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Are you making a Faustian Deal with a DEVIL?

by digichik
10 replies
Are you making a Faustian Deal with a devil?


Everyday I get bunches of messages about how to use Facebook Ads or join a Facebook group/mastermind. It seems everyone is locking their businesses into Facebook, worse than they did with Google, at one time.


Do you ever stop to think about how dependent your business may be on Facebook? Does it concern you?


I realize they offer a great way to target your ad messages, but there are other sources that do the same thing.


I'm not fond of their requirement that a business can't have a Facebook advertising account without it being attached to a personal account. I have many clients who are older and don't see the point of having a personal Facebook account and don't want their personal and business combined.


Why does everyone run their masterminds through Facebook, and not some other source or forum?


I started using FB back in 2005, the olden days when they didn't sell ads, but you could by 10,000 'flyers' for around 25.00. I really only use FB now for clients. I don't like how they take your money, but don't offer ways to directly contact them(other than email form) when there is a problem.


For most of my clients, FB ads don't work that well, maybe because my clients offer services to the more affluent or they're b2b.


I'm just seeing more, and more of the free internet being voluntarily diverted through FB, and wondering what will happen when they start to charge for everything, because we gave them the power to do so?


You know, the same way many gave Google the power they have, and Google just recently scr*wed small businesses with the 'snack pack'. Hmmm...... just wondering...
#deal #devil #faustian #making
  • Profile picture of the author bob ross
    I had a very active forum and now it's just an archive as I had to move discussion to facebook since that's where all the activity was heading. Now my FB group is highly active but it doesn't have the organization that my forum did so it's very difficult for someone to browse and discover topics.

    And yeah there's the terrible thought that FB could take it all away any moment.

    I like FB advertising and I do offer it for some of my clients where I can target nationally, but I don't mess with local ads much besides some for building custom audiences when they go to certain pages from from direct mail pieces.

    I personally don't trust FB or Google much at all and try to stay away from them as much as possible, but I do of course find them useful.
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    • Profile picture of the author DaniMc
      Originally Posted by digichik View Post

      Are you making a Faustian Deal with a devil?
      Yes that is how I feel. I spend more than $4K every single month on FB PPC. We are converting very well (8.6x ROI) so I'm not going to stop anytime soon.

      I know, for sure, that my ROI is going to go down on FB. But until then, I will keep increasing my investment.

      Going forward, I would LOVE to know if there are any emerging platforms where I can get an 8x ROI.

      Originally Posted by bob ross View Post

      I had a very active forum and now it's just an archive as I had to move discussion to facebook since that's where all the activity was heading. Now my FB group is highly active but it doesn't have the organization that my forum did so it's very difficult for someone to browse and discover topics.
      For sure I hate the layout of groups on FB. It is such a poor design. It's great for the average personal newsfeed, but discussion forums have it figured out much, much better. If FB would copy discussion forum layout, or maybe just BUY one of the forum developers to integrate, I think that would be the end of most other discussion forums.
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      Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
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      • Profile picture of the author digichik
        Originally Posted by DaniMc View Post

        Yes that is how I feel. I spend more than $4K every single month on FB PPC. We are converting very well (8.6x ROI) so I'm not going to stop anytime soon.

        I know, for sure, that my ROI is going to go down on FB. But until then, I will keep increasing my investment.

        Going forward, I would LOVE to know if there are any emerging platforms where I can get an 8x ROI.

        For sure I hate the layout of groups on FB. It is such a poor design. It's great for the average personal newsfeed, but discussion forums have it figured out much, much better. If FB would copy discussion forum layout, or maybe just BUY one of the forum developers to integrate, I think that would be the end of most other discussion forums.
        Have you ever tried any of the display advertising platforms, the ones that allow you to specifically target your audiences, even more than facebook?
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        • Profile picture of the author DaniMc
          Originally Posted by digichik View Post

          Have you ever tried any of the display advertising platforms, the ones that allow you to specifically target your audiences, even more than facebook?
          Can you make any suggestions?
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          Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
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          • Profile picture of the author digichik
            Originally Posted by DaniMc View Post

            Can you make any suggestions?

