How often have you stumbled upon a website and left immediately due to ads blocking the content? Well, those are the nuisance of ads.
Acceptable Ads are not intrusive, and you might not even notice them unless you look closely. As a website owner, it is essential to place ads well to prevent any issues from arising.
This article will cover Acceptable Ads and statistics about adblock users.
What Are Acceptable Ads?
Before we discuss Acceptable Ads, let’s have a look at how they came into existence. Adblock Plus started the Acceptable Ads programme in 2011, which was then handed to the Acceptable Ads Committee in 2017 to decide the standards that define what Acceptable Ads are. The purpose to build Acceptable Ads and its committee (AAC) was to,
Protect user experience.
Only allow formats that adblock users do not find intrusive.
Still, allow formats that provide meaningful monetization opportunities.
All proposed changes/additions must be technically feasible and based on data.
Thus, by looking at the above factors, the Acceptable Ads are the ones that don’t seem a nuisance or too intrusive. They respect the user’s browsing goal. Most Acceptable Ads are often labeled with the word Advertisement or something reflecting the advertising traits.
They aren’t like some regular digital ads that cover the whole page till you take a certain action. Instead, Acceptable Ads adhere to the set ad guidelines.
Therefore, if you have a website, it is advisable to follow the ad guidelines to prevent your Adblock users from leaving your website feeling disappointed with the annoying ads.
Most online publishers use ads to generate revenue; however, they should be used sparingly to ensure users enjoy browsing your website.
Data About Ad blockers
6 Ad Blocker Usage Statistics
1. More than 42.7% of internet users use ad blockers.
It is estimated that 40% of the global population uses ad blockers. This shows how users don’t like seeing annoying ads
2. More men use ad blockers than women
49.2% of men use ad-blocking software compared to 43.2 % of women. The ad blockers are mainly popular with users below 35 years.
3. Most users have different reasons for using an ad blocker
The most prevalent reason why people use ad blockers is because of the excessive number of ads on the internet. Some even presume that they are irrelevant to their cause.
Other reasons include being too intrusive, taking up too much screen space, ads containing viruses, speeding up page load time, avoiding ads before watching videos or shows, compromising online privacy, and stopping data allowance from being used up.
AdBlock User Statistics
4. More than 28% of Americans use ad blockers
According to the eMarketer report, more than 28% of internet users use ad blockers. In 2014, they were only 15.7%, which increased to over 27% in 2021.
5. People use ad blockers on computers more than on mobile phones
According to a reported estimate, over 37% of users use ad blockers on their computers, 15% on their phones, and 10% on their tablets
Ad Bypassing Techniques
6. Consumers are opting for subscription models to receive digital content
More consumers are willing to pay to receive digital content that doesn’t display ads. This is because some people dislike ads on websites, especially video ads which just start playing automatically when the webpage loads.
So if you don’t like seeing disturbing ads, then getting an ad blocker would be the best option. You can install the Extension from your preferred browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and much more.
However, there are some ads with meaning that you can consider looking at. Ad block usage has increased over time since people only want to see what is valuable to them. And by keeping the Acceptable Ads allowed, you can view something that’s valuable and might be useful to your situation.
What is programmatic advertising? In short, programmatic advertising is buying and selling online ad space through AI and real-time bidding. It allows business owners and digital marketers to run ads on online platforms that offer high visibility and CTR.
The primary reason why programmatic advertising is important is that you can choose a target audience under your budget for a specific goal.
If you’re into learning the benefits of programmatic advertising, don’t prolong the agony – scroll down.
But first, let’s see how it works.
How Do Programmatic Ads Work?
Unlike traditional marketing, where you need to look for ad space, such as billboards, programmatic advertising requires no such uphill battle.
To display your ad through programmatic advertising, you’d first visit an ad exchange. There you’ll specify your target audience, goals, and bid for ad spaces. The programmatic ad will process your bid for ad spaces auction running on publishing sites. If your bid is higher than other advertisers, your ad will load.
This process is speedy; shout out to the automated algorithm. And consumers will see your ad without any holdup. Pretty neat, right?
7 Benefits of Programmatic Advertising
If you don’t know the benefits of programmatic advertising, you’ll miss the essential aspects of using it other than increased revenue and sales. The following list will allow you to learn more and make the most out of your programmatic marketing.
