Is Your Marketing Message Being Diluted by Automated Advertising?



Chris Brogan dating ad

This morning, I received the latest post from a popular blogger via the blog’s email subscription service, which runs on Feedburner.

The post talks about marketing and how relationships and connections are a key part of the marketing mix (and can often be the starting point for any marketing campaign).

It’s a good post with a sensible message. What caught my attention, though, was a Google Ad at the bottom of the post, which is the image at the top of this post (and, yes, I’m a man and, no, the scantily clad young girl wasn’t why the picture caught my attention).

It’s a prime example of why you need to be careful of how your message is being shared, and why automated monetizing can (potentially) backfire.

Adventures in Keywords

A lot of bloggers look at ways they can monetize their blogs. One way is through affiliate marketing; another is through products; another is through running related ads via Google, which is what’s happened here.

The way this works is you set up a Google Ads account and set them to run automatically with your content. This could be your blog’s sidebar, the blog post itself, or (in this case) the subscription feed. Google looks at the keywords in the blog, and automatically inserts what it thinks are relevant ads.

In the post used here, a lot of the talk is about “connections” and “relationships”, so they’re seen as keywords. Throw in the odd “touchpoints” and “love”, and Google probably thought the blogger was talking about dating – hence the accompanying image and ad.

And that’s where the problem of automation can rear its ugly (or scantily-clad) head.

Your Readers Are Listening

When you subscribe to a blog by email, it’s because you’re really interested in what a blogger has to say. You’re investing in them, and giving over real estate in your Inbox as opposed to just catching up now and again via an RSS feed. It’s showing your trust in that blogger’s voice.

Because of this, you might think that an ad like the one in this example is something the blogger has attached to that post by choice. And that can cause problems.

A lot of people could be offended by the image and the message it portrays. Others could be receiving the email at their workplace, and potentially break any rules about adult images on-screen. Or you could be the girl’s parents opening the email…

It’s not (directly) the blogger’s fault – the choice was made by Google, not the blogger. But it’s an image that’s gone out from a highly-respected blog, with more than 60,000 subscribers, and it’s attached to a marketing message on how to do business right.

Yet through a simple error on keywords, the message of the post could potentially be diluted. Additionally, if the ad was worse, it could also lead to some readers unsubcribing (depending on the trust built up for the blog in question).

Something you might want to keep in mind when considering automating your readers’ content…

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Very true! It comes across a bit invasive or even pushy of the advertiser. Sometimes I feel like I am being stalked by these companies as the adverts do tend to follow you around. 

Danny this post rings home with me. My business focus is helping brands/companies get their message to the right target in ways hopefully that isolates them from other advertising in a respectful manner. Respectful is key.

To help get a client to listen you need data or proof how their current media channels can go awry. The two easiest examples are YouTube and Twitter. Both can leave your ad associated with content of very dubious nature. Twitter especially. Just read any Tweets from US Republican Congresspeople or some of the racist or right wing hash tags. I don't think Disney wants a Sponsored Tweet showing up next to them.

Your's is the reverse situation. You have content you want consumed but have no control over what ad pops up.

I am not sure what is more profitable to a content provider? Me going to a page that is drowned out by ads and thus not consuming the content but they get ad money? Or me consuming the content but seeing no ads. Would depend on your business model and what you are branding yourself as.

The key is people need to think. In Engineering there is a term call DFMEA. This is where you design something taking into account everything that can possibly go wrong. Media and Advertising often forget this.

OOPs Tiger Woods did what? Did Buick have commercials ready just in case this happened or did they have to pull them all and rush to make new ones?

One of the issues I have with youtube is that once your video gets sufficient number of views, youtube starts running ads.

Lets sidestep the fact that ads suck,but what sucks even more is when they run your competitors ads. Example: You make an awesome video inviting people to come visit your vacation resort in Hawaii and your competitors ad plays over your awesome video.

The viewer clicks on your competitors ad because YOU did an awesome job making Hawaii desirable.

This automated advertising certainly leaves a lot to be desired.

Sorry..I dont have a solution..just figured Id bitch for a while :-)

Excellent point Danny. This is an issue that many bloggers have encountered, but few pay attention to. Same thing happens on facebook. The ads on your profile page are supposed to be related to your interest and likes, and yet this is not the case with mine. I'm into video games and the they show ads about real estate. It's the same for other sites like YoutTube, which Dino Dogan points out on his comment. Personally, when I read a blog, I automatically become oblivious to everything else on the page. It's like my subconscious kicks in and reminds me that the blog is the content and the rest is just packaging. Potentially offensive ads on your blog however, as you point out, can create a negative reaction from your readers. I guess it's a risk everyone with an online message has to take, since most ads respond to keywords rather than full content. For now, we can only leave it up to the judgment of our readers and hope that they know better than to associate every blog with every ad on the page. The thing is, does anyone really even pay attention to these ads?

Danny this post rings home with me. My business focus is helping brands/companies get their message to the right target in ways hopefully that isolates them from other advertising in a respectful manner. Respectful is key.

To help get a client to listen you need data or proof how their current media channels can go awry. The two easiest examples are YouTube and Twitter. Both can leave your ad associated with content of very dubious nature. Twitter especially. Just read any Tweets from US Republican Congresspeople or some of the racist or right wing hash tags. I don't think Disney wants a Sponsored Tweet showing up next to them.

Your's is the reverse situation. You have content you want consumed but have no control over what ad pops up.

