We’re going to tell you a truth you probably already know: more and more users are avoiding digital advertising. They are annoyed by having to see ads for things that probably don’t interest them. It’s in this challenging scenario that every publisher must find ways to monetize, regardless of any obstacles that may arise, such as ad blocking. There are always ways to succeed and make your app or website profitable.
Ad blocking challenges the viability of business models and poses a problem for monetization. We repeat: a problem, not an impossibility. There are strategies to overcome ad blocking and come out on top.
What are the steps to follow? We’ve prepared this article to show you the path that will help you overcome ad blocking. Read it to the end!
What is Ad Blocking?
Ad blocking is simply a technology that blocks or filters ads attempting to display on a website or mobile app. Users typically use browser extensions or applications to block ads from appearing.
For users, it’s an effective solution to ad invasion, but for publishers, it’s a frustrating obstacle that prevents them from monetizing correctly, as it reduces the visibility and effectiveness of their ads.
The significance of ad blocking is evident in the numbers: it is projected to cause losses exceeding $54 billion worldwide in 2024, according to PageFair figures. Will we allow this? No way!
Ad Blocking, a Growing Menace
While still a threat, ad blocking was much more fierce a decade ago when ad blockers became a boom. Many people started using them to reduce online advertising.
That effect persists, and just between 2021 and 2023, ad blocking increased by 11%, surpassing 900 million users worldwide (most of whom are website visitors).
Experts point out that after the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people were forced to work remotely from home, there was a definitive change in user behavior, leading to an upward trend in ad blocking. By the end of the second quarter of 2023, there was a significant increase in ad blocking on mobile apps, with an estimated 495 million users.
Do you see the monster we’re up against? It’s intimidating, but not invincible.
Why Do Users Block Ads? Key Insights for Publishers
The main reason users block ads is that they find them intrusive or disruptive to their browsing experience. They feel that their browsing environment is cleaner without ads. Other reasons include:
- Security: This is a concern for many users, as some people use ads to collect data. This privacy concern makes people skeptical about the transparency of ads, leading them to block them.
- Loading Speed: If the website or mobile app is poorly optimized, ads can slow down the loading time. Many users want to avoid a bad experience and block ads to speed up the loading of websites or apps they visit.
- Virus Reduction: How many of us have visited a website only to have suspicious ads pop up? Users know that by blocking ads, they can reduce exposure to potential cybersecurity threats.
- Irrelevance: According to a study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), 46% of users consider ads often irrelevant, meaning they don’t align with the users’ tastes and interests.
How Do Users Block Ads? Here’s How They Do It on Android and Browsers
Implementing ad blocking is very easy. You don’t need to be a tech expert to prevent ads from appearing on your screen. Essentially, these are the programs users can use to block ads:
Three Extensions for Google Chrome
- Adblock Plus
It’s free and allows you to control web advertising intuitively. Additionally, it also prevents tracking and blocks virus downloads. - Adblocker
It’s ideal for use on YouTube. It doesn’t require configuration and can block any type of ad, whether it’s a banner, video, or text. - AdLock
It’s one of the most widely used because of its versatility: it blocks ads in the browser and across the entire system, providing a clean and transparent user experience.
Three Blockers for Android
It’s important to note that these apps mainly block pop-up ads. Some apps offer premium plans to users to prevent ads from being shown. These three blockers are frequently used on Android:
- TrustGo Ad Detector
It’s different from a typical ad blocker. TrustGo Ad Detector removes the source of ads and their trackers, and also helps detect where the most annoying apps and those at risk of stealing personal data are hidden. It’s very easy to use. - AdGuard
It’s a paid blocker that works to prevent ads throughout the entire phone system, not just in apps. It’s highly effective for blocking pop-up messages and video ads. - AdAway
It can block ads across the entire mobile device and, for security reasons, is not available on Google Play. Users must download it through other means—it’s open-source—and use it to block ads with white and black lists, offering a high level of customization.
