Do you “like” many websites you visit? Are some of those sites really big ones, sites that sell stuff or give you news and the like? Maybe sites that belong to big companies that have promotions offering free or reduced stuff? And of course you have a Facebook account, you have friends following you and of course you know that “like” means you share that with the people who follow you and many people who follow them?
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If so, get ready to be in some advertisements. It seems that Facebook last week quietly launched a new program where, if you “like” something and it happens to be one of Facebook’s advertisers, your image just might show up in an advertisement for that company or product, whether you asked for it or not. Actually, no one gets to ask for it so you could suddenly be a star without realizing it, helping the company make money.
And you want more? It doesn’t have to be a website for that to happen. Say you happen to like Glee and you’ve indicated that on Facebook. That automatically puts you into the Glee group, whether you participate or not. Well, if there’s an advertiser that only advertises towards that group (yes, they can do that), then your image could find its way into the stream of other people who like Glee, or any of the people who follow those folks.
You might never know until one day one of your friends contacts you and asks you how much money you made for the ad and you’ll be asking them “what ad?” That’s because, at least from what I’ve heard, an ad you’re in isn’t supposed to show up in your stream. Now wouldn’t that be a hoot. Actually, it’s happened before, about a year ago when Facebook first started testing this. A woman showed up in a dating ad, only she didn’t know about it. But her boyfriend saw it and asked her about it, and she was stunned. It turned out he had a good sense of humor, but I wondered at the time how many other people had the same type of thing happen to them.
I mention this with the expectation that you didn’t know this was coming, although if you keep up with Facebook news like I do then you’d have known it was coming. At least advertisers knew it was coming, and I had an inkling it was coming based on what they’d said last year when they were testing it. It’s one reason why I’ve never “liked” any page.
Having said that, there are some things you can “like” without having to worry about it. For instance, most blogs aren’t advertising on Facebook, so that would be okay. Certain news sources, such as CNN, might not advertise, although I’m betting they have a page on Facebook so it’s possible they target people through there. But if you like Prada shoes, Gucci bags, iPads and the like and “like” someone’s site… well, you could be the next Old Spice man; wouldn’t that be a hoot?
Someone had to tell you, right?
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Mitch Mitchell
Oh!! That was such a funny commercial! I think that I am going onto FB right now to ” LIKE” that. Seriously, that makes me want to buy my man Old SPice!
That’s what they were hoping for, Jasmine; glad you enjoyed it.
Mitch, it seems that Facebook is hell-bent on making me hate it – again.
I know we have no privacy – but this is exploitation.
Unless we were to get a little sump’n sump’n. LOL
Thanks for the heads-up.
Cheers,
Mitch
That’s what I’m here for, Mitch. It’s one reason why some time ago I went in and removed a few images that I’d put up. Not all, but those that I really didn’t want getting out, since I wasn’t the only person in them. It’s definitely exploitation, but it was what we signed up for indirectly.
Yipes! Don’t think I like this at all. My FB junk is very conservative, but I don’t like the idea of companies using my name and face to advertise their stuff. I’ll hav eto be really careful about what companies I “like” from now on.
Thanks for the heads up.
You definitely do, Allan. However, you’re allowed to “like” this blog; I don’t advertise there. lol
I’ve seen a couple of ads (I think they’re ads) with a friends profile picture and underneath it says they “like” something and wants to know if I like it, too. I usually don’t (LOL). I have to admit, it’s a clever tactic. Nothing like a little peer pressure 😉
It is pretty clever, Jessica, but I choose not to be a part of it because it’s also sneaky.
Honestly, I was not aware of this new options from Facebook, I am running Facebook pages for almost all my blogs and few for customers websites. I think this definitely may bring some awareness.
Folks just have to be careful what they’re doing, Carl, or else they just end up in an unpaid ad for something.
I actually don’t go around liking things at all. I took the plugin off my blog because it seemed to be slowing down.
As to using someone in their advertising, I suppose they have something in their TOS that allows them to do that because otherwise I’m sure someone would sue their ass.
Oh yeah Sire, it’s in their TOS, along with the caveat that anything you put on their site they have the permission to do with however they wish as long as you keep it there. We learn the rules; at least some of us do.
Wouldn’t bother me if they used my photo. I’d just tell everyone I got paid heaps but lost it all at the casino. 😀
You’re just happy-go-lucky like that Sire. Americans, we’re greedy, conscious folks; we’d take offense immediately. Well, most of us would.
Mitch I’ve seen that video before, I just didn’t realize it was you.
Nick
LOL! Nick, if that were me… heck, I don’t know what I’d be! But I wouldn’t be mad.
I have been using Old Spice for decades. They did not use me as a model! I have not had much success with the other sex despite OP!
Rummuser, you needed a horse and a towel! lol
This is definitely NOT right- but does it provide a back link to my FB page?
At least it would be something ….:-)
The thing is you’re not advertising, Carolee, so overall you’d be good. But if you clicked on, say, a pair of shoes you liked that you saw online… there’s a chance you could end up being in advertisements for those shoes on someone else’s FB account and you might never know it. I’m thinking that I want to know.
See it this way, Dennis. You go to Burger King and buy a burger. Do you want everyone you know to know you went and that you apparently like it? What if you didn’t like it because it was your first trip and they used your image anyway just because you went?
Of course, in this case you enjoyed it. And you decide to let your friends know that you liked it, which is what that “like” button is for. Does that automatically mean you want your picture to be used in Burger King commercials without getting anything for it? By them saying “hey, you walked in the door, so that means we can take your picture and use it however we want to use it”, does that make you comfortable, or are you good with it? And whether you are or are not good with it and they were still allowed to do it, wouldn’t you have at least wanted to know that they could do that to you, without your knowledge?
That’s the problem. That and it goes further. Any single woman who puts on her FB profile that she’s single and interested in meeting men (that’s actually one of the questions for everyone) could have her profile image show up on ads for dating services because she willingly put on FB that she was interested in meeting men. She has no idea how many people will see that ad on FB, and it’s possible that there are people she wished didn’t know she was on FB who suddenly see her image in an ad and decide to try to contact her.
That’s kind of my overall point; FB didn’t tell anyone their images or “likes” if you will would be used in that fashion. I might “like” something to support a friend; that didn’t implicitly say I wanted to be in someone’s commercial.
No problem Dennis; that’s what I do.
Hey Mitch,
I think facebook is really enjoying making money through their advertisement program and they will not be stopped no matter what the consequences. It’s funny how money changes the perspective of “we will always protect your privacy and will never use your information without permission”.
Yet an other good reason I can add to my list of “why I don’t hang out on facebook”.
I understand you, Alex. I’m much more careful than I was when I signed up 3 years ago and it suits me well. It can be fun, but it’s not fun enough for me to just allow myself to be used in any fashion.
Mitch,
I saw an article about this a couple of weeks ago and actually posted it on my FB page although I didn’t quite understand it. You have broken it down and given it clarity.
I don’t personally make a habit of “liking” a bunch of pages. It has to offer true VALUE although I will admit I “liked” the One Live to Live page about a month ago 🙂
I hope you don’t end up in their advertising, Bev, although you might like it. lol And glad I helped crystallize it a bit more.