One of the jaw-dropping benefits of programmatic advertising is that you can specify the target audience in depth. You can specify:
– Region
– People’s interests
– Shopping habits
– Age-group
– Gender
– Device
And above all, it shows your Ads to the right people, in the right place. Thus, providing great reach that always works in favor.
2. Flexible and Budget-Oriented
Programmatic Advertising is never going to surprise you with any additional fees. Set any budget for programmatic advertising to run ads in any region. From Zimbabwe to the North Pole, your budget stays the same, plus, it advises you when the best time to run adverts is and allows you to use your budget on a daily basis to maximize ROI.
3. Real-time Data and High Transparency
How can you trust a marketing method that doesn’t show campaign performance and where the ads are shown?
Programmatic advertising offers real-time data to check campaign performance and make appropriate changes. View sites where the ads are loaded to ensure they’re not compromising brand value by appearing in an unsafe environment. Thus you get more than a fair share of your transparency.
4. Powerful User-Friendly Controls
Whether you want to pause a campaign, increase or lower your budget; change demographics, ad running time, content, etc., everything is super-easy. Just define some values, click some clicks, and you’re done. C’est-à-dire programmatic advertising.
5. Display Ads That Show Off Brand Identity
In the past decade, ads were simple and dull. And that’s how they performed. But, hey ya’ll, it’s programmatic advertising. Now you can display ads that represent your brand more clearly and confidently. You can use high-quality graphics, rich text, etc., to make ads appealing and brand-conscious.
6. Run Campaigns Triggered by Weather
Who doesn’t want to prepare their jackets when it gets bitter outside, and probably cuppa joe? If they see an ad that offers them both, they go for it. And that’s another one of the incredible programmatic advertising benefits that allow you to run marketing campaigns triggered by weather conditions.
7. Minimal Bad Performance
With advanced targeting capabilities, real-time data, user-friendly controls, and more, what else can you expect other than impactful benefits? Use your budget effectively, generate more leads, and convert sales with minimal lousy performance. And that’s what every marketer is looking for, and surely you too, marketing fella.
We are very thrilled to announce that Magnum Capital has acquired Adpone and Unblockia. Both teams will work on making our combined vision a reality, to become the leader in the Adtech sector at an international level.
This is an exciting time and one we have been working on for the past years. Making this a reality, together with Sunmedia, we now form a group with operations in more than 60 countries, and offer the latest technological solutions for publishers and advertisers, with sales of more than 85 million.
We continue our commitment to offering high-quality solutions and top-of-the-line results, while we keep innovating new ways of delivering ads in the most beneficial manner for our clients. 2023 awaits great growth, with new offices in different countries, the release of new solutions, and an unprecedented expansion toward the international market.
It’s an exciting time to reinvent and implement the future of programmatic advertising. We’ve made it our key objective through our journey, to shine a light on what our publishers should be benefiting from, while never forgetting our integrity and professionalism in the process.
We want to deeply thank our entire team that has accompanied us since the very beginning, and our clients and partners for their trust and loyalty over the past years.
Advertisement is essential for dominating the market. The preferable ways to advertise are traditional and digital. In the age of Netflix and pop tarts, which is highly driven by tech, digital advertising is what dominates. And for digital, things depend heavily on display and native ads.
But what if the stakes are high? You can only select one and bail out on the other.
Well, in that case, you need to clash Display Ad vs. Native Ad, for real! You need to know the differences before using any of them. And this post is all about that.
So, without any further ado, let’s dive right in!
What Are Display Ads?
Even though you haven’t noticed display ads before, you’ve seen them. They’re just like traditional marketing billboards but much evolved.
Most online publishers have spaces to show display ads. You can find them at the top of the website, in the sidebar, or sometimes in the middle of the content. They combine text, media (image and video), and a URL link to the advertiser’s website.
They seem like a banner – colorful, rich-in text, and engaging. Something that’s easily identified.
Display advertising has been popular since the Internet’s inception. And it still has strong dominance over digital marketers. Using these, marketers can easily reach a wider audience and reinforce brand awareness.
They’re inexpensive, measurable, and can be designed. Thus, giving the advertisers most of the biggies.
Forms/Examples of Display Ads
Display ads can be static (you only see a single message in a single way) or dynamic: mostly animated with images and video coming and going. Some even include CTA to improve interaction.
Based on the above, the popular examples of display ads are,
Personalized ads
Context-specific ads
Retargeting ads
Site-placed ads
Benefits of Display Advertising
With display ads, you can expect the following advantages,
And 320 x 50 – 640 x 100 pixels @2X (required) for Mobile leaderboard.
