“Write great content and the revenue will come” – this was the rule most of us used as a guide when creating online content. Whether we’re talking about blogging, video content, online newspapers etc., most of the publications that are offering their content for free, are usually making revenue using ads. However, judging by the way things are right now, we may just have to put “making revenue” into the past tense.
AdBlocker
We are fairly sure most of you know what AdBlocker is, but for those of you who may not have come across it yet, we are talking about a browser extension that blocks pretty much any attempt at advertising to you online.
If ads are not shown, naturally, the website owner will not receive any money (and the amounts are really small to begin with, to be honest). We understand the user’s perspective here, ads are often annoying, but there is also the need for writers and online publishers to also make a living. Well, perhaps we should think about them, but we don’t. So AdBlocker is most likely here to stay.
How can we work around AdBlocker?
First of all, a website owner can choose to not display any content for users who are using AdBlocker. We have seen many websites displaying a message asking the user to add the URL in the extension’s exception. However, this is quite a risky approach, as you will definitely lose a significant part of your audience by adopting this approach.
Another option would be to focus on other ways to generate revenue, such as sponsored stories (advertorials).
What does the future hold?
In our opinion we expect there will be a lot more paid content/paid subscriptions. And we can’t blame the media for this.