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Here’s something important that we haven’t talked about yet: funnels.
Funnels were integral to this whole operation, and probably still are.
Funnels were integral to this whole operation, and probably still are.
What are marketing funnels?
Here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2017/09/20/what-is-a-sales-funnel-and-how-to-create-your-first-one/#2699bab7df44
Here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2017/09/20/what-is-a-sales-funnel-and-how-to-create-your-first-one/#2699bab7df44
If you imagine an actual funnel, a marketing funnel is pretty similar. Instead of liquid being drawn into the funnel, it’s people. When they come out the other side, it means they’ve done something specific that the marketer intended.
You’ve probably been through multiple funnels, but maybe didn’t realize it. Let’s take a typical, non-evil example.
Say you’re trying to think of something to make for dinner. So you start Googling, and come across a blog entry.
Say you’re trying to think of something to make for dinner. So you start Googling, and come across a blog entry.
The blog entry is a recipe for Instant Pot Burrito Bowls. You try it. It’s good. You go back to the blog for more.
While you’re there, you get an offer for a free mini-book of breakfast recipes in exchange for your email address. You decide why not; it’s free.
You get the mini-book delivered a few seconds later via email. You open it and download it. You use it, and like it.
You get a few emails from the author of the recipes. She’s funny, and her recipes are easy and delicious.
One day, she mentions that she’s taking pre-orders for her latest cookbook. You’ve liked everything of hers so far. She has testimonials from other people who loved her last book. She has a link right in the email. You click it, and pre-order your book.
Congratulations, you’ve just been through a sales funnel.
Here’s a visual for you.
Here’s a visual for you.
Keep in mind that behind the scenes, there is METADATA being gathered about you every step of the way: this person came to the site on this page. This person gave their email for this e-book. This person has opened emails 79% of the time...
...This person has clicked in emails 57% of the time. This person has shared blog articles on Facebook.
Well, the same tactics could be used in psychological warfare. Let’s look at an evil example.
Joe starts seeing racist memes in his FB feed. He clicks on one, and eventually likes the page associated with it.
Joe starts seeing racist memes in his FB feed. He clicks on one, and eventually likes the page associated with it.
Now that he’s liked the page, its content starts showing up in his feed. He clicks on an article about women going crazy from birth control.
After he clicks on that article, more ads (except they don’t look like ads - they look like news articles) start showing in his feed. They have tons of likes and shares, and lots of comments. It seems like a lot of other people are thinking this way too.
He clicks on the fake articles (ads). While reading the “article," a pop-up appears that says “Join the fight against sharia law in America! Sign this letter showing you won’t put up with this shit!” He signs the letter, and gives his email address.
Joe starts to receive personal email updates. One email asks him to share with friends. He does.
After a while, Joe receives an email asking if he’ll attend a fake rally. He signs up, and identifies himself as attending in the fake FB group associated with it. Once there, he checks in on FB, takes a photo, and tags himself.
Joe has officially been converted. It started with the meme, and ended with him physically going somewhere. The bad actors at the other end of this now have a model that they can use for other people like Joe.
Here’s a visual of this (kind of) theoretical conversion model.
And here’s a really important point: Chris Wylie stated before Parliament that standard conversion rates for the types of funnels they had were around 0.1 - 1%. You know what conversion rates Cambridge Analytica had with their funnels? Between 3 and 10%.
UP TO AN ALMOST 10,000% INCREASE. http://www.businessinsider.com/chris-wylie-refutes-claims-that-cambridge-analytica-tech-doesnt-work-2018-3
Why do you think that is? It’s because THEY’D STOLEN ALL OUR METADATA.
(here’s what metadata is) https://twitter.com/i/moments/984259305732964352
(here’s what metadata is) https://twitter.com/i/moments/984259305732964352
They didn’t have to waste their time A/B testing over and over again to get the conversion rates they wanted. That’s what you do when you’re blind to most of the metadata and are making guesses as to what someone will respond to, then recalibrating and trying again.
(A/B testing is when you basically do a mini-experiment: does the red button or the blue button get more clicks? Red does? Okay button will be red. Does the word “click” or “join” get more clicks? Okay, we’ll say “join” because it did better. Etc. etc.)
No - they already had our entire psychographic profile. They didn’t need to cast a wide net. They knew exactly where to start.
And besides that, they COULDN’T have cast a wide net. Why? Don’t you think it would have completely blown up in their face if most of America got bombarded with crazy racist shit on FB? (answer: yes)
Shit like this: https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/04/exclusive-robert-mercer-backed-a-secretive-group-that-worked-with-facebook-google-to-target-anti-muslim-ads-at-swing-voters/
Shit like this: https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/04/exclusive-robert-mercer-backed-a-secretive-group-that-worked-with-facebook-google-to-target-anti-muslim-ads-at-swing-voters/
Funnels are how they did all of THIS: https://twitter.com/i/moments/985369920845287424
The metadata they STOLE is so powerful that at one point it was classified and controlled as a weapon. A WEAPON. Do you think they’d classify snake oil as a weapon? (answer: NO)
One last thing: in the theoretical funnel I laid out I mentioned that it started with memes and ended with someone physically going somewhere. Well, take a look at this. They were tracking whether people had voted or not.
And we really, REALLY need to ask ourselves: what other kinds of actions could these funnels be leading people to?
THE NRA WORKED WITH CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA. They have our metadata. The metadata that at one point was classified as a weapon. WHAT. ARE. THEY. DOING. WITH. IT. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/16/nra-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-gun-control