What are Native Ads?
Compared to display ads, native ads are new, and where they are showcased, they mix with the platform’s design scheme on fleek. For instance, Google and Bings ads resemble traits of search results. Instagram ads look like Instagram posts. The same is true with Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, and TikTok.
And you can only identify them from the “Ad” or “Sponsored Post” text.
Even online publishers display native ads as they are part of the content, like post suggestions. Unlike display ads, native ads don’t stand out but try to grab users’ attention softly.
With these, you can expect a click-through rate of up to 0.38% for mobile and 0.1% for Desktop, which isn’t bad at all.
Display Ads vs. Native Ads – the 5 Key Differences
For a quick showdown between display ads vs. native ads, you can refer to the following points,
Display Ads
Native Ads
Ads differ from the website’s design scheme, like an oreo cookie.
Ads blend with the website’s default look and feel.
Ads are considered banners.
Users consider them as pieces of content on the platform.
They could be Static or Dynamic, including images, text, video, and CTA.
The Gen Z generation has become a highly attractive target for publishers around the globe as they form a large part of the world population and will eventually become the generation with the most disposable income. But still, catching the attention of this group of people might represent a bit of a challenge for some publishers as this younger generation consumes content differently. As a result, traditional tactics to develop a connection with them won’t work.
The good news is: You do not have to be from Gen Z to understand how to reach and connect to this audience. Below we´ve broken down some key points to help you use the right approach.
But first, let´s get to know more about this younger generation.
Who is Gen Z?
Born between 1996 and 2010, they are creative, bold, tech-savvy, and socially minded. These digital natives want to feel an authentic connection with businesses they like and follow. In fact, one of the main characteristics of this generation is their concern about the world and their desire to make it a better place. That’s why they are more likely to connect with content that keeps it real, establishes clear values, and is inclusive.
Now let’s dive into some key points that will help you reach them:
#1 Keep your content relevant: They are used to spending lots of hours in front of a screen, therefore they will ignore any irrelevant ad or message that doesn’t resonate with them. What content resonates with Gen Z? They crave content that is honest, conscious, original, entertaining, community-focused, and relevant to their everyday lives.
#2 Review your content values: As we mentioned earlier, this generation has high expectations when it comes to businesses taking stances on social issues. This is a chance for publishers to review their own brand stories and how their values show up: Is their content accessible for everyone? How can their brand better align with the values they uphold? Some of the values Gen Z looks for are sustainability, diversity, inclusivity, eco-friendliness, transparency, accountability, and work-life balance.
#3 Put social media at the center of your content: Social Media is an essential part of their lives. They use it to get entertainment, find inspiration, and make their voices heard. Members of Gen Z are fans of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. Take for example “ The Washington Post”. It has invested in storytelling to deliver news in a unique way and reach the future generation. As a result, it has organically grown to over 1,4 million TikTok fans and 6,1 million Instagram followers.
#4 Bet on short videos: 40% of Gen Z users prefer Reels, Stories, or TikTok videos when seeing ads on social media. Keep in mind that Gen Z has a short attention span, so using short videos is the best way to grab their interests.
#5 Use native formats: 35% of Gen Z say they dislike most advertising, but they are OK with native ads and sponsored content, and 34% say they make frequent purchases based on advertising content that engage them.
#6 Tell your stories on audio: News publishers like CNN, have embraced audio as a new way to reach their audience on the go. Some have created podcasts centered on subjects relevant to Gen Z listeners, such as climate change, social justice, and fact-based reporting.
#7 Make them laugh: Publishers shouldn’t take themselves too seriously when it comes to attracting this generation. Bear in mind that the whole point of Gen Z culture is that comedy comes easily; trying too hard is embarrassing. Find an authentic comical voice and communication style that is engaging.
Gen-Z is a generation that keeps up with the latest technology and trends. Adapting your business to build a valuable relationship with them means taking the time to learn and understand their preferences. But once the approach is done correctly Gen Zers will reward your business for the invested time and money.
Ready to take your Gen Z marketing strategy to the next level? Did you know that 65% of this generation use an adblocker and consequently, it reduces your website revenue? Use our free AdBlock traffic calculator to find out how much money you are leaving on the table.
For online publishers, online ads are one of the most effective revenue generators. Yet, the increment in the use of AdBlock extensions has put a massive block on this source of income. In 2016 the lost ad revenue estimation which was $15.8B, came up to approximately $78B in 2020 and it is expected to continue increasing in 2022.
