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0 pointsmattnewton9y ago0 comments

The same way it used to work: you show the same ads to almost everyone based on the content, not the people. Not that I think advertisers will go for it.

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5 comments · 1 top-level

api9y ago· 4 in thread

That's considered "spray and pray" today. Today advertisers want data, data, data, and micro-targeting is everything. The entire advertising industry has become something akin to a private signals intelligence agency.

Today? For the past 20 years I've been hearing how data collection will enable advertisers to precisely target ads and that ads would go from being a nuisance to being useful.

It's not working very well. How much more data do they need to collect before it starts working?

theandrewbailey9y ago

They know what product I'm going to buy... after I've bought it. They've almost got it right; all they need is a time machine.

jklinger4109y ago

This is not the fault of the platform, but the advertiser.

When you see an ad that's too tailored most people just get scared anyway.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

> That's considered "spray and pray" today. Today advertisers want data, data, data, and micro-targeting is everything.

And even with all that, the most of the targeted ads aren't any more compelling than content-based "spray and pay."

IMHO, targeted ads are pointless unless they're a targeted to a search query.

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