I am not sure what is more profitable to a content provider? Me going to a page that is drowned out by ads and thus not consuming the content but they get ad money? Or me consuming the content but seeing no ads. Would depend on your business model and what you are branding yourself as.

The key is people need to think. In Engineering there is a term call DFMEA. This is where you design something taking into account everything that can possibly go wrong. Media and Advertising often forget this.

OOPs Tiger Woods did what? Did Buick have commercials ready just in case this happened or did they have to pull them all and rush to make new ones?

That's a great point (as usual), Howie. You open yourself to ads that you don't have control over, then you're opening yourself up to possibly damaging situations (if not simply embarrassing ones).

I'm all for people getting value from the content they provide, but maybe just think of how you want to attain that payback.

Danny, I lived this, but worse, when running a startup called U Sphere. Dare I say...it was the nail in the coffin of that business.

Here's what happened: in the attempt to monetize everything, we ran ads from a network. (I won't name them; they have left the most sour taste in my mouth after the way they handled the mess, and I am yet at the point where I can say "bygones.") This network, through no error of U Sphere's, ran pornographic ads.

Now, U Sphere was a higher education admissions portal. High school kids - or Grade 12s and 13s in your vernacular - came to the site to make better choices about where to possibly attend school.

Imagine our horror when we received a message from one of these kids saying they were exposed to the worst imagery they had ever seen.

So we got out of that network and stopped all ads immediately.

In retrospect, the amount of advertising revenue was so tiny - even though we had niche traffic, and in a highly sought-after niche - that we could not justify carrying on with the ads.

I know digital display ads are the wave of the future, but it's also important to realize whether this wave could either drown you or be a really bad form of water torture.

Oh wow, Dave, that's awful mate - and like you say, the worst possible audience for this type of thing to happen to.

Completely agree on the value option - is (potentially) tarnishing your brand worth some extra beer money? I know what my answer is.

I was going to add that this is something that non-profit bloggers need to be especially concerned about. Especially those with that are dealing with sensitive subjects. Dave brings up a great example of how this could backfire.

Another good point - imagine an organization like M.A.D.D. getting an ad for a brewery in their email? While it might not (necessarily) be offensive, it's more than likely not appropriate.

More things to think about - cheers!

I'm unsure, considering people work for breweries who don't drink and people work for cigarette companies who don't smoke. There comes a point when a job is a job.

I completely agree, I do not think that you should use this sort of random advertising on Feedburner email updates, I don't think I would have unsubscribed because of it but I do think it cheapens your message.

Question - Would you recomend useing the likes of feedburner to post email updates or would you use standard RSS and a seperate mailing system ie. mailchimp?

Good question - I currently use Feedburner for both email and RSS subscribers, but the service is pretty notorious for being all over the place when it comes to giving you the right numbers.

I'm looking at MailChimp and Feedblitz as a couple of alternatives, as they seem much more reliable.

Interesting post Danny. One can think of instances where these type of things happening can hurt a brand. Since its Chris Brogan's blog readers probably understand that he didn't put that ad out, I still think that some might be a bit surprised and think Why is Chris selling ad space to these scammers?

On the other side since 80% of ads on the internet are about sex,love,dating, why even open yourself to these types of issues. As an old man once told me once 'don't put what you hold as most precious where I wouldn't put my cane'.

True, although that wouldn't necessarily be the case had a reader just subscribed to the blog, as opposed to being a long-term one. Might make you question what the heck you've just subscribed to! ;-)

But you're right - is the payoff worth the perception? Only the blogger can decide that, I guess.

Cheers for your thoughts, John!

I think advertisers also open themselves up to criticism when they use context or targeted marketing poorly. A couple weeks ago, I noticed all the weird (and slightly offensive) dating ads I was getting on Facebook. Because I make fun of Facebook all the time, I wrote a blog post about being listing my self as single on Facebook with screenshots of the ads I was being served.

There's a lot that can be done from the advertisers end and the person displaying the ad to serve more ads relevant to the content and to the site.

For sure, Jay - I can never decide whether it's laziness or crapola expertise. I generally settle for a nice mix of both. :)

One of the issues I have with youtube is that once your video gets sufficient number of views, youtube starts running ads.

Lets sidestep the fact that ads suck,but what sucks even more is when they run your competitors ads. Example: You make an awesome video inviting people to come visit your vacation resort in Hawaii and your competitors ad plays over your awesome video.

The viewer clicks on your competitors ad because YOU did an awesome job making Hawaii desirable.

This automated advertising certainly leaves a lot to be desired.

Sorry..I dont have a solution..just figured Id bitch for a while :-)

You know, that's a great point, Dino. While this post is about something that could affect your message because people might find distasteful, you're bang on the money with the chance that your competitors could benefit from your lack of involvement. More things to think about - cheers!

Hi Danny and Dino,

I've reduced the number of adsense on my blog from 3 locations to just 1, what irritates me with adsense is that they put the ads for competitors on my website even after having filtered them. For 5 cents someone would go to a competitors where as if they've hired me that would be thousands of dollars for me. It makes to sense to have adsense all over the place on my blog.

Now adsense for Feed on Feedburner is different: if they're savvy enough to have subscribed to my feedburner feed then they don't need my service, I'm happy to earn those cents.

Ben Wan

"if they’re savvy enough to have subscribed to my feedburner feed then they don’t need my service"

Huh? You don't want a client or a customer of yours to read your blog?

Hi,

P.S. I call Adsense a Trojan Horse on your website if you have your own products and services... you don't want to be advertising for your competitors on your own website.

Ben Wan.

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