Can we have a dislike button instead so I can dislike this idea?
Okay, Facebook, let’s get real. You have been consistently evolving since your debut year and I completely respect that. It is an important way of business to keep your website relevant.
However, as a marketing student myself, I just can’t quite understand who came up with the terrible, and I mean TERRIBLE, video ads you recently installed.
As a society, I think we have all gotten used to sitting through ads on all other social media sites, so waiting for you to jump on the band wagon was just inevitable. But when you did, you unfortunately did it all wrong. Here is why:
By placing your ads in the middle of the videos, you first off disengage the viewer. It is one thing to place an advertisement in the beginning when the viewer is anticipating the video they are about to watch.
It is another to place it in the middle when the viewer is already engaged and interested in that video and is interrupted by something completely unrelated. It withdraws us, frustrates us, and quite honestly makes us just click out and move on.
With all that being said, I am lead to number two: you are ruining the engagement and business of your loyal users. These companies are utilizing YOUR domain. They are posting frequently and pointing business to YOU by inviting potential followers to Facebook to stay involved with them. AKA: you are getting business out of it too. Isn’t that what you created this site for? Apparently not, because you are destroying your clients’ reputation and engagement.
On to the next domino to be knocked down: due to us clicking away, out of the video, we now are frustrated, have lowered the engagement of the video we were wanting to watch, and unfortunately for you, have not gotten the advertisement effectively across because we are no longer watching that video. Here is a hint: the warning that the ad will start in 5 seconds is my cue to click out.
Whether your results from these ads are increasing or decreasing, one thing I know for sure, is valuing your users. And Facebook, we just aren’t happy.
This has been your daily dose of Vitamin C!