BlazeReddit introduces a new ad format that looks similar to posts made by users | TechCrunch
Lvxferre [he/him]In early testing of the new format, Reddit found that free-form ads outperform all other ad types in average click through rate (CTR) by 28%
Translation: users mistakenly click it 28% more, before realising that it isn’t actually content
along with increased community engagement when comments are enabled.
Translation: more “fuck your ad” complains in the comments.
More importantly, I predict that the move will increase the usage of ad blockers within the site. Dressing ads as content feels like a bad idea - I feel like users interpret this as a sign of hostility, trying to “deceive” them. I’m not sure on that though, I’m half-drunk through the whole day and I don’t have data to back me up.
StovetopMore importantly, I predict that the move will increase the usage of ad blockers within the site.
Sadly a lot of Reddit’s traffic comes from mobile, which now only allows the official app that Reddit can fill with however many ad posts they want.
Not when. your DNS is a piHole, even when on mobile I use PiVPN to route all my traffic at home and not get ads whatsoever.
Does that stop the promoted posts though? Which are paid reddit posts. I have my phone going through adblocker dns and I still see promoted posts but I don’t see any traditional ads between posts.
It, sadly, will not. The promoted posts come from the same domain as the content (meaning block the ads, block the legitimate content).