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Facebook Is Taking on Ad Blockers, But Will They Win?

Facebook Is Taking on Ad Blockers, But Will They Win?

Ad blocking technology is incredibly popular, particularly among users of mobile devices. According to PageFair’s 2016 Mobile Adblocking Report, 22% of smartphone users block ads. That’s 419 million people who aren’t seeing ads. Ads can be blocked both on the mobile web and in apps.

Facebook derives 96% of current revenues from advertising, according to eMarketer, with that amount expected to rise to 96.7% by 2018. Ad blockers cut into that revenue stream significantly, and the world’s largest social media platform is taking action to protect their bottom line.

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On August 9th, Facebook made a pair of announcements. The first was that they’ve expanded their suite of ad control tools. Users can now easily block ads by topic – for example, if you don’t want to see diet ads, you can opt out of those – as well as blocking ads from specific companies or organizations.

The second announcement was that Facebook will now begin showing ads to people who have ad blocking software in place. This has been accomplished by an update to Facebook’s code, effectively creating a work around that puts ads in front of people who have specifically opted out of seeing them.

If you’re an advertiser, this sounds like good news. Creating, targeting and deploying Facebook ads requires a significant investment of time and effort and you want to make sure you’re getting your messaging in front of people who are likely to act on it. It’s a good best practice to create ads that load very quickly, as slow load times that eat up device data is the number one reason people are blocking ads in the first place: now that users have little to no choice in the matter of whether or not they’ll see ads, it’s a reasonable supposition that slow-loading, intrusive ads are going to be the first to be blocked on an individual basis.

The real question is will it work? The dynamic between content providers and ad blockers is equivalent to an arms race: as Facebook rolls out this workaround, the ad blocking teams are working on upping their game as well. Each new method of serving ads to users will eventually be met by a tool to block those ads. Only time will tell who will win, but for right now, Facebook’s advertisers have the advantage.

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Creative Director/Senior Designer

Tom DiGrazia

With over a decade and a half of professional design experience, Tom brings his knowledge of design principles and focus on user experience to every aspect of his contribution to TTG. Paying special attention to each client’s brand, personalized needs and individual interests, he strives to create compelling concepts utilizing intuitive and highly-refined design solutions. In addition to traditional and digital design work and oversight at TTG, Tom also boasts a wide portfolio of web development projects with the company, allowing him to stretch his CSS and HTML skills across multiple platforms and disciplines. He feels that being a designer in the digital landscape of websites, eCommerce solutions, email marketing platforms and social media, it is important to understand the code that goes into these areas as it assists his ability to tailor designs specifically targeted to achieve the best end result and further builds understanding and communication with backend development teams.

In his off hours, Tom is an avid pop culture enthusiast, staying up to date on the latest shows, films, comics and games. He can also typically be found taking part in a whole host of artistic activities that help him further stretch his creative legs. Regardless of the activity, Tom is always accompanied by his dog, Eli, and his cat, Tib.

Specialties:
Design, Photography, Illustration, Digital Imagery Manipulation, Wesbite Development

Platforms/Tools:
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, HTML/CSS, Wordpress

Analyst/Strategist

Courtney Dumont

As Senior Marketing Strategist & Analyst at Technology Therapy Group, Courtney is energized by the ability to flex both her left and right brain daily. Courtney discovered her passion for Marketing at Bryant University, where she spearheaded research on students’ perceptions of Social Media Marketing for her Honors Capstone Project. After graduating Bryant in 2012, she joined the Technology Therapy team, where she’s honed her skills in social media, search and social advertising, email marketing, SEO, and more.

Since joining the team, Courtney has created digital marketing strategies and managed campaigns for clients across the country, ranging from plastic surgery centers, to jewelry stores, to construction companies. With a cohesive, cross-channel approach and a focus on data-driven decision making, she has increased their leads by up to 217%. But Courtney doesn’t leave her zeal for social media at the office; she also runs a local foodie Instagram account with her husband to document their meals across Rhode Island and beyond. Check them out: @hoppilyfed.

Specialties:
Marketing Strategy, Data Analysis, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Social Media

Platforms/Tools:
Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Facebook Creator Studio, Instagram, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Emma Mail, Google Data Studio, WordPress, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Microsoft Office