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Facebook reported fake numbers to advertisers

(news.yahoo.com)
618 points elorant | 1 comments | 19 Feb 21 14:34 UTC | HN request time: 0.208s | source
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sputr ◴[19 Feb 21 15:18 UTC] No.26194057[source]▶
I keep warning small time (ie most) FB page owners who advertise on FB to be very very careful as they are being subjected to a beefed up version of the psychological manipulation that regular users face as they, not the regular users, are the main customers.

Facebooks corporate incentive is to get you to FEEL like your getting good value out of advertising on Facebook and to get you addicted to doing it.

Not to actually deliver results.

So don't trust any metric they show you, because even if its not a total fabrication it's still presented in a way to deceive you to think its better than it is.

Always monitor your ROI and always calculate it using your truly end goal (sales, or in the case of civil society some sort engagement off Facebook that's tightly bound to you mission). Likes, shares, comments and reach should NEVER be the goal. Even if FBs interface is trying to convince you otherwise.

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tremon ◴[19 Feb 21 17:20 UTC] No.26195371[source]▶
[company's] corporate incentive is to get you to FEEL like your getting good value out of [product]

Isn't this the entire raison d'être of marketing, in general?

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1. sputr ◴[19 Feb 21 17:43 UTC] No.26195667[source]▶
Well, yes. But while the targets used to be people employed by companies dishing out company money ... now it's A LOT small time advertisers. Like civil society. You would be surprised how few people, who advertise on Facebook have heard of the concept of ROI. Most of these people are not advertisers ... but are spending a lot of money on it.