The Values of Online Advertisement on Social Media Sites Essay

The Values of Online Advertisement on Social Media Sites - Essay Example This paper illustrates that various studies have been carried out on Facebook and how it has now been used in online advertisements and for commercial purposes. In a study by Clemons, Barnett, and Appadurai, the authors set out to establish the value of social media networks such as Facebook to the future of advertising. The authors were able to establish that the social media are a tool which has allowed the consumers to determine what they want to be made aware of the products themselves without being influenced by profiteering companies. The authors, therefore, were able to point out that consumers are now using the Internet and the social media in order to carry out what they want at the time of their choosing. These consumers are also able to escape TV ads through TiVO and seemingly, the social media network is the last resort for advertisers. With the growth of the Internet and the social media, consumers have now become more discerning and not totally trusting what is advertis ed on TV or in newspapers or magazines. These consumers have now become more empowered in their consumption as they are able to use the social media to review products and determine how well a produce would work for them. This study is, however, based on secondary information gathered from a database and from the research of other authors on the subject matter. Nevertheless, the data established by the authors are reliable as they confirm trends already established in previous studies. The authors were also able to provide a clear and valid assessment of the data, linking these to current trends in advertisement and social media applications. Gaps in the data are apparent in relation to the primary database needed to support reliable and evidence-based research. Nevertheless, the value of the social media in advertising has been apparent in this study and in other related studies. In the study by Tucker, the author sought to evaluate how Internet users’ conceptualization of c ontrol over their personal data impacts the likelihood of their clicking on online advertising. The authors used data they gathered from a randomised field experiment where they sought to examine the general efficacy of personalizing ads on social networking sites including Facebook. The authors revealed that the website gave the users the chance to have greater control over their personally identifiable data. The website also did not change how the advertisers utilised data to target and modify the ads. When privacy measures were introduced, the users were even more likely to click on personalized ads. The study suggested that it may be important to give the users control over their private data in order to assist advertising-supported media and advertisers on said sites. This also means that privacy controls can have harmful advertising outcomes. For advertisers, such controls are not enticing prospects, but for consumers, are welcome prospects. As a randomized controlled field st udy, this study provided strong primary evidence for this research. The methodology was well explained and replicable, with the design appropriate for the variables being studied.