Something I cannot figure out, and maybe you know the answer. More and more people tell me all the time (at least those in the professional digital marketing arena) that they don't like Facebook. They say that Facebook is annoying and is being taken over by brands. I even recently heard that the growth on Facebook isn't new users, it's actually for new brands and other type pages.
So, if all this is really true, and I could see that it very well could be...where is social media headed? At some point, these websites need to make money - and I understand that. If you ask me, the launch of Facebook ads is what started its demise. Now it's overrun with ads and sponsored posts...and don't worry, I add to that as well; with content as relevant as I can possibly contribute! :)
Twitter is starting to allow masses to sponsor tweets and accounts - so, in theory, they could be next to go down the drain when anyone and their dog can start spamming your already cluttered feed.
Instagram is discussing the idea of allowing brands to upload "high quality" pictures into your feed (as an ad). As you may know, Facebook is their parent company, so adding an advertising element is not much of a surprise.
I could go on and on about how this is potentially bad for social media, but I don't think I even need to continue my rant...because it's endless.
I suppose my only question would be: will the big social networks actually ALLOW a user to pay a subscription fee to avoid ads? I mean, in the old days, (ha) that's how it was done. You got an ad-free experience for paying a membership or subscription fee. Or, will social media networks continue to be ad hungry and once they realize they have hooked some users at a fast pace, unleash an advertising network.
Again, I get it. They need to turn a profit. But at what cost? Geocities what? Myspace where?
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