If you’re running a large network of blogs that relies on linkbait and porn to draw quick traffic volume (like Valleywag’s parent company Gawker Media), then relying on the click through rate of display advertising is by all means a great way to monetize eyeballs (even if those eyeballs are as useless as a late stage glaucoma patient’s).

However, Facebook’s deals with a completely different audience (and maturity level) than Valleywag or Gawker Media (with the exception of LifeHacker).  So, for Owen Thomas to pontificate about Facebook’s sure demise because of low CTR’s is just silly and ignorant.

The Reach Students blog notes that a campaign on Facebook drew a 0.04% click-through rate — a dismal response that’s far from uncommon in advertisers’ experiences. No wonder the site is scraping the bottom of the barrel to find advertisers. If Zuckerberg is to maintain his site’s precious independence, he will have to figure out better ways for his company — and its advertisers — to profit from its rapidly swelling user base.

The beauty of what Facebook provides advertisers and marketers is the ability to reach out to a network of dedicated users in a social environment.  Groups like Noise Marketing or Converseon “get” this aspect of marketing and ultimately provide a better value than some imaginary impression based CTR traffic on a quick hit blog network.

In other words, stick with reporting on who is pregnant or how boring you think Scoble’s videos are, Valleywag.

Social Networks: Facebook’s users turn up their noses at its ads - Valleywag