Internet users abhor online pop-up advertisements. Thus, in order to avoid them, they have been setting up ad blockers incredibly fast. Ad blocking is gaining popularity at a remarkable rate. These are testing times for the online publishing industry worldwide. The question to be asked here is that by what means would marketers be able to allay the effects of it?
Let’s start with the basics, i.e. by understanding what exactly is an ad blocker. An ad blocker is a software or a plug-in that removes or blocks-out ads from the site pages or browser. For the majority of the users, it is simply a browser extension which can be a painless install.
The irony is that the ad blocking software is quite incoherent, i.e. it doesn’t block anything by default. Rather, it looks excessively at the filter lists, which contain a large number of page components like, ad serving domains that are connected with advertisements. Since a majority of advertisements are served by means of an ad exchange and ad networks, blocking them is rarely more complicated than blocking the domains of the ad servers themselves.
How ad blocking is creating ripples in the online advertising industry?
Ad blockers can block out display ads, native ads, as well as video ads, and sponsored content widgets. Some content providers have asserted that rampant ad blocking instances have diminished the incomes of sites whose “freemium” content is supported by ads. Some have asserted that since advertisers are ultimately paying for the advertisements to increase their own incomes, doing away with ad blocking would only decrease the value per impression and consequently, the cost of the advertisement.
How difficult it is for publishers to monetize their traffic because of ad blockers?
Ad blocking is wrecking havoc for brands and organizations. Here’s a basic theory: Publishers never get paid for the advertisements that don’t get served, as blocked advertisements are a dead investment for he advertisers. Earlier, when just a few of individuals were running ad blockers, it wasn’t a that big an ordeal. But, it is a major concern now since a huge number of individuals are opting for them.
The measures taken by publishers to overcome his challenge are, at best, quite minuscule. Publishers may ask users to whitelist their websites, i.e. instructing the ad blockers to allow their advertisements to run. Others are adopting an extreme strategy by preventing the users of ad blockers from getting to their content entirely. Some are encrypting ad server data, thereby making it significantly harder for the ad blockers to target it. Other solutions include ad recovery, which involves serving the ads anyway. Some tech serves lite ads, considered less prying to sensitive ad blocking users. Others may serve the usual ad loads.
What’s the role of influencer marketing?
As the world is turning towards social media, customers rely on fellow customers’ experiences to make their purchasing decisions. Unlike earlier, when the customers looked up to the brands, they now look to one another and to the popular personalities, who are gathering heavy followings on social platforms like YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, and so on. Hence, many have a firm believe that influencer marketing is the next big thing in the advertising world. It is one of the best ways to combat the havoc of ad blockers.
What kind of ads publishers should consider for keeping their visitors engaged without being intrusive
A publisher should absolutely avoid adult pop-ups, pop-unders or redirecting the user to an adult page. Superfluous download tabs or misleading invitations to call-to-action tabs on the screen infuriates the users and they might sign-out instantly. As a publisher, you should be cautious about this, since you require impressions which give you leads. With new technology, comes new kind of customers. A significant number of users have ad blockers installed. There are various ways to engage them. We have to understand their need for blocking advertisements and remember their end goal to find value through the site.
Delivering ads, testing their effectiveness, and cultivating the audience base are all services offered at IncrementX. We help you deliver a personalized message to your users and understand what attracts them. However, if you continue the practice of displaying intrusive ads to your visitors, they will stick to blocking ads and in turn remain hidden. Begin with cracking all the hidden visitors with our free analysis. IncrementX offers services to calculate how much ad blocking is costing you, and also enlightening your visitors on the consequences of ad blocking.
