Stack Exchange is to Jobs postings as Facebook is to Advertising.
Both have massive potential audience, but both don't deliver engagement and effectively eat your budget.
Facebook isn't largely effective (in part) because the audience isn't there to be advertised to, their busy socializing with friends/family. Stack Exchange isn't effective as a Job Bulletin because the audience isn't there to find a job (they probably already have one), they're there to get assistance for a problem.
> Yeah, exactly! People watch TV for entertainment. TV ads don't work.
TV ads are often entertaining, and you don't have to go out of your way to view them (you usually don't have a choice). Ads on Facebook and other sites are often seen as intrusive and usually ignored. In the case of Stack Exchange's Careers page, you have to explicit go to it to view the listings.
TV ads are fun to watch, huh? Maybe, depends on a lot of variables.
On facebook ads - the best FB ads are native to facebook. Pictures or videos. You don't need to go to another site. They are interesting and draw the viewer's attention just like good TV (any) ads. You have the added benefit of instant social proof and maybe even clicks to your site, if you included a shortened link somewhere. Don't confuse FB ads with adwords or direct response banner advertising. It is not. People who treat it this way are the same people who complain it doesn't work.
> Don't confuse FB ads with adwords or direct response banner advertising. It is not. People who treat it this way are the same people who complain it doesn't work.
I'm not. My company has gone through no less than 3 different marketing agencies that believed they could "do social right", and we've given it our own go internally as well. None succeed in doing anything but getting more likes on our FB page and draining our marketing budget. People simply did not click through to the website nor convert into purchases. After FB's algorithm change to synthetic feeds, well, it got even worse.
You might say "well, you've used the wrong social marketing company!"... and that's exactly what they all said when they pitched us.
Our story is not unique. Perhaps it depends on the types of products, etc, but there have been some very high profile mega-corps that very publicly yanked their FB ad support citing similar reasons.
Adwords and other direct banner adverts, on the other hand, do work, and they work very well. One possibility they work so well is the user is already looking for a product that is then pitched to them, ie. browsing a how-to forum and then gets presented with products that the how-to uses.
> there ought to be a place for people to go specifically for viewing advertising; no such place exists.
There are plenty. It's about a captive audience. Take a movie theater for example -- you don't have a choice but to sit there and if not look at it, you hear the ads. Same if you're trying to watch at TV show, you have no choice.
Things like DVR have changed that partially and reduced the effectiveness of TV adverts; a major reason why broadcasting companies have fought hard against being able to fast-forward through commercials, etc. You can always show up late to the movie theater too, but most don't and it's not as convenient.
Other examples would be the newspaper classified's sections (or craigslist being the online version). People go and look there specifically to be sold to.
The point being, if your audience isn't captive, or if they aren't already interested in your product, then your adverts are wasted effort (and money).
When's the last time you were on FB and saw a sidebar ad for Coors Light and decided to run out and buy some? What about a car advert? Vacuum cleaner? Probably never. Maybe you liked their FB page, but it likely didn't result in a conversion (meaning you ran out and bought something from that company).
Now if you were on a forum or doing a search for the best Vacuum or best beer or what car you should buy -- you're already interested in the product and far more receptive to being pitched too at that moment.
If you can't have a captive audience, then the next best thing (or maybe better thing) is to have an audience who is looking to buy already. FB and other social sites don't provide that...
Both have massive potential audience, but both don't deliver engagement and effectively eat your budget.
Facebook isn't largely effective (in part) because the audience isn't there to be advertised to, their busy socializing with friends/family. Stack Exchange isn't effective as a Job Bulletin because the audience isn't there to find a job (they probably already have one), they're there to get assistance for a problem.