Is Facebook the next Google?
slate.com
slate.com
The secret of Google's success? They let you market anything, no matter how uncool, to anyone who can figure out a PC. We can Google for anything and buy it without anyone knowing. Google for "dandruff," "hemorrhoids," or "erictile disfunction" [sic]. Boom, boom, and boom--$4 billion adds up fast. Do you think I'm going to let Facebook use me to hawk Preparation H to fellow writers? Not a chance.
I hadn't even thought of that. One reason Google is so powerful with its advertising is that it is private. A lot of Internet purchases fall under this banner besides those mentioned above; a big one that comes to mind is gifts. Someone looking to purchase a gift for a friend is not going to do it through Facebook for fear that they might learn about it before receiving it. They will also be unqualified to review the merit of the item since they are not the ones who own it.
Facebook's advertising plan might work. It certainly has to be an improvement over their current methods. Then again, it has the potential to drive away users who are tired of being constantly marketed to. (Is it just me, or does it seem like when I finally do decide to buy something, it's a lot harder to find than when I didn't want it?) I agree, however, that Google certainly has the upper hand here with a model that Facebook can never hope to match, because on Google, many users are actually looking to buy something.