learned is that these small “brands” that can only exist due to adware (fake demand) will eventually be culled by increases in prices or de-amplification of their products. If your “brand” is one of these then you should be learning that you need to actually make a good product at a good price that doesn’t rely on advertising to succeed in your marketplace. Otherwise you are always at risk of being squeezed and potentially shut down. Many (certainly not all) of these companies are parasites in that the rely on Meta to utilize algorithms to get you addicted and alter your purchasing habits. They don’t actually offer a good product at a good price, they offer copies of other products with different labels, or in some cases outright, disposable junk.
- wtetzner 4y ago
  > you need to actually make a good product at a good price that doesn’t rely on advertising to succeed in your marketplace. How do you create a product that doesn’t need advertising? People need to find out about it somehow.
  - ericmay 4y ago
    Get creative I guess
    - mensetmanusman 4y ago
      Too risky unless you are rich.
    - hyuuu 4y ago
      not sure if you are being serious or sarcastic, but ads are pretty much essential, especially in this extremely competitive attention span of a market
      - ericmay 4y ago
        I'm being serious. The competitive nature that you mention proves the point. Don't compete. Are you a local coffee shop or clothing designer? Why would you be advertising on Facebook when you should be partnering with a local news site or city/town interest site, or going to meetups, or sponsoring local events? Relying on Facebook ads builds artificial demand, subjects you to extreme competition, and ultimately either you have to spend too much to maintain or you eventually lose customers because the only reason they were interested in your product was the ads in the first place. Live by the ad, die by the ad.
        wtetzner 4y ago
        > you should be partnering with a local news site or city/town interest site, or going to meetups, or sponsoring local events? All of that is advertising. I was replying to this: > If your “brand” is one of these then you should be learning that you need to actually make a good product at a good price that doesn’t rely on advertising to succeed in your marketplace. Maybe I misinterpreted the meaning.
        ericmay 4y ago
        Yea I was talking about advertising via Facebook and social media but obviosuly see how that could be misread. cheers
juve1996 4y ago
Millions of small businesses started just fine before Facebook existed.
anaganisk 4y ago
Niche and local Business didn't exists before facebook?
- disgruntledphd2 4y ago
  They did, but the explosion of very specific businesses is almost entirely down to Google and Facebook changing the cost structure for these businesses by providing global advertising reach for companies that are small but have products that can be purchased anywhere.

rightbyte 4y ago

How about, unless you can pay someone to spy on prospective customers, you have no business starting a new brand?

ericmay 4y ago

I’m not sure where that tangent came from but that certainly wouldn’t be the lesson learned. The lesson learned is that these small “brands” that can only exist due to adware (fake demand) will eventually be culled by increases in prices or de-amplification of their products. If your “brand” is one of these then you should be learning that you need to actually make a good product at a good price that doesn’t rely on advertising to succeed in your marketplace. Otherwise you are always at risk of being squeezed and potentially shut down. Many (certainly not all) of these companies are parasites in that the rely on Meta to utilize algorithms to get you addicted and alter your purchasing habits. They don’t actually offer a good product at a good price, they offer copies of other products with different labels, or in some cases outright, disposable junk.

wtetzner 4y ago
> you need to actually make a good product at a good price that doesn’t rely on advertising to succeed in your marketplace. How do you create a product that doesn’t need advertising? People need to find out about it somehow.
- ericmay 4y ago
  Get creative I guess
  - mensetmanusman 4y ago
    Too risky unless you are rich.
  - hyuuu 4y ago
    not sure if you are being serious or sarcastic, but ads are pretty much essential, especially in this extremely competitive attention span of a market
    - ericmay 4y ago
      I'm being serious. The competitive nature that you mention proves the point. Don't compete. Are you a local coffee shop or clothing designer? Why would you be advertising on Facebook when you should be partnering with a local news site or city/town interest site, or going to meetups, or sponsoring local events? Relying on Facebook ads builds artificial demand, subjects you to extreme competition, and ultimately either you have to spend too much to maintain or you eventually lose customers because the only reason they were interested in your product was the ads in the first place. Live by the ad, die by the ad.
      - wtetzner 4y ago
        > you should be partnering with a local news site or city/town interest site, or going to meetups, or sponsoring local events? All of that is advertising. I was replying to this: > If your “brand” is one of these then you should be learning that you need to actually make a good product at a good price that doesn’t rely on advertising to succeed in your marketplace. Maybe I misinterpreted the meaning.
        ericmay 4y ago
        Yea I was talking about advertising via Facebook and social media but obviosuly see how that could be misread. cheers

juve1996 4y ago

Millions of small businesses started just fine before Facebook existed.

anaganisk 4y ago

Niche and local Business didn't exists before facebook?

disgruntledphd2 4y ago
They did, but the explosion of very specific businesses is almost entirely down to Google and Facebook changing the cost structure for these businesses by providing global advertising reach for companies that are small but have products that can be purchased anywhere.