Maciejak+V+Report+Proposal

Maciejak V TO: Proximity Social Media FROM: Tori Maciejak DATE: April 12, 2010 SUBJECT: Propos al for report on Facebook 's advertisements

Facebook has long dominated the social networking field. Our focus group results show that Gen Y users do not look at the advertisements on Facebook. I propose to write a report on whether Facebook is a good place for Proximity clients to advertise.

Many companies are trying to reach Gen Y users through Social Networking Sites • Facebook has click -through advertisements based on the user's browsing history. • Advertisements are customize-able. • Several companies are spending a lot of money to create pages that Gen Y users don't even look at.
 * Need**

Facebook has the option for companies to customize their advertisements toward certain types of people. Facebook easily segments Gen Y by gender, interests, and geographical location. Clients of Proximity who wish to target Gen-Y consumers need this report to understand whether they should advertise on Social Media sites in advertisement's current form.

The proposed report, "Facebook for Social Use Only" will cover the following topics: • The history of social media • Why Facebook is the dominant force • How companies are advertising on Facebook (how click-through ads work in theory) • Why click-through ads and business's pages are not working • How companies can advertise instead.
 * Topics**

"Healthy Balance." //Facebook//. Web. 13 Apr. 2010. . This is the company //Healthy Balance's// Facebook page. It was found through a banner ad that redirected me to the page. On this page are coupons, and promotions. Users have the ability to "Become a Fan." The page has 7,000 fans.
 * Sources**

"How Banner Ads Work." //Howstuffworks//. 10 Apr. 2010. . This site explains that advertisers place banner ads on web pages in the hopes that users will click them and be redirected to their website. Advertisers hope that even if the user fails to click the ad, it will be branded in his head. Publishers sell banner ad space based on "cost per click."

"So Many Ads, So Few Clicks." //BusinessWeek - Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice//. 10 Apr. 2010. . This site explains how banner ads are targeted toward users based on past searches. It also explains why click-through advertisements are so ineffective. Users don't click them, because they are so used to banner advertisements that they just blend into the background.

"The History of Social Networking." //Technology News, Product Reviews, Software Downloads | Digital Trends//. 10 Apr. 2010. . This site will be used to explain the history of social networking. The beginning of social networking started with the BBS, or bulletin board system. AOL then had chatrooms and forums. Friendster was one of the first social networking sites in the landscape that is seen today. Then came Linkedin, Myspace, and Facebook, which is currrently the dominant force.

"Where Online Advertising Fails: The Future of Web Advertising | Profy | Internet News and Commentary." //Profy - Technology News and Commentary//. 10 Apr. 2010. . This site explains why click-through ads fail and also talks about the future of online advertising. Amazon's testing ads will be the way to advertise on the web.