When you’re on the user’s side, it’s easy to swipe past ads or block them. Basically, when people go online, they try everything in their power to avoid ads. All of us are guilty of this in some way or another.

When was the last time you actually let a YouTube video play right until the end? Not just because you were enjoying it but because the advertiser deserves views too.

Few of us appreciate the work that publishers put into sharing their content. You suddenly start seeing ads as hard work when you’re on the publisher’s side. Then, even if an ad is annoying, you have compassion for the publisher who posted it.

Though not everyone has this kind of compassion for publishers. Some go to the extreme and download software that blocks ads completely. Luckily, we publishers can still benefit from ad block traffic. Keep reading to see how top publishers monetize ad block traffic!

Ad Block Software

The biggest challenge that publishers face when trying to monetize content is ad blocking.

Ad blockers are software or browser extensions that block ads. Including any pop-ups, banners, video ads, or sidebar ads. Basically, all the work publishers put into those articles goes right out the window.

While publishers might hate ad blockers, there are many user benefits, such as:

  • Blocks unwanted pop-ups;
  • Lets users skip video ads;
  • Improves page load time;
  • Protects user privacy.

 
As you can see, there’s a lot that users gain from simple ad blockers. As a publisher, your job is to counter each of these issues.

If users are struggling with pop-up ads, then don’t include them. Keep your ads simple and non-distracting. However, don’t do so much that users don’t see them anymore!

A big issue users have is video ads. They love to use ad blockers and get straight to the video in question. That’s why many content creators have decided to put ads inside the actual videos.

That way, people can’t block it.

They can still fast-forward, however. Make sure your promotions are interesting enough that they won’t want to.

Another problem with ads is that they slow down page speed.

If you can ensure a quick loading speed with many ads on the page, viewers will be less likely to block your website.

The last benefit that users receive from ad blockers is increased privacy settings.

As a publisher, you should always ensure that user data is protected. Selling user data doesn’t set a tone of trust in your viewer relationships.

Some popular ad blockers include:

  • AdBlock Plus;
  • uBlockOrigin;
  • Privacy Badger;
  • Ghostery.

 
Publishers, if you see these names coming up, then know your affiliate ads are being blocked by users!

How to Monetize Ad Block Traffic

Now we’re at the interesting part: we can show you how publishers can monetize ad block traffic. While ad blockers can be annoying, there are a few ways to get around them:

  • Whitelist requests;
  • Ads within content;
  • Requiring ad block user emails;
  • Ad block walls or paywalls;
  • Inconsistent ad layouts;
  • Adjusted user experience.

 
If you implement some of the following methods, you can get back to generating income in no time.

All you need is a little patience to set it up. Some good user persuasion skills wouldn’t hurt either!

Plus, you’ll have to earn a little cooperation from your audience.

Build your users’ trust in your content to ensure they will let their ad blocker guard down. If users really want your content, they’ll be willing to sit through any amount of ads.

Request to Be Whitelisted

While users might seem rude for using ad blockers, they often don’t realize it impacts your income. That’s why many publishers and websites have implemented a “whitelist” request.

A whitelist request displays a notification on browsers that ad blockers must be disabled.

In this message, you can tell them exactly why it’s important. Be honest and say that the content is free to view if they allow your advertising. Without advertising, publishers can’t make money.

You’ll be surprised to know that 60% of users are receptive to the idea of whitelisting websites. That percentage increases the more loyal customers are coming to your website. If viewers really want your content, they will disable their ad blockers.

There will be viewers who leave your website instead of disabling their ad blocker. At the end of the day, those viewers lose out on your content.

Those types of users are also difficult to persuade. They rarely make any purchases and thrive on free content.

Many coders implement a refresh function if viewers refuse to disable their ad blocker. Sometimes users pretend to do it and then just read the content anyway.

Refreshing the page detects the ad blocker again. The viewer is then presented with the option to disable it or leave the website.

Place Ads Inside Content

A great way to monetize ad block traffic is to place your ads inside the actual content, such as:

  • Place an ad inside your videos;
  • Place an ad on top of images;
  • Place affiliate links inside the written content;
  • Place affiliate links on buy buttons;
  • Place affiliate links on menu items.

 
If you place links or ads in the following ways, they aren’t picked up by ad blockers. Ad blockers only look for pop-ups and overlay or on-page ads.

If you want to easily generate your own affiliate links, try using Admitad.

The Admitad Partner Network is a platform publishers use to partner with popular brands. All these brands can be tracked and managed in the same place.

Admitad tracks your affiliate link traffic and allows the generation of any affiliate link.

Whether you want a standard link that takes users straight to your affiliate home page. Or if you want deeplinks that go further into the website.

Deeplinks take users straight to the money-making pages—product and content pages.