Looking at this scenario, what seems right for publishers is to apply a paywall with an AdBlock detection message. This provides online publishers with a slight window of ad revenue.
But, this solution compromises them with a riskier business model that forces the user to disable the Adblock extension or pay a fee for browsing their website without any ads.
Fortunately, they can overcome this situation through Ad Revenue Optimization using Acceptable Ads. It’s a transparent advertising method that establishes a safe environment for everyone on the internet.
Wondering what ad revenue optimization is, and how can you utilize it?
Well, that’s what we’ll be discussing in this post. But first, let’s take a look at some key points…
What’s the AdBlock Detection Message?
An AdBlock detection message appears when users have adblocker enabled on their browser. It notifies them to disable it to explore the content of the website.
Here’s how it works:
Online publishers add a software on the site that detects AdBlock extension on users’ browsers.
The software creates an image of the site with ads being shown before actually loading the page on the user end. When the page is fully loaded, the software compares the image it has created before with the current page.
If the image is different – without ads (or ads script) – the software displays the AdBlock detection message.
Technically, Adblock detection is accomplished through the use of a small web code that serves as a “bait” for ad-blocking scripts. This bait falsely appears to be a container for an ad unit.
The Adblock script modifies the page rendering when it wants to block the bait. When this occurs, it is recognized as the work of an adblocker extension or software, and visitors receive the above anti-Adblock notification.
However, with an AdBlock detection message like the above, users can easily bypass it. And for that, all they have to do is click “Continue without supporting this time.”
And indeed, this is what AdBlock users mostly do to avoid advertisement. Hence, it causes ad revenue loss.
But with a Hard Paywall, this situation is different.
What’s a Hard Paywall?
A Hard Paywall is a content restriction technique that enables online publishers to put their content behind a paid subscription.
When applied to a website, it completely hides the content. And users can only be able to access it once they opt for a subscription plan or disable the AdBlock extension like the image below.
However, a more appropriate example of a Hard Paywall with an AdBlock detection message would be the following.
Here, it only allows the visitors to access the content when they – the visitors – either Subscribe or Disable the AdBlock extension.
The ones who are loyal will subscribe. The ones looking for the info in dire need will disable it. But, users who are just surfing the website will leave.
And as a result, it will drop publishers’ ad revenue.
Fortunately, Acceptable Ads – a transparent and respectful method, establishes a healthy interaction between publishers, advertisers, and users. It is a more user-friendly method that doesn’t even require users to disable the AdBlock.
Hence, it prevents online publishers from ad revenue losses.
What are Acceptable Ads?
In 2011 the Acceptable Ads program was launched to establish a general standard to help publishers generate ad revenue while allowing users to block annoying, intrusive, and irrelevant ads.
In order for an ad to be an “Acceptable Ad”, it must follow the standards that have been set by the Acceptable Ads Committee. If it does, the ads are placed on an allowlist and are then shown to ad-blocking users who allow Acceptable Ads.
When users visit websites of online publishers who’ve opted for Acceptable Ads, they see these ads even if their ad blocker is turned on.
In 2017, the Acceptable Ads Committee was formed to oversee the criteria for an ad to be accepted into the Acceptable Ads program. To qualify as an Acceptable Ad, the ad must be,
Recognizable and distinguishable.
No excess use of colors.
It shouldn’t occupy more than 15 to 20% of the space.
Simply put, Acceptable Ads are those ads that are non-intrusive, relevant, and respectful.
Acceptable Ads vs. Hard Paywall
Even though a Hard Paywall promises to stabilize the income and create a loyal customer base, 94% of digital-born news media prefer offering free content. In addition, Hard Paywall is the riskiest method as 90% of readers will leave the site as soon as they see a paywall notice.
Studies have found that hard paywalls can discourage new signups.
On the other hand, nearly 200M ad-blocking users have accepted to see Acceptable Ads. It means there is over 90% of Adblock Plus users that would allow AdBlock revenue recovery.
Furthermore, there’s no risk, plus it creates a better experience for the users on the site.
Moreover, it respects users’ decision to view Acceptable Ads while their AdBlock extension is enabled. So, they can save themselves from the annoying ads of other platforms without re-enabling the extension.
What’s Ad Revenue Optimization & How Acceptable Ads Can Help Online Publishers?
