Social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are accessed by millions of individuals on a daily basis. With each of these sites consisting of differing types of information and access, companies are turning to these networks for advertising purposes.
Different than the typical newspaper advertisement, online advertising through social media provides information to consumers throughout the entire site. Companies pay for their ads to be intertwined within an individual’s Twitter feed, header on a LinkedIn page, or sponsored posts throughout Facebook timelines. Despite the customer’s hesitance to view the advertised product, websites often display ads based on demographics, an individual’s web history, or emerging and pertinent products in society.
Despite these ads, very few customers click on ads that direct them to a company’s website. Companies have embraced the tendencies of customers, as the most successful ad-based campaigns provide access to a variety of information on the same webpage. Interactive ads, such as those that require cursor movement over the ad, allow information to be accessed without jumping between websites. Even ads that direct customers to a company’s own social media site allows consumers to quickly view a webpage within that social media site. Although these ads are often ignored and not researched, the accessibility that is provided via social media enables consumers to become knowledgeable on various brands during their daily scroll throughout social media platforms.
Additional Reading: http://www.brandwatch.com/2014/01/why-2014-is-the-year-of-social-media-advertising/