            Here are 2 good ones (I'm not an affiliate of either) --

            SiteScout
            ClickCertain

            They make it possible for small businesses/small agencies to do extremely targeted display advertising, through the large display networks, without having to pay tens of thousands of dollar$.
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    • Profile picture of the author eccj
      Originally Posted by bob ross View Post

      I had a very active forum and now it's just an archive as I had to move discussion to facebook since that's where all the activity was heading. Now my FB group is highly active but it doesn't have the organization that my forum did so it's very difficult for someone to browse and discover topics.

      And yeah there's the terrible thought that FB could take it all away any moment.

      I like FB advertising and I do offer it for some of my clients where I can target nationally, but I don't mess with local ads much besides some for building custom audiences when they go to certain pages from from direct mail pieces.

      I personally don't trust FB or Google much at all and try to stay away from them as much as possible, but I do of course find them useful.

      If it were not for the group I would cancel my FB account.

      Now with Twitter having all their issues and FB charging to boost posts it should make people pause growing their life's work on social media.

      I also agree that forums like this allow for better conversations.
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  • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
    I absolutely hate facebook. I rarely get on there and every time I do, I wonder why..

    I've used FB ads with some success on a local level on behalf of clients but it was always part of a bigger strategy.

    Been thinking about taking the plunge and creating an FB page and ads for my blog. I've been putting that off for over a year now and still not convinced I want to do it.

    It isn't just FB though, I have concerns about everyone at the top, and the amount of data Google has at its' disposal is just insane.

    I think it's important that once you are generating leads and income from one source, you need to find another source, and continue to do so as part of a diversified marketing strategy. Online and offline.
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    • Profile picture of the author digichik
      Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

      I absolutely hate facebook. I rarely get on there and every time I do, I wonder why..

      I've used FB ads with some success on a local level on behalf of clients but it was always part of a bigger strategy.

      Been thinking about taking the plunge and creating an FB page and ads for my blog. I've been putting that off for over a year now and still not convinced I want to do it.
      Too funny. I thought I was the only one who experienced this strong dislike of FB.

      I have a client that tried to set up a new account in order to do advertising, and they wanted him to send in a copy of his photo ID, which he refuses to do. Then to top it off, there is no way for him to contact FB. He only set up the personal FB account in order to use their advertising, not to post his personal business.

      It's FB's loss, this client is spending over $25,000/ mo on Adwords alone, not to mention his other advertising. Oh well, I guess they see it for what it is, a mere drop in the bucket. I can remember when no one ever thought GM, Lehman Bros., etc. would ever be bankrupt and fail.
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  • Profile picture of the author locale
    I'd like to launch a class action lawsuit against facebook. When they were busy selling me tens of thousands of fans for thousands and thousands of dollars they never mentioned that they would soon begin decreasing the amount of people who saw my posts to almost zero, unless I wanted to pay them more and more to advertise to less and less of the people that I already paid them for and followed my page because they wanted to see my updates.

    In my mind, if you like a page, all updates should appear in your feed, and you should be the one to decide which you unfollow for not providing value.

    If nothing else, I think it is worth legal damages that they knowingly sold thousands of business owners thousands of useless fans that will never see the messages they asked to.

    If many had known that, they would just buy facebook ads directly and either promote a post, or send them to an email or sms subscribe. There is no point in having spent $10,000 for a page of 30,000 fans that never see your messages.
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    • Profile picture of the author digichik
      Originally Posted by locale View Post

      I'd like to launch a class action lawsuit against facebook. When they were busy selling me tens of thousands of fans for thousands and thousands of dollars they never mentioned that they would soon begin decreasing the amount of people who saw my posts to almost zero, unless I wanted to pay them more and more to advertise to less and less of the people that I already paid them for and followed my page because they wanted to see my updates.

      In my mind, if you like a page, all updates should appear in your feed, and you should be the one to decide which you unfollow for not providing value.

      If nothing else, I think it is worth legal damages that they knowingly sold thousands of business owners thousands of useless fans that will never see the messages they asked to.

      If many had known that, they would just buy facebook ads directly and either promote a post, or send them to an email or sms subscribe. There is no point in having spent $10,000 for a page of 30,000 fans that never see your messages.
      I just received a notice about a settlement of a class action lawsuit against Paypal for unfairly freezing accounts, and other bad practices.

      It's difficult for me to get past facebook's arrogant corporate culture. You know --

      "we(facebook) can do what we want, when we want, how we want, 'cuz the people will just keep checking their feed, and Warriors will keep telling the people on their lists how great Facebook ads are and they should buy more FB ads!"

      Sadly, we allow it.
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