Week 13 Part A: Online Advertising - Analysis of the Marketplace

 Advertising in the Digital Age: A Love-Hate Relationship

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of ads on Facebook especially about gyms, fitness apps, and supplements. It’s obvious that Facebook knows what I’ve been searching for, and I have to admit, I kind of like that. Thanks to cookies and tracking, the platform shows me exactly what I'm interested in. When I’m scrolling, their ads actually catch my attention because they feel relevant. The images are sharp, the messages are clear, and the call to action is usually something like “Join now,” “Claim your free trial,” or “Get started today.” And honestly, I’ve clicked a few!

But that doesn’t happen to me on all platforms. Instagram feels more like a place to see friends and content I chose to follow, and the ads don’t really connect with me. I just scroll past them without paying attention. And YouTube? Don’t even get me started. For me, YouTube ads are the worst. They interrupt everything, and even when they’re skippable, they still feel aggressive and annoying. They don’t seem personal or targeted—in fact, most of the time they have nothing to do with me.

When I compare this to traditional advertising, like TV commercials or billboards, I feel like social media ads are generally more effective if they’re done right. Traditional ads are made for a general audience, but social media can (and should) speak to you directly. That’s what Facebook gets right in my case. It feels like they’re talking to me, not just anyone out there.

However, sometimes online ads go too far. It’s a little creepy when I just think about something and suddenly an ad appears on my feed. I understand the tech behind it, but it still feels intrusive. There’s a fine line between helpful and “hey, are you spying on me?” That’s why I think platforms need to find a balance between personalization and privacy.

Also, some online ads still look like traditional ones they don’t feel personal or targeted. I usually see these on YouTube or random websites, and they seem disconnected from what I’m actually doing. When that happens, I ignore them completely.

In the end, I think digital advertising has the power to be more effective than traditional methods zbut only when it’s thoughtful, relevant, and respectful of my space online.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bamboo Days Week 1A

Sometimes, life can feel like a never-ending race with so many things to do, places to go, and people to be with. With everything going on, it’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed. That’s why I decided to start this blog: to share thoughts, tips, and some reflections that help me make life a little more organized and manageable. Some ideas will come from my own experiences, and others from what I’ve learned from experts. I hope they help you as much as they’ve helped me! While I was thinking about what to write, one thing that came to mind was bamboo. I think it’s a perfect metaphor for life. Bamboo is flexible, it moves with the wind, but it never breaks. It made me think about how, sometimes, we need to be flexible in life, adapt to situations without losing who we are. Bamboo also grows really fast, which reminds me that, when we focus on our goals, we can move forward way quicker than we expect. What’s interesting about bamboo is that, even though it bends with the wind, it rema...
Read more

Week 3 Post A

  Websites with Design Issues  Craigslist (San Diego) The website looks outdated and unorganized.It’s hard to find specific items because there are no clear categories.There are no images or modern design elements, making it less appealing. The Craigslist website clearly has issues with contrast. The colors are simple and boring, and there is no variation in images or sizes. Visually, it feels overwhelming because everything looks the same. The website uses a lot of tiny text that is difficult to read, as the typography is small and too close together. Additionally, it is hard to understand what is important at first glance. There is no clear visual hierarchy, making it unsure where to start. This lack of structure makes the website tricky to navigate and frustrating to use. Overall, Craigslist does not provide a user-friendly experience and could benefit from a more modern and organized design. Craigslist prioritizes functionality over aesthetics, offering a straightforward p...
Read more

Week 12 Part A: Using Business Specific Online Tools

  This week, I explored several online tools to see which ones would help support and grow Iomi Bake , my small baking brand originally created in Colombia. Even though I’m not currently operating the business due to visa limitations, I want to keep building its digital presence and staying connected to customers and the baking community.  Online Collaboration Tools – Slack & Trello Iomi Bake may be a one-woman brand, but collaboration tools like Slack and Trello could help me in the future when I work with freelance designers, photographers, or even delivery partners. I like how Slack allows for easy messaging and sharing of files, and how Trello helps visually organize content planning or order timelines. I would definitely use both tools when I grow the team or manage larger orders.  LinkedIn Groups At first, I thought LinkedIn was just for corporate jobs, but I’ve discovered groups focused on women entrepreneurs , small business owners , and even food busin...
Read more