Adblockers cause severe profit losses for publishers. While using those might seem like a pleasant relief from annoying ads, it is bad news for those who make money from ads on their websites! Maybe, it’s time to get passive income from those who block ads, monetize the adblock traffic?
As of Statista, in the US only, the loss of revenue due to ad blocking will reach $12 billion. So, both groups of the market actors — advertisers and publishers — are eager to mitigate the damage. And despite the boom in the use of adblockers, there are trusted strategies and techniques to help you monetize adblock traffic and users and still make the best income from those users. Let’s start with the basics.
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First off, what is an adblock?
Also known as ad filters, an adblock refers to any tool that filters web or app content for ads and automatically blocks those ads. They are available as standalone apps, browser extensions, and plug-ins.
The idea is to rid the internet of ads — making apps and sites ‘cleaner’ and less obstructive to give internet users a smoother experience.
How does an adblock work?
Given that digital advertising operates in different forms (such as pop-up windows, automatic display audios and videos, embedded texts, banner ads, and native ads), adblocking tools are designed for watching against technologies used to deliver ads.
These include HTML5, ad plugins, ad links, and other web practices that relate to adverts. Adblockers typically lookout for certain ad tags and scripts and automatically blacklist any content with such tags.
The adoption of adblock is primarily based on UX (user experience). Users prefer a web page with less distractive ads, faster loading times, less bandwidth, and less battery power consumption.
People also prefer to protect their privacy from intruding ads and to protect themselves from ads that lead to unplanned expenditures.
How can a publisher monetize adblock traffic?
From the publisher’s perspective, adblocks have far-reaching consequences since online advertising is the primary revenue source for most webmasters.
The use of adblocks means publishers are deprived of funds they would otherwise invest in producing more quality content for their audience and in improving the website for better UX/UI. Webmasters often ask, how am I supposed to earn from ads if my users don’t see them?!
Good news! There are several strategies to help you earn on adblock traffic. Adblock traffic monetization strategies deploy several approaches, and here are some tips you should consider adopting. We will list them now.
#1 Create quality content with a great user experience
It sounds cliché, but creating great content for your website is the foundation for any other anti-adblock strategy.
Considering this infographic shared by Raconteur, you can see that web advertising is not only here to stay but keeps growing year in, year out. As long as you provide quality content that engages your audience, advertisers are bound to spend, and users are bound to click.
Users are out for value. If they’re convinced that you will always deliver high-quality content with balanced ads, they wouldn’t have to use an adblock in the first place.
However, it is possible that many users may have installed adblocks due to their ugly experiences on other websites — perhaps, long before they had visited your website. Let’s check other methods to keep your ads off the blacklist.
#2 Ask users to whitelist your website
Here, you put up short and simple texts asking your users to whitelist your blog or website so they can enjoy more quality content. Appeal to their emotions and give them enough reason to whitelist your site.
Users who enjoy your content and benefit from it will certainly love to have more and wouldn’t mind supporting the website. Again, to achieve this, you have to be friendly and honest.
Thank your visitors for taking the time to consume your content and further explaining that ads on your website help improve your outputs’ quality and frequency.
If you’re combining ads with affiliate marketing, you can make a statement that if they purchase the ads on your site, you are entitled to a commission that does not affect the products’ price or services.
Reports claim that internet users do not find affiliate links precisely disturbing, as far as they are related to the information they seek. The same is with relevant ads.
So, kindly ask them to whitelist your website. You can also include a pictorial guide showing how to do this.
#3 Block content from adblock users
This method works almost like asking them nicely to whitelist your website. But this time you act more straightforward. You calmly notify users that you have noticed that they’re using an AdBlock and so would not be able to enjoy the content until they whitelist your website.
This way, only non-adblock users are allowed to view the content. If you have a history of producing consistently valuable content, they won’t find it hard to whitelist your website. Valuable content makes a lot of difference here.
#4 Integrate anti-adblock solutions
If there exist adblockers, anti-adblockers are also thriving. Platforms like Blockthrough (formerly PageFair) offer complex recovery solutions harmless to UX. Consider these solutions if you own a reputable website with unique content that attracts many users, and you feel you may lose a significant part of your income because of adblockers. For those who have just started growing passive income, they might turn up as double expenses.
Adsterra Anti-AdBlock feature is available to all registered publishers, so you can use it for free. Please ask your manager to swithch it on. You will be also able to remove the feature on request.
#5 Use Direct Links or In-Page Push ads
Direct links are URLs that publishers can put anywhere, especially texts, So they are difficult for adblocking tools to track. You could place the links right in the body of your text.
Similarly, native ads blend smoothly with web content and do not create any inconveniences for your visitors. Native banners can go a long way in helping you monetize the AdBlock traffic, both desktop and mobile.
#6 Vary your ad formats
Adblocks use diverse technologies to detect ad content. Varying your ad setups and delivery method from time to time could help you bypass some adblocking scripts and recover your much-deserved revenue.
The only glitch with this method is that Adblock companies tend to improve their software regularly to keep users protected. So, stay informed to learn how to bypass each update.
A stronger point is to consider replacing traditional ads with AdBlock-friendly formats. With Adsterra, you have a next-gen ad unit for publishers, Social Bar. It integrates into the web content with a single line of code and bypasses blockers.
#7 Partner with anti-adblock ad networks
Since there is no end to technology capabilities, advertising networks generate anti-adblock codes for publishers and bloggers to install on their websites. Different kinds of software attempt to override adblocks with a proprietary combination of advanced programming.
None of the solutions can guarantee you 100% traffic recovery because blocking and anti-blocking algorithms are in the constant fight.
Nonetheless, anti-AdBlock technology is a trusted way to recover lost ad revenues. You can use the Adsterra in-house Anti-Adblock solution. It adds up to 20% to your revenue. You can contact the Adsterra support team to request this income-boosting feature on your dashboard.
#8 Include a paywall or subscription model
This is where the value of your content completely comes to play. This adblock traffic monetization strategy involves making money with your content directly.
Since advertising is one of the most effective ways to monetize your audience, you can experiment with a mix of both ads (native ads, banner ads, or direct links) and a subscription/paywall model.
The latter makes your web content available to only serious users who are willing to part with a minor fee to avoid seeing ads. Of course, the quality of your content convinces users on whether or not they are worth paying for.
Try giving them some catchy snippets to pique their interest. Interested users would not mind micropayments for content since they get the desired value.
With the use of paywalls, it is advisable to keep your ads minimal.
Okay, what are your next steps to adblock traffic monetization?
Earning from Adblock traffic is possible, but it takes concerted efforts and requires you to try out several strategies. There is no specific monetization method that answers for all AdBlock users (adblockers), but you could recover as much income as possible if you adopt the right tactics.
Besides, you can contact our support team for our in-house anti-adblocking tool. At Adsterra, we have helped thousands of publishers monetize adblock traffic since 2013.
We strike a fair balance between user experience and publishers’ monetization to help you generate more revenue from your blocked ads.
Now it’s time to move from words to action
