In today’s Signal, Facebook investors need convincing; display ads are out, and word-of-mouth is in, according to Marketing Land; welcome to the very complicated world of monetizing mobile; why Google wants Meebo; Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker create a video chat service; what the growth of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) can teach the ad industry; and a whole lot more.
To the links …
Facebook comments, ads don’t sway most users: poll (Reuters) The findings in a recent Reuters/Ipsos online poll give credence to investors’ worries about Facebook’s money-making abilities. Four out of five FB users have never bought a product or service as a result of advertising or comments on the social network site, so investors need convincing that the company has figured out how to translate popularity into a profitable business.
The “Paid Organification” Of Facebook: Why Facebook’s Plan Isn’t About Display Ads (MarketingLand) Greg Finn believes that the future of Facebook marketing isn’t about display ads, but rather brand participation and interaction. He asserts that having a Facebook page is essential because it makes available options that don’t exist for external site targeting: “The ‘I don’t click on ads’ argument should soon cease while advertisers will find increased reach and visibility with a natural or word-of-mouth format.”
Monetizing Mobile Requires More Than Just Waiting For Ad Dollars (TechCrunch) Over 100M people in the U.S. have smartphones, and consumers are spending over 60 minutes a day consuming media. Yet, there is a huge discrepancy in the amount of time people spend on their phones and the number of advertising dollars allocated to mobile. It’s complicated — very complicated — for now.
Google Is Buying Meebo, The Online-Chat Startup That Reinvented Itself As An Ad Play
(BusinessInsider) Is Google buying Meebo to bolster its online advertising business or, because it’s impressed with Meebo’s social-discovery tools, to bolster Google+ … or both?
In Video Chat Reboot, Nudists Need Not Apply (Business Week) Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker have created a video chat service that takes what was compelling about Chatroulette (the once fascinating online hook-up video service ) but makes it safe, fun, and potentially profitable. And, yes, they say they’ve solved the problem of male exhibitionism by linking a person’s chat identity with the identity already cultivated on Facebook.
High Stakes in Internet Tracking (TR) Will “Do Not Track” kill off innovation along with targeted advertising? It’s not either/or; it’s both. We have to change the model to one controlled by the consumer.
How the US Online Advertising Market Can Grow by 1,000% in the Next 10 Years (PandoDaily) There’s a lot the online advertising industry can learn by studying the underlying principles behind the 1,000% growth Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) experienced in the last decade. Then again, we did have that crash in 2008…
What To Do When Attacked by Pirates (WSJ) Rob Reid, who founded Listen.com, the company that created the Rhapsody music service, discusses the “swashbuckling arena” of digital piracy and how the publishing world is acquitting itself far better than the brash music industry.
32 Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow (NYT) Contraptions and modifications such as electric clothes, subway straps as games, and anti-hangover booze are included in an entire issue devoted to the future from the editors of the Times.
Facebook Isn’t the Only One Worried About Mobile (Digiday) Serving ads on mobile devices hasn’t been easy, and it’s been a struggle to find other methods to make money from this channel. But the problem will be solved, no doubt. Email is too important to users and the information gleaned from users is too important to tech giants.
###
If it suits your information consumption goals, sign up for Signal’s email newsletter or RSS feed on the Signal home page (upper right box).
