In late 2000, Google launched "Adwords". Already a well used search engine, this strangely blank website announced they were going to offer advertisers space on their search results pages. I was giddy.
A Google-convert, I loved their relevancy in search result and the simplistic interface. And I couldn't believe that now businesses could actually market on it! Woo Hoo!
"What do you mean I can market to people asking Google for the product information on the same items I sell?! WOW!"
The rest is a continuing dominance of Internet history.
Well, welcome to 2011 where Facebook has surpassed Google in daily use and where from another angle one can find potential customers. Sell to nurses? You can find them on Facebook. Sell to young men under 30? You can find them on Facebook. Want to find actors older than 50? Find them on Facebook.
The really cool thing about Facebook is that people put in all kinds of information about themselves... Certainly more than one would give normally to a random website. So them without Facebook divulging specific names and cross-references, shows ads more relevant to each person according to their personal details. Brilliant!
Google Adwords when they are looking for a solution. Facebook when they don't know they need one.
I'm giddy.