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Based off the ads the author cites in the article the issue is the lack of data, not poor targeting by advertisers. For example the author wouldn't see the "Boy

Based off the ads the author cites in the article the issue is the lack of data, not poor targeting by advertisers. For example the author wouldn't see the "Boyfriend Wanted" ad if he listed himself as married in his Facebook profile (Facebook aggressively forbids dating ads targeted towards people who list themselves as married or in a relationship). All online advertising platforms rely on advertisers to target their ads. If this really is the issue, which I doubt, it applies to the entire advertising industry not just Facebook.

Smerity 14y ago
I can tell you my profile is full of information on me yet looking at the ads I see on Facebook right now: a) "Join the Army as a Truck Mechanic" (university graduate in IT...) b) "Study Marine Biology" c) "Cheap baby strollers" d) "Learn how to make money trading on the Forex market". These are just the most egregious examples -- most others are just for products and services I'm not particularly interested in. If it can't accurately target ads for me then I fear greatly for Facebook's business model... [If you want to see what information they have to target ads, feel free to check out http://www.facebook.com/smerity http://www.facebook.com/smerity -- next to all my details are public as I assume if it's on Facebook it's public]
microtherion 14y ago
I have always listed myself as married (even as public information), yet I see a dating ad on my sidebar. The two top ads were for high heel shoes. Either FB has me pegged as a two timing trannie, or their targeting is really poor.
- greedo 14y ago
  This doesn't have to be a case of poor targeting by FB; it could be broadcast targeting by the advertiser who isn't as selective as we would expect. And for brand awareness advertising, I could see that it might be worth it, depending upon the cost. I have no intention of using eHarmony (happily married here), but I'm aware of them due to both online and offline advertising. If a coworker asks me about online dating, I'm sure I'll remember eHarmony. That brand awareness has obvious value to advertisers, and if the cost is in line with their budget, it explains the "mis-targeted" ads.

Smerity 14y ago

I can tell you my profile is full of information on me yet looking at the ads I see on Facebook right now: a) "Join the Army as a Truck Mechanic" (university graduate in IT...) b) "Study Marine Biology" c) "Cheap baby strollers" d) "Learn how to make money trading on the Forex market". These are just the most egregious examples -- most others are just for products and services I'm not particularly interested in. If it can't accurately target ads for me then I fear greatly for Facebook's business model... [If you want to see what information they have to target ads, feel free to check out http://www.facebook.com/smerity http://www.facebook.com/smerity -- next to all my details are public as I assume if it's on Facebook it's public]

microtherion 14y ago

I have always listed myself as married (even as public information), yet I see a dating ad on my sidebar. The two top ads were for high heel shoes. Either FB has me pegged as a two timing trannie, or their targeting is really poor.

greedo 14y ago
This doesn't have to be a case of poor targeting by FB; it could be broadcast targeting by the advertiser who isn't as selective as we would expect. And for brand awareness advertising, I could see that it might be worth it, depending upon the cost. I have no intention of using eHarmony (happily married here), but I'm aware of them due to both online and offline advertising. If a coworker asks me about online dating, I'm sure I'll remember eHarmony. That brand awareness has obvious value to advertisers, and if the cost is in line with their budget, it explains the "mis-targeted" ads.