Here’s an advertisement from today’s (June 27, 2010) The Times of India (click on it to enlarge).
Notice the Facebook and Twitter URL in it? I completely understand the reason behind adding the website URL, but why add the other 2 URLs?
If you do see those links – they have 9 followers on Twitter and 8 friends on Facebook (as of now!). The last updates on both is in the end of February 2010. On Facebook, there is just one update, welcoming themselves! Even more interesting – the Facebook URL is a profile…not a page. The page (see this!) is no better, with 12 members (or ‘likes’).
So, why add these links at all? To garner followers/friends?
If so, does this ad. or anything in either their twitter timeline or Facebook page indicate a reason for people to either follow them or add them as a friend?
Personally, I don’t see any. If there was some contextual update about the properties advertised in the ad., on the Twitter timeline or FB profile/page, I can understand that readers may make the connect between print and online properties and perhaps ask some information. That’s missing too.
So, why bother? I have no idea – if you know why or could possibly think of a reason why adding a follower-less or friend-less Twitter/FB URL with no recent updates makes sense in some way, please do let me know.