The profile of the mobile ad-blocker user
A man, in the 25-34 age range. This is the profile of the users that are more likely to block ads in their mobile devices. Up to 37% of mobile internet users have implemented some fort of ad-blocking technology, according to a report by Global Web Index.
These data shed some light on how traditional investments in advertising could be rendered inefficient. Apart from the current 37% mobile ad-blocking audience, 42% of users have stated their interest in doing so in the future.
The demographic component plays a key role in the study. Younger segments are more inclined to engage in this type of practices, while the curve declines in the 45-65 bracket. These data do nothing but put the spotlight on the underlying consequences of the digital gap between generations.
Why are mobile ads blocked?
A few days ago, Teads, a technology company specializing in video ad format, released a global report to understand the reasons why people block ads. If 80% of users were to block ads, the effects would not only be catastrophic for the advertising industry, but would also put other sectors offering users access to free content online under tremendous pressure due to a lack of revenues.
69% of users consider advertising formats to be invasive, which is why they option to adopt this type of practices. Also, in the case of Spain, 89% of users would consider the possibility of not using ad-blocking apps if they were offered the chance to decide whether they want to view an ad or not; in fact, contents that offer this possibility show higher impact rates and viewing times.
As regards the characteristics of the ads that driving the adoption of ad-blocking technologies, respondents ranked ads that take up the whole screen first, followed by those that remain on screen when scrolling through the webpage, and those that play on a loop. Also, the format deemed as the most intrusive by 44.3% of users is the pre-roll.
Using a mobile device to browse also increases the feeling of intrusiveness. The first thing that most users - 61% - do is try to close the ad. However, 44% of respondents said they wouldn’t mind having ads displayed fi they help discover new and interesting products, while 43% said they would not mind ads about products that match their interests or from brands they like.
Facebook earns 80% of its revenues through mobile ads
Facebook's earnings report can offer a hint at how mobile device ads should be managed. Mark Zuckerberg’s company has managed to drive its earnings up by 57%, to $5,841 million during the last quarter. Net income skyrocketed to US$1,562 million, up 123%.
The social network inserts its ads harmoniously, through segmentation, and looking for an affinity between the product and the user. The result is that 80% of the quarter’s revenues, or US$4.5 billion, were generated through mobile ads.
Over 1.59 billion users per month
The social network keeps on becoming increasingly social: Over 1.59 billion users log on to Facebook every month. Also, Facebook is one step from fulfilling another key milestone: breaking the 1 billion mobile users per month mark. In year-on-year terms, mobile access has increased 21%.