How publishers can engage with people who use ad blockers

Consumers today expect their digital experiences to be fast and seamless. If they’re not, the outcome can be costly. One bad ad experience can motivate someone to install an ad blocker, and once they do, every publisher on the web can suffer. In 2015 alone, ad blocking cost publishers $21.8 billion.¹

As of December 2016, more than 600 million devices — 11% of the world’s entire internet-connected population — were running ad blocking software globally.² Although people use ad blockers for many different reasons, the most common is that there are simply a lot of bad ad experiences.

People who use ad blockers generally fall into four groups, represented throughout the demographic spectrum in the US and EU. These groups all respond differently to different types of engagement.

Here are the four groups:

1. People who install ad blockers to protect their privacy. These users value choice and control over their browsing experience, and they are more likely to whitelist a site than disable their ad blocker completely.
2. People who simply don’t want to see ads. This group enjoys the convenience of not seeing ads and will likely move on if they run into any roadblocks or requests.
3. People who don’t realize they’re using an ad blocker. Many people may have had their ad blocker installed by a friend or family member, or they may be using a browser that automatically enables a “privacy” mode. Either way, this group is open to whitelisting or even disabling their ad blocker as long as it’s a quick and easy process.
4. People who are overwhelmed by intrusive, annoying ads. Many people who use ad blockers want to support good content and don’t object to ads on principle. They are simply overwhelmed by intrusive ads and see ad blocking as their only option. This group is most likely to whitelist a site and are open to reasonable alternatives like paid subscriptions.

There are many ways to work with people who block ads on your site, and they all start with engaging with them directly. When thinking about your messaging strategy, keep in mind who visits your site, why they visit it, and why they block ads. For example, if your visitors don’t realize they’re using an adblocker, simply pointing this out and explaining how to disable it may be enough to convince them to allow ads on your site.

It helps to show people how often they visit your site to prove why you are worth supporting. A great way to do this is with article counters. You can couple this with a “soft” wall that sets a limit on the number of articles a person blocking ads can read.

Asking people to whitelist your site is one of the most common solutions publishers use to address ad blocking. It’s important to continuously monitor your audience’s responses, and adjust your messaging accordingly. When trying to encourage people to whitelist, here are some tips:

• Keep it short and to the point.
• Speak to your audience in your own voice.
• Give visitors multiple opportunities to see your message since they won’t always convert the first time.
• Be open and honest, and emphasize how ads support your site. For example, “Help our health experts create more content for you.”
• Avoid jargon. Instead of whitelisting, say “allow ads.”
• Remind regular visitors of how often they come to your site. One good way to do this is to use an article counter. For example, “You must love us — you've consumed 10 articles today.”
• Treat your visitors with respect. The goal is to create a positive browsing experience that keeps them coming back.

In summary, when you try to reach people who use ad blockers on your site, you need to do so in a way that is respectful. Be sure to follow the recommendations above, and check off these steps to ensure your message stays on the mark:

1. Remove negative ad experiences from your site — Learn more
2. Learn why people use ad blockers on your site
3. Plan your strategy using whitelist requests, article counters, or paywalls
4. Design your whitelist request messaging around your audience
5. Look at how people respond

The most important thing to remember is to respect your audience’s time and experience, both with the ads you host and with your requests to whitelist. Showing people that visiting your site is part of their routine browsing makes a strong argument that your site is worth supporting.