Consumers are becoming more comfortable viewing and engaging with Acceptable Ads. How do you know if the ads running on your website fit the definition?
For publishers that generate revenue through display advertising, the problem is nothing new. More advertising equals more profit, but too many display ads can lead to higher bounce rates and greater use of ad blockers.
Ad blockers have exploded in the past decade. According to Google, ad blocking costs publishers more than $21 billion per year.
Ad blockers, which are also known as content blockers, are a special type of software that prevent ads from being shown on websites. Most ad blockers these days come in the form of browser add-ons. They are especially popular among consumers who use browsers like Chrome and Firefox. According to recent reports, consumers’ self-reported rate of ad block usage is roughly 40%. That means four-in-10 consumers aren’t seeing most of the display ads running on local publishers’ websites.
The more people use ad blockers, the fewer people see display advertising. That has led to a steep decline in advertising revenue for publishers, and it’s an issue the online media industry is currently working to resolve.
One possible solution that’s been gaining traction is the adoption of so-called Acceptable Ads. Acceptable Ads is a form of consent-based advertising, and it’s helping publishers engage with audiences who use ad blockers. The framework allows digital publishers to serve non-intrusive ads to consenting users of participating ad blockers. The number of users who are consenting to receive this ad type is on the rise, crossing 200 million for the very first time in 2020.
Consent-Based Advertising
Google and Apple have been working overtime on consumer privacy initiatives, phasing out third-party cookies and developing next-generation browsers with built-in ad blocking capabilities. These initiatives have the ability to wipe out the ad revenue that publishers have been relying on for years.
For publishers that plan to continue running display advertising on their websites, the only real way around these new privacy initiatives is by adopting ad technology that integrates consent. We know that user preferences about online ads are all over the board, with some users declining to share any data and others having no problem sharing it all.
Mobile ad blocking grew 10% in 2020, and desktop ad blocking grew 8%. Surveys show that consumers who use ad blockers are twice as likely to accept non-intrusive ads than they are to engage with adblock walls or pay for content.
Acceptable Ads are seen as a counter-block against the ad blockers that have disrupted the digital publishing industry in recent years. Finding ways to monetize visitors who use ad blockers is something that many in the industry have been eager to do, but it hasn’t been easy. People who use ad blockers are reluctant to sign up for paid subscriptions, and they’re less likely than other consumers to subscribe to email newsletters or social media feeds. However, a recent survey found that 63% of users who have downloaded ad blockers said they would be willing to view “light, non-intrusive advertising” to support web publishers.
Seventy-four percent of users say they “don’t mind being advertised to” as long as the ads don’t compromise their privacy, debunking the common misconception that online consumers dislike all advertising. It’s entirely possible that digital publishers that run consent-based advertising could enjoy the best of both worlds — generating revenue through display advertising without losing access to readers hiding behind ad blockers.
Key Takeaways
- Publishers are using consent-based advertising and messaging-based tools to engage their ad-blocked audiences.
- People who use ad blockers prefer non-intrusive advertising experiences.
- Online privacy is an increasingly important issue to Internet users in the U.S.
To learn more about the latest advertising strategies for digital publishers, contact Web Publisher PRO.
