How facebook uses targeted advertising

Today my friend posted that she got a GoodLife Membership and as a BodyPump Instructor with GoodLife (in my spare time) I happily responded to her status update. When I clicked on the update to write my comment, I took notice of the advertising facebook was showing me. They were all related to working out or getting a better body. Since she used key words such as “GoodLife” and “workout” the ads were appropriate, however, since Facebook knows I’m a woman, one of the ads was for flabby arms – not a problem too many men are concerned about.

As a marketing professional, I think using facebook ads provides an alternative to traditional advertising (or even Google ads) as it allows you to be extremely precise in identifying your target market. It shouldn’t be the only kind of advertising you use, and it may not be the right medium to use in all circumstances, but it merits consideration as part of your marketing plan and strategy. I’m interested to see what happens with Google+, as currently it doesn’t have advertising.

Here’s the screenshot I took of the ads.

What do you think of the way Facebook does its advertising? Big brother or brilliant?
What has been your experience using Facebook ads?