Consumers Ok with Social Ads, But Rarely Find Them Targeted
Consumers are fine with ads on social networks, but do not find them targeted to their needs and desires, according to a new Prospectiv survey.
87 percent surveyed felt that ads didn’t match their preferences.
Of those:
— 58% felt that most ads do not match
— 29% felt that no ads match
Still, 85% of participants said they would prefer ad-supported networks to paying for premium sites. And these are the types of ads they respond to:
— One-off coupons and discount offers from the brands and products they
buy (62 percent)
— E-newsletters featuring coupons, discounts, news and tips about
favorite brands (24 percent)
— Invitations to join interactive email groups, online forums and social
networks for sharing and communicating (14 percent)
Prospectiv surveyed 800 people who use sites like Facebook, MySpace, Hi5 and Friendster.
“These poll results clarify that members of social networking sites are open to offers and promotions as long as they are targeted to their interests,” said Jere Doyle, Prospectiv’s CEO. “The next step for the web publishing industry seeking to monetize their online communities is to improve ad relevance, and the best way to do this is to work with online lead generation providers and ad networks that have the brand relationships, technologies and services to ensure that the ads presented are tailored to their audience’s needs and wants.”
What do you think about the data? What kind of ads should be used on social networks? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Related Reading:
How to (Actually) Earn Money (Now) with Social Media (Really): Part 1
How to (Actually) Earn Money (Now) with Social Media (Really): Part 2
Social Media Meets Local Search
Social Media Marketing for Small Business