5 Strategies to Bypass Ad Blocking for Publishers: Learn How to Overcome This Hurdle
As a mobile app publisher, dealing with ad blocking becomes a top priority. Before falling into despair, it’s better to apply these strategies that we show you below:
Native Advertising
One of the best strategies to overcome ad blocking is native advertising. Traditional ads are more likely to be blocked, but native ads integrate organically with the content the user is viewing, achieving the goal of conveying the message.
The main idea is to ensure that ads appear as unobtrusive as possible.
Premium Subscription Offers
We all love YouTube until an ad pops up and ruins the song. YouTube is aware of this, which is why they offer a premium subscription without ads—a strategy you can also use without any issues.
Offer your users exclusive content and additional features when they subscribe to your app. Besides generating revenue from each subscription, the user will be satisfied because they’re paying for an enhanced experience.
You would earn from both in-app advertising and user subscriptions.
Sponsorships and Partnerships
In addition to getting advertisers through auctions or typical programmatic advertising means, another option to overcome ad blocking is to seek sponsorships or partnerships with other brands to integrate content into your app.
Don’t understand? Let’s explain it simply. Imagine a user opens a section of a website and sees a short video about a particular soda brand. It’s not an ad; it’s simply material uploaded by the editor to be part of the website. Now imagine that example in an app.
This way, you don’t rely on traditional advertising revenue but monetize more organically. If the user decides to install a plugin to block ads, it will have no effect.
Incorporate In-App Purchases
Suppose your most active users refuse to subscribe to one of your premium plans; you still have an ace up your sleeve: implementing in-app purchases.
Imagine you have a pet care product store, and to overcome ad blocking, you decide to sell personalized collars and T-shirts for dogs and cats. This way, you generate revenue without relying on advertising. However, you’ll need to do a titanic amount of marketing work and combine it with good coding.
Improve User Experience
No one wants to browse a slow website or an outdated mobile app. In addition to your in-app monetization plans, you should optimize your app as much as possible to ensure it’s neither slow nor obsolete.
This includes, among other things, providing relevant content in the app or website, performance optimization, and ad personalization. With all these elements in place, the user has fewer reasons to block or filter ads. Positive user experiences help retain users and improve monetization.
The Impact of Ad Blocking on Publishers’ Monetization
Ad blocking has negative effects on publishers who rely on advertising revenue to keep their projects running. It’s like a plague that slowly consumes everything if not addressed in time.
For example, the most direct impact is a decrease in advertising revenue. Ad blocking reduces the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, which, of course, is reflected in click and view rates. It significantly affects the Effective Cost per Thousand Impressions (eCPM).
But that’s not all; it also reduces the visibility of advertisers who pay to showcase their products. This way, advertisers lose the opportunity to reach their target audience, which results in a decrease in demand for advertising space.
All these challenges directly influence the quality of the content that publishers offer to their audience. Why? With less revenue, they naturally face greater difficulties in monetizing content. Without money, it’s hard to maintain long-term sustainability.
On the other hand, the practice of ad blocking forces publishers to seek alternative business models—such as subscription plans—and change the dynamics of the relationship between publishers and their users.
All these factors make publishers and advertisers work hand in hand to build creative tools and strategies that help mitigate the effects of ad blocking. Publishers can contribute by creating intuitive digital spaces, and advertisers by developing native ads that blend seamlessly with the app.
Overcome Barriers with Wortise, the No. 1 Ad Mediation in LATAM
Hello, publisher. The mobile advertising industry is challenging, and to succeed, it’s essential to establish partnerships with platforms that help you monetize without problems.
At Wortise, we work with hyper-segmentation to ensure that each ad is shown to the right person, which we achieve through our robust first-party data.
We connect hundreds of advertisers and publishers from around the world to enable the proper exchange of ads on websites and mobile apps, always delivering the best performance.
Personalized support and 1-on-1 assistance are other things we offer to shoot your eCPM to the moon.
