"However I've probably bought more stuff as a direct result of ad exposure on Instagram (3 things in three years) than in the entirety of the 25 years I've been on the internet."
Could you specifically describe the ads and the products involved ? I am very curious and would love to have a sense of what they succeeded with (for you).
I have been of the mind that targeted ads are terrible and that ad firms and ad-tech firms and (that entire ecosystem) are fleecing the ad buyers who will eventually wake up to that fact...
It's 2019 and if I search for "volkswagen emissions scandal" I will get banner ads for new volkswagen cars. For a week.
Well most recently it was for a service for knife sharpening called knifeaid. You mail in your knives and they sharpen them for a flat fee, comparable to what I pay now to drive to a sharpener.
I can only assume cause I've posted stuff about me cooking and have searched knife sharpening in the past. Not that hard to target really.
Going off on a bit of a tangent, but some time ago I bought a sharpening stone for $30. It takes about 10 minutes start to finish from dull blade to sharp blade, which is a lot more convenient than going to the knife sharpener or mailing your knives. I also use it to sharpen my hair clipper blades once a year.
I'm actually very handy with a whetstone, however I'd contest the 10 minutes part, and as much I use mine its a non trivial amount of work. Professional sharpening is just way better in my situation
Completely agreed on this. I've also used a sharpening stone to sharpen scissors. It's quick, easy, and really satisfying seeing a dull blade go to razor sharp with a few minutes of work.
Not really. I was kind of interested in it the first time I saw it and clicked on it, had a play with the site. It then apparently recognized me after that and -- knowing now what I know about the product -- I suspect the advertiser started spending a lot more money on getting my attention.
I suspect the cuff one had a similar setup. I saw it once, abandoned a cart with it, and then maybe 30% of all ads I saw afterwards were the product.
Could you specifically describe the ads and the products involved ? I am very curious and would love to have a sense of what they succeeded with (for you).
I have been of the mind that targeted ads are terrible and that ad firms and ad-tech firms and (that entire ecosystem) are fleecing the ad buyers who will eventually wake up to that fact...
It's 2019 and if I search for "volkswagen emissions scandal" I will get banner ads for new volkswagen cars. For a week.
Or, I would, if ublock origin was disabled ...