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Social networks in the grip of the "Like" ad

10 July 2011 / 14:07:05  GRReporter
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The phenomenon of the "Like" button made it possible with one the touch all of my friends in the social network to see what I like - everything: food I love, a site that I read, an article that I like, a problem which troubles me, vacation spot I like, clothes I like or want to buy, widgets I use or want to own, etc. This is a simple world away from the super-technology, in which the consumer himself shares about his interests and desires. 

What is the possible future? Where will technology and emotion cross, the desire to act and communicate with your friends with the desire of companies to become more aware of their users and to be able to meet their tastes, desires and expectations? 

Until recently, Facebook was the undisputed leader in social networks - steady growth in users, with no one to threaten its sole championship. The only other company with such claims was Google, but rumors of their social network pretty much faded, and their previous attempts (Wave, Buzz) were not particularly brilliant or exciting to the majority of users. Last week a lot has been written about Google +, the new social network that is not currently open for public registration and except everything else it offers video conferencing. Facebook did not lag behind and, in turn, announced the release of the video chat service in cooperation with Skype. 

Social connection between people based on a quite simple button click labeled "like" recreated in the virtual world the old adage about the best advertising - that of the recommendation of a friend! Companies quickly sensed the potential benefits and Facebook quickly filled with company pages. Is it not logical after the video chat, to witness targeted video advertising as well? And why not three dimensional one? 

The three-dimensional technology is already around us. Jumped out of books and films we can watch it at home on our computer, mobile phone, tablet. Producers are competing to bring out the first product in different segments, which will provide 3D user experience. What does this mean for the advertising business? Will we have hologram figures that will convince us to buy the newest, revolutionary and useful for our health cereal? Will we change paper publications with next generation photo and video publications which will be "alive"? 

On the other hand, the advertising and information business has long clashed with the phenomenon of information overload from the attention of consumers. Consumers began to seek various ways to avoid the unwanted and annoying ads which literally bury them from anywhere! The TV remote control has served as censorship of ads, on each computer user seek refuge from annoying ads embedded in both software and as an integral part of the sites we visit. 

The most important factor in the escape from advertising among consumers is the forced and violent element in providing that same advertisement. It is a fact that the sites for sharing video, whose most emblematic representative is YouTube, advertising spots are viewed with pleasure and are perceived as interesting and entertaining. Why can’t we imagine an ad network based on recommendations of our friends. People are influenced by the opinion of their friends and are willing to try new or unfamiliar products, if they are recommended by someone whose opinion they value. In this line of thought, is not this the reason why Google, the giant in online advertising, created its own social network - a network where people can communicate, but also a network of the "Like"-ad! Some time ago, shortly after the advent of Facebook I read an article which said that this is the future of advertising. Things did not develop exactly as projected by the authors of the article, even in the coming years opinions surfaced that social networks have unclear business model. Technological developments, however, combined with the momentum gained by the social networks are maybe the second chance for a new type of online advertising, or even a whole new model of advertising. Check out the video below and imagine everything that a social network and the "Like"-ad can integrate: 

The possibilities are endless! Using new technologies, either two or three-dimensional, advertising is not able to connect consumer with the product, but to connect consumer with consumer, defining benefit for both of them, and thus a double benefit for the product advertised. I remember standing with my mouth open when I first heard the theory of interactive Internet and how each user will be both source and recipient of the content. It seemed incredible to me and this was only a few years ago. Today, blogs and comments on sites are something normal, not to mention the 'wall' that everyone has in his social network. Possibilities of streaming of one’s own content are huge! For many years, advertising that exists in this interactive environment has not changed, but the benefits would be very big! 

Let us imagine the following simple scenario – I am looking for a particular product, say, a smartphone, but I do not know anything about it and I ask my friends in any social network, to give me advice. Meanwhile, social networking has an option that can intercept and read my question and propose to me: 

• materials and articles on the topic 
• video commercials and reviews of various phones 
• offers for phones that can be sorted by price, popularity and number of “like-s” 

Tags: Internet Facebook Like button social network media Greece
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