AdvertiseMint

Grow your business with Facebook, Instagram & TikTok advertising. Let's talk 844-236-4686.

  • Home
  • Services
    • Facebook Advertising Agency
    • Advertising Agency for Amazon
    • TikTok Advertising Agency
    • Google Ads Advertising Agency
    • Instagram Advertising Agency
    • Snapchat Advertising Agency
    • LinkedIn Advertising Agency
    • Spotify Advertising Agency
    • Pinterest Advertising Agency
    • YouTube Advertising Agency
  • Pricing
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • 844-236-4686
  • Get Started
You are here: Home / Marketing / 6 Ways That Brands Can Combat Ad Blockers

January 7, 2019

6 Ways That Brands Can Combat Ad Blockers

Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising company
Jose Aragones / Unsplash

Ad blockers are the advertiser’s kryptonite. They’re becoming even more of a challenge. According to Emarketer, one in four US internet users will use an ad blocker in 2019. When ad blockers come into play, you’re ready to throw in the towel. How can you possibly reach consumers when they choose to block your online advertising efforts?

We’ll let you in on a little secret: you can combat ad blockers. All it takes is a little creativity, willingness to try new approaches, and the motivation to make the effort. How do you do these things? Here are six ways to defeat your kryptonite.

Make It Enjoyable

To keep the ad blockers away, make your ad content enjoyable, plain and simple. For example, the popular food chain KFC told Emarketer it makes its ads fun to watch, without pushing the sale.

“We try to lean in and acknowledge the absurdity of advertising in our content and make the experience more enjoyable,” Steve Kelly, director of media and digital at KFC, told Emarketer. “That may manifest itself in an 8-hour interactive live stream of a room full of kittens playing with a Colonel-shaped cat climber.”

Kelly explained that KFC makes ads that give its audience a momentary respite from their stressful day. When someone sees a KFC ad, they smile instead of groaning about hard-selling messages thrown at them.

“We share a break from the daily grind that leaves people feeling better after interacting with our brand,” Kelly told Emarketer.

Make It Relatable

Another approach to make consumers think twice before using ad blockers is creating relatable ad content. Consumers like what they can understand and connect to, content that is relevant and true.

Vodka brand Absolut told Emarketer that it uses this approach for its ads. “Consumers are looking for something relatable that offers them some sort of advantage and isn’t just blind content being forced on them,” Simon de Beauregard, director at Absolut, told Emarketer.

For example, one Absolut Facebook ad relates to environmentalists with the text “We strive to be Planet Earth’s favorite vodka.” In the background, green shrubbery grows and wraps around the outline of a vodka bottle.

Image Courtesy of Absolut

The ad feels more like a connection to a relatable cause than a promotional message. Using this approach across all advertising platforms will make ad blockers less appealing.

Try Podcasts

More and more consumers are listening to podcasts these days. According to Emarketer, in 2019, about 76.8 million US consumers will listen to a podcast at least monthly. It only makes sense that more brands are directing their advertising efforts towards podcasts to reach their audiences.

Burrow, a couch company, drives awareness and sparks conversations through podcasts. Since the format reaches listeners who already chose to leisurely engage with a podcast, it’s a great way to dodge ad blockers.

“Our ultimate objective is conversion, but we’re also conscious of the fact that for every one click we get, there may be a thousand impressions that we’re putting out there into the world,” Stephen Kuhl, CEO and co-founder of Burrow, told Emarketer. “Hopefully those impressions are having a positive impact on people.”

Use Native Advertising

Native advertising is a subtle approach for keeping ad blockers at bay. These types of ads resemble the distinct style of the online site they’re displayed on to blend in as editorial content.

You shouldn’t confuse native advertising with manipulation or stealth. You still want to be transparent, making it clear that the content is sponsored. But the content should be non-intrusive and relevant to the surrounding content. As a result, consumers are more likely to find your content interesting, which means no ad blockers.

Be Ethical

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Forbes puts it nicely: “Do unto others what you want to be done to you.” Do you find pop-up ads and irrelevant content that’s shoved in your face annoying? Your audience probably does too. Create content that you would enjoy seeing as a consumer and be transparent across all your ads. If you’re too pushy and invasive, consumers will quickly become annoyed and will block you with everything they got. However, if you maintain an ethical approach, consumers will be appreciative and more open to your promotional messages.

Use a Variety of Formats and Platforms

Diversify your marketing efforts by incorporating a variety of ad formats and advertising platforms into your strategy. This helps you reach more consumers through their channel of preference. Some consumers are more interested in video ads than banner ads, for example, and vice versa. Some consumers respond better to Snapchat ads than Facebook ads. Don’t limit yourself to a small number of channels. Shake it up and give your audience a variety of ways to receive your message. Where they block your ads on one channel, they may welcome them on another. Give them those options.

It’s Not Impossible to Fight Ad Blockers

Ad blockers may be discouraging, but they only win if you let them. If ad blockers are increasingly becoming an issue, adjust your strategy using the tactics discussed in this article to combat them. You can do it. We got your back!

Written by Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising company

Comments

comments

Article by Anna Hubbel / Marketing

About Anna Hubbel

Anna Hubbel is a contributing writer for AdvertiseMint. Anna writes about trending digital advertising topics, including news stories, how-to guides, and detailed marketing strategies. She works as a freelance writer, having written columns for OnStage Blog, a theater-themed website, as well as other blogs. She also has experience as a videographer, photographer, and web designer. Anna earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication from Saint Vincent College in 2014. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Communication, with a focus on organizational communication, from the College at Brockport in 2019.

Complete Guide to Facebook Targeting

Download our FREE Facebook guide with over 850 ad targeting options.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Speak with an Advertising Specialist

Want to learn more about what advertising platforms are best for growing your business.

Schedule a FREE call with our experts. 

Ad Targeting Infographics

  • Amazon DSP Ad Targeting
  • Facebook Ad Targeting 
  • Hidden Facebook Ad Targeting
  • LinkedIn Ad Targeting
  • Snapchat Ad Targeting
  • Digital Ad Platform Policies
Hear the Audiobook FREE on Audible

Browse by Platform

  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Snapchat
  • Pinterest
  • Amazon
  • Google

Popular Articles

(Updated 2021) How to View What Your Facebook Profile Looks Like to Others

How to Make Money on TikTok

New Instagram Sorting Feature Shows Who Appears on Your Feed the Most

12 Ways to Become TikTok Famous

Here’s Where Instagram Keeps All the Posts You Liked

How to Hide Your Facebook Post from a Specific Person

Instagram’s Warning Notification Gives At-Risk Accounts a Second Chance

6 Important Marketing Theories and How to Apply Them on Social Media Campaigns

35 Banned and Restricted Products You Can’t Advertise on Facebook

The Best Time to Post on TikTok, According to Data

AdvertiseMint

  • Home
  • About
  • Careers
  • Blog
  • Definitions
  • Programs
  • FAQ
  • Press
  • Phishing Scam
  • Sitemap

NEWSLETTER

Get expert insights and latest news in digital advertising every week

NEWSLETTER

Certifications



advertisemint google partner     

7080 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028       |       844-236-4686

Facebook Advertising | Instagram Advertising | Google Advertising | Amazon Advertising | Pinterest Advertising | Tiktok Advertising
Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
© 2021 AdvertiseMint All Rights Reserved.