Ad Revenue Optimization is a process where publishers invest their time in techniques that help them recover the loss for regular ads— for example,
Header Bidding,
Premium Ad Exchanges,
A/B testing and more.
However, if users have an adBlocker, these methods won’t work, and optimization is not possible.
But in the case of Acceptable Ads, things are different.
Acceptable Ads make the platform rich in viewability & user experience. And as AdBlock has an Acceptable Ads filter list, they will be shown to the user without any interference.
About 54% of the top 50 ComScore properties successfully carry out AdBlock monetization using Acceptable Ads.
Thus, publishers can expect a higher Adblock monetization through acceptable advertising.
Ad Revenue Optimization With Unblockia
Unblockia is one of the top ad tech companies specializing in Acceptable Ads initiatives. From providing an AdBlock Traffic Calculator to offering a more transparent and respectful interaction; we help publishers recover the lost AdBlock revenue while keeping the internet safe and free.
Through our services, publishers preserve the UX with non-intrusive ads placed strategically on the site. Moreover, there are only a few steps to take to start showcasing Acceptable Ads with Unblockia.
Our service provides a dedicated account manager, reporting tools, and more to make the most out of the Unblockia experience as well as Acceptable Ads.
The Bottom Line
As AdBlock users are rising, it’s vital for publishers to make an appropriate decision to keep the Ads revenue flowing. With Unblockia´s solution, they can improve their income significantly.
Also, it is by far the most profitable method. There’s no risk, no traffic drop – as in the case of Hard Paywalls – and even there’s no involvement of any complex processes. Plus, it improves the user experience since it does not require to disable the AdBlock extension.
Thus, allowing them to surf the internet with more safety and privacy.
With Acceptable Ads service partners like Unblockia, it becomes even more simple. Publishers just need to follow the simple integration process and their website will start displaying Acceptable Ads without any issue.
With Acceptable Ads service partners like Unblockia, it becomes even more simple. Publishers just need to follow the simple integration process and their website will start displaying Acceptable Ads without any issue.
With Acceptable Ads service partners like Unblockia, it becomes even more simple. Publishers just need to follow the simple integration process and their website will start displaying Acceptable Ads without any issue.
It all started with a few first lines, back in 2015, when the history – and the code – of Adpone, an Advertising technology company, began to be written.
The startup, founded by two entrepreneurs with extensive experience in the Ad Tech sector, was created with one clear goal in mind: to offer publishers and advertisers a high-performance solution with its in-house machine learning technology. They were looking to optimize online advertising in the most effective way and at the same time provide a healthy and transparent workplace where employees were happy to work. And so they did.
Adpone is the fastest growing Advertising company in Spain and it is well known for connecting advertisers and publishers in a direct, simple, and efficient way. Its technology has allowed thousands of advertisers to connect with their target audience on websites from all over the world. It has also allowed publishers to monetize their advertising inventory and obtain the maximum possible profit while offering pleasant web navigation.
However, being at the forefront takes hard work and calls for innovative ideas. They knew that listening to their audience and being attentive to what they asked for was the main key to delivering the best results. Every member of the company is an online content consumer and each and every one of them is aware of the importance of a light and non-intrusive ad experience. Additionally, they were conscious that publishers were facing a big challenge due to the growing use of adblockers. So they created Unblockia, a solution that tackles the invasive ads user experience and the publishers lost revenue created by Adblock extension usage.
Unblockia, an Adpone Company, is specialized in monetizing ad inventory from Adblock traffic. It encourages a more transparent and respectful interaction between publishers, advertisers, and users while keeping the Internet safe and free. They do this by providing publishers and advertisers with smart technology to deliver a better online experience to their users through Acceptable Ads.
Acceptable Ads are ads that aren’t intrusive or annoying. They are respectful, don’t interfere with content, and are clearly labeled with the word “advertisement” or its equivalent. These ads are created with users in mind and are presented in noninvasive ad formats that they are happy to see. At the same time, these ads allow publishers to start recovering the revenue they were losing due to ad blockers.
Since 2009 the adoption of ad blockers has been increasing. This is undoubtedly a generational issue. Millennials, centennials, generations Z and X, want to be exposed just to certain types of ads. Consequently, publishers are facing the challenge of maintaining their websites profitable and most of them fail at it. Undoubtedly, new solutions like Unblockia are essential to building a strong and sustainable online future where the needs of users, publishers, and advertisers meet.