Ask Ad Block Users for Their Emails

If monetizing ad-block traffic isn’t as easy as you thought it would be, you can always request user emails.

Specifically users that use ad block software.

That way, even if you lose out on commission, you can try email marketing on them.

Email marketing allows you to place affiliate ads and links inside the content. You can even place banners and side ads.

Email marketing has been a stable marketing method for years and won’t stop any time soon.

While you make commission from non ad block users, you can work on the ad block users through email.

Take the following tips into consideration when sending out email marketing or newsletters:

  • Have an eye-catching subject line;
  • Send personalized messages;
  • Show them benefits first;
  • Prioritize helping customers over making money.

 
Your subject line defines whether you make or break it in email marketing. If it’s not grabbing anyone’s attention, you’ve already lost out on sales.

The best type of email marketing is personalized. When a user sees their name, they think the email is important. They’ll click on something that mentions a personal detail about themselves.

Users are also more likely to click on links that they are actually interested in.

The best way to make them interested is by showing exactly how your content will benefit them.

Lastly, focusing on making money can be seen through written content. If users see that you only care about money, they won’t take you seriously!

Use Ad Block Walls or Paywalls

If you’ve tried the above methods and are still asking, “How can I monetize ad block traffic?” You need walls. Not just any brick-and-cement walls; you need ad block walls and paywalls.

These are great for stopping ad blockers in their tracks. While other methods try to ask for permission, paywalls block users until they comply.

Ad block walls are exactly what they sound like: they are walls that stop ad blockers.

Most ad block walls are quite simple. They only require an ad block detection system and a redirect link to a blocked page.

Once you’ve got your detection system in place, you can send any ad block users to a specific page.

On this specific page, you will state that the website is ad block protection. You can give users the option of whitelisting you or leaving the site.

A pay wall works similarly to an ad block wall. The only difference is that instead of disabling their ad blockers, users must pay to continue.

When you use paywalls, you are still paid regardless of whether users have ad blockers!

Change Ad-Layouts Regularly

Changing up ad layouts is how top publishers monetize ad block traffic.

On top of all above options, you have to also change up how you present ads.

While users might whitelist your site, they will easily get used to where your ads are placed. Users then start putting those sections into the “ignore” part of their brain.

That’s why it’s so important to change up your ad layout from time to time—once or twice a month is perfect.

This ensures your content is always unpredictable, exciting, and new.

Users should see advertising and content as one whole. The content and ads should complement each other.

You shouldn’t be able to distinguish between the content and ads!

The Internet is about trends and change; it’s never static.

Television was the world of staticity and repetition.

The online world is the complete opposite. If you want to keep your viewers interested, you have to change just as much as they do.

The best way to do this is to watch your viewers and ask for their opinions. While it’s a humbling experience, you can better know how to create content going forward!

Make sure to alternate between website and social media monetization. Once you’ve run out of ideas for monetizing your website, switch to social media.

Whatever you do on social media can be immediately monetized using ConvertSocial.

ConvertSocial is a platform that allows content creators to instantly monetize:

 
You can also use the built-in monetizing features most social media sites offer!

Provide Better User Experience

The reason that users download ad blockers is because ads are plain annoying.

Ads can be intrusive, overwhelming, distracting, or even dangerous. Ads can stop users from getting to the content altogether. However, publishers are the only ones who can control how much ads annoy users.

Every publisher can choose to make content comfortable or uncomfortable to navigate through. If you make it too difficult, then it’s your own fault if you lose out on income.

Users also have a right to block unwanted advertising. It’s your job to make sure your ads don’t fall under the category of “unwanted”!

Keep the following best practices in mind when placing ads or creating content:

  • Less can be more;
  • Use high-quality illustrations;
  • Use proper language;
  • Avoid placing ads over content;
  • Avoid pop-up ads if possible;
  • Find a balance between different ad sizes.

 
The best way to tell if your ads will work or not is to approach them from the user’s point of view.

If you wouldn’t click on the ad yourself, other people probably won’t either!

Conclusion

At this point, you should have some answers to “How do publishers monetize ad block traffic?” The only thing left to do now is actually put it to use. If you’re unsure how to implement these methods, then scroll through our latest posts. There’s always a way to do something if you try hard enough!

That’s the key to affiliate marketing, at the end of the day – patience and consistency.

Affiliate marketing can go completely wrong sometimes, and it may not even be your fault. The Internet is always changing, which means it’s unpredictable. You never know what to expect when you work online.

Always remember this: advertising is a good thing for both publishers and users. It doesn’t matter on which side of the scale you fall; always take a moment to watch an ad or two. Online karma is a real thing if you believe in it!

When you take time to appreciate others’ ads, you learn what users would want from the experience.