Anyone who uses the internet on even a semi-regular basis knows online advertising has lots of room for improvement. With the recent announcements that Google is building an ad filter into Chrome and that Facebook is taking steps to increase its content quality standards, it looks like a better overall experience is on the horizon.
These changes are all indicative of an overarching trend sweeping the industry – to stop serving bad ads. This is not a new phenomenon, as some of the industry’s heaviest-hitters have been pushing to enforce standards for better quality ads for years. In 2015, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) launched its LEAN Ads program in response to consumers’ increased use of ad blocking software. LEAN stands for Light, Encrypted, Ad Choice Supported and Non-Invasive, and the idea is that if advertisers adhere to these guidelines and publishers refuse to place ads that don’t meet these guidelines, the end consumer will have a better experience and ultimately be less-inclined to use ad blockers.
It seems simple enough, but improving the quality of ads served to internet users across the globe requires a coordinated effort by participants from all sides of the industry. The good news is that this is already happening. In September 2016, a group of major players in the space including AppNexus, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and Proctor & Gamble, formed the Coalition for Better Ads, which is meant to increase industry-wide efforts to improve consumers’ experience with online advertising. Specifically, the group aims to create consumer-based, data-driven standards that digital advertising companies can use to improve ad experiences.
The fact that this organization has members representing virtually every facet of the digital advertising ecosystem is critical, since no single company or group can effectively create change on a global level. For example, with Facebook increasing its content quality standards, publishers must rise to the occasion and clean up their content so that it’s contextually relevant and original. In the case of Google building an ad filter into Chrome – and I do mean filter, not blocker, as it is meant to disable ads deemed undesirable by the Coalition for Better Ads rather than block ads all together – advertisers must produce content that meet the Coalition’s standards.
According to Michael Korsunsky, chief marketing officer of global native ad network MGID, publishers and advertisers shouldn’t fear these changes, they should embrace them. “At the end of the day, these policy changes are positive developments that we’ve been anticipating for a long time,” said Korsunsky. “Here at MGID, we strongly support these changes, but we realize it can be challenging for publishers and advertisers to adjust.”
Here are some of Korsunsky’s tips for advertisers and publishers working to adapt to the rapid changes permeating throughout the industry:
- Commit to proper titles and ad copy that accurately represents the actual content to which the consumer is directed.
- Assure your content is original and valuable. Consumers don’t want to see the same thing repeatedly – they expect well-written copy and vibrant, high-quality images (check out MGIDs creative guidelines for more on that).
- Adhere to reasonable ad-space to content density.
- Replace display banner ads with contextual/native placements, when possible.
- Produce creatives that fall within the ‘PG’ or ‘R’ ranking category while limiting the amount of content that ranks as ‘NSFW.’ Brand safety is a huge focus for everyone in the industry right now.
Remember that when it comes to digital advertising, change is inevitable, and now it looks as though things are finally advancing for the better.