When Facebook rolled out its new advertising targeting options a little over a year ago, it generated some significant buzz, but did it really help advertisers better target buyers who were in the market for their products? Or was it just an extension of the same old demographic strategy?
The model hasn’t proven itself out completely yet, but Facebook did get one thing right: The recognition that Life Events—getting engaged, getting married, getting a new job and so on—are actually becoming hugely important to advertisers. Change your status on Facebook to “engaged,” and you’re announcing it to the world via social media. It’s a much quicker way to get the word out than an engagement notice in the local newspaper, and a lot easier for advertisers to target you with products they think you might need under your new status. The same goes for changing jobs on LinkedIn; it’s a great signal to the world that something is new, and we applaud the effort…
