"Good Ideas Deserve To Be Found"

Question: does social media advertising add value to our lives? We’ll leave that question there for you to ponder as we now unpack the current discussion about the pending Apple iOS 14 update, and present what might be an alternate view.

Where did this all begin? Let’s go back to 2018 when the Data and Privacy conversation reached new heights. In this year Facebook was charged with data harvesting. After this, Europe changed its privacy laws and there was a fair bit of bad press directed towards the social media giant. Lots of people said they’d leave Facebook (and most returned, or went to their other platforms). Some people investigated their settings and made some changes.

We won’t get into the debate of whether Facebook is in the wrong or whether they should be doing more. But we will say this: if you’re using any social media platform you should expect that they are tracking your moves. Whether you’re on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat or TikTok. They’re all tracking you. That’s the deal. You spend time on their App. They collect your data and use it for advertising purposes. It’s that simple. Without advertising (which to be effective relies on tracking), there is no social media.

Let’s fast track to June 2020 which was when Apple announced at their Developer Conference that they would introduce a feature on iOS 14 that requires users to opt-in to tracking. Not really all that groundbreaking, and in fact, it is already common practice, but users are often unaware of it because it's buried in the terms of service or privacy policies.

So perhaps we could read all of this is a bit of ‘do-gooding’ - Apple trying to show itself to be a good corporate citizen in the murky water of tech reputations. But, the stakes are too high to be complacent.

We’re encouraged to learn that Facebook has today launched a counter-campaign that defends targeted ads. "Good Ideas Deserve To Be Found" is being rolled out on Television, Radio and Digital.

It’s a strong call to arms to the small business community who will be the real losers in this debacle.

And we’re right behind them.

Just think how many startups and small businesses wouldn't be here today if it weren't for social media advertising? Let me tell you....millions.

Yes, millions of people who quit their 9-5 day jobs because social media made it possible to reach audiences and sell product in ways that have never been possible before. You might have done so yourself.

So let’s return to the question: does social media advertising add value to our lives?

Social media advertising has put the power back in the hands of everyday people who want to have a go at realising their dreams. Before there was social media, there were big companies with big budgets and mass media who were charging insane fees for advertising (and very little proof of a Return on Investment). All of this created huge barriers to entry and certainly to sustainability.

Who would want to go back to those times?

We're backing small business hard in all of this. We’ve always been passionate advocates for the little guy, and it’s now time to make our voice heard in this space.

Are you joining us?