online ads

facebook ad for Rent
online ads are, if anything, even more targeted to a specific target group than many other types of ads. the reason for this is twofold. first is that the internet is a niche market, sure there are some websites that millions of people go to, but for the most part most sites are targeted toward a certain niche, and therefor ads can be targeted by who visits that website, or even just knowing a certain groups viewing practices online. the second reason that online ads are very targeted is that we give out information online. much of it. we fill out forms saying what our age is, what is our gender, our race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, all of it. we also leave IP addresses wherever we go and cookies are attached to allow websites to remember us and also load faster.
when on facebook, for example, i see ads targeted toward university-student aged people, sometimes gamers (I dont really know why, i dont express interest in gaming...maybe an assumption because i am a teenage boy?), and LGBT products or services.
Print and TV ads have to assume, in most cases, that while they can try to target a certain audience, that there are others watching or reading, and so they must try to at least appeal to a little bit, whereas online ads only have to appeal to the one group.
I am not sure as to weather they are more or less effective, but i do think that they are effective. everytime we go to a certain website we will see this ad, and if it catches our attention, its only one click away, which is why there are those annoying audio 'congradulations you have won and iPod nano!' ads. but someone could see that ad, click on the link and instantly be signed up for that product/service, everthings at the click of the mouse (or trackpad).