Zazzle advertises on Facebook Marketplace?

[Barbara]

For several days, my husband has been spotting a "sponsored" Zazzle ad when browsing the marketplace on Facebook, but it's kind of peculiar, given that I'm often signed in one his computer as II am at this moment). The peculiarity? The ad features one of my own products that has no relation to the things he searches for. Currently, he's been looking at used cars, and the ad showing up for several days is for my business card directed at bladesmiths.

It's nice seeing the ad, but why would it essentially be directed at me?

Colorwash's Home

[Van]

Maybe by IP?  This article link is old but might still be valid.  https://www.macrumors.com/2018/12/18/facebook-ad-tracking-ip-address/

[KeegansCreation]

My theory: the ad algorithm knows that somebody at your ISP address clicked on that product. Of course you clicked on it. You're the designer. But the algorithm has no way of differentiating that from a customer who contemplated buying it but then decided "not right now/not ever". The algorithm prompt is in case you clicked away because "not right now" rather than "not ever" and it keeps it on your radar.

I have also been ad-recommended my own products but also ad-recommended products that that I clicked on and then clicked away from that have nothing to do with Zazzle. So I think it's an algorithm strategy. They can't recommend everything you ever clicked on because then you'd be inundated and ignore it or put in a blocker so something is chosen from your clicks, possibly at random.

This a theory. I'm not an algorithm designer.

[Barbara]

Both of you came up with what's most likely going on. I'd forgotten about how we're all tracked.

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[igiftcenter]

You do know that you can curtail some of the ad tracking cookies?  In google profile you can tell it what ads you are interested in, not interested in and it lets you give really detailed answers if I remember correctly.  So  you're basically opted in to ads you may have zero interest in which can happen for sure. 

if you are logged into google you can go to Privacy settings then AD SETTINGS
https://adssettings.google.com/

There you can alter or curtail ad settings as you see fit. Unfortunately big businesses on the internet make a large chunk of living off of advertising revenue and while it kind of _ucks it can also be an advantage for those who like seeing information relevant to what they are interested i. Sometimes it gets taken a bit too far 🙂
This is the world we live in today, it's heavily data driven

Have a great day!

[Barbara]

Seeing my own product advertised to me was surprising, not upsetting. I see other "sponsored" ads on Facebook's marketplace, but this was the first time I saw a corporate-style ad.

I'm used to ads, understand their purpose, even to the point where I allow them to run on YouTube when I feel the video is worthy. For instance, I allow all ads for any of the "Hope for Paws" videos and for those with high information or entertainment value. These YouTubers rely on the income to produce more such videos. Kind of like tipping the wait staff in a restaurant.

However, I'd love to euthanize all those gruesome drug ads.

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[Kevi]

On You Tube I always see the same "Funeral Plans for UK ex-pats living in Spain" - even though I specifically told them I did not like those ads,

I guess they don't listen too carefully to your responses.

[Barbara]

YouTube ads are semi-targeted, so I suggest you start watching a lot of cooking shows. 😄

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[Kevi]

There's only one crematorium on the island where I live, so they don't need YouTube ads.