The Consumer

Social medias like TikTok or Instagram are the reason simple advertisements work so effectively because they make sure to put the right products on the right consumers for you page using their data to see what they are interested in.

When i see the advertisements on social media, especially TikTok, it is very clear the advertisers think i am a typical teenager who likessports like basketball or football, shoes like jordans or sombas or even follows trends like everyone suddenly interested in needos or fidget toys or even gym supplements like creatine or peptides that big influencers advertise which isn’t crazy to assume based off the fitness videos on pull push days, what you should be eating or what your routine should look like and sport related videos about how some players are over or underrated, parlays hitting, peoples favorite teams winning that i enjoy watching. On Instagram, similar things happen, but more focused on big cologne brands like YVL or Dior or even Versace. Could even be parts-mods for cars and trucks like air intakes, exhaust systems, suspension lifts and many more based on my algorithm. I’m not always upset about the ads sometimes there useful and I end up ordering like some interesting hoodies, something cool to throw on my key chain or maybe a pair of sandals or clogs for summer weather from TikTok or Instagram but there is also times where i was just talking about ordering a new creatine and 3 scrolls later its the same one I was talking about getting.

There has been times when ads have felt very odd or random as well. For example, I have gotten ads for weird tools, mobile games or stuff I have not bought and never will buy. I remember one time I was talking to my friend about getting a new pair of these shoes, not even 5 minutes later, I started getting ads for back-to-back videos, which felt pretty weird and creepy. It would make you believe that advertisers think they know me better than they think they do. They assume they have me all figured out because of a few purchases and the videos I watch, but that is just simply not true, they know one part of me simply. From their perspective, they see me as a consumer, someone who follows trends and buys whatever is popular, rather a kid with different priorities and interests.

In conclusion, my “real identity” is more than just what I look at or buy off social media. My “advertising identity” is simply sports and gym related videos when in reality I’m so much more. I enjoy watching movies, gaining knowledge on things I do not know a lot about like cars and trucks and even what I want to do after high school. There is still so much I don’t know about myself so there is no way they know the “real me”. While I do like some of the things I come across on my for you page like new shoes, or gym supplements, there is a lot they do see as well like what my plans are for after I graduate or personal goals, all things I like doing offline. Social media only covers part of who I am based off what videos I like watching or what I send to my friend or even what videos I comment on in that moment. So yes, they can be accurate, it doesn’t represent me as a person, all it is is a cheap copy of me they built to sell things and take my money rather than understanding me.

“Automotive Social Media Marketing” by socialautomotive is licensed under CC BY 2.0.