Reddit is introducing a new ad format that looks similar to posts made by users on the platform, the company announced on Thursday.
  • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
    87·
    9 months ago

    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.

    • Stovetop@lemmy.world
      24·
      9 months ago

      More 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.

      • Anon819450514@lemmy.ca
        4·
        9 months ago

        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.

        • FlounderBasket@lemmy.world
          12·
          9 months ago

          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.

          • AtariDump@lemmy.world
            1·
            9 months ago

            It, sadly, will not. The promoted posts come from the same domain as the content (meaning block the ads, block the legitimate content).

          • AtariDump@lemmy.world
            1·
            9 months ago

            Correct, which is why it also can’t block YouTube ads.

            Still helpful though for devices that you can run an ad blocker on (like a “smart” TV/ streaming stick)

        • Hugucinogens
          5·
          9 months ago

          I’m happy for you, but that just isn’t the average user experience. The crushing majority of people aren’t tech-savvy enough for that. And Reddit, relies on that majority.

          For better or worse for everyone involved, it’s their experience that makes or breaks the site, and it’s them that enshittification takes advantage of.

        • String@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          9 months ago

          I have pihole as well and I find it doesn’t block the promoted posts / reddit ads on mobile. But revanced fixes that.

      • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
        3·
        9 months ago

        That’s a fair point, but: if you drop the distinctiveness between ad and content too low, phoneposters go elsewhere. Because not even phoneposters want that noise. So it’s still a bad idea.

    • It's A Faaaahhkeah!@lemmus.orgEnglish
      22·
      9 months ago

      They been doing these ads for ages, sometimes they would leave the comments open and I’d google a better competitor and advertise them in the comments.

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        9 months ago

        That’s also a common strategy. Someone will ask about a product that is actually the competitor’s product, and then they’ll reply to that post with a bunch of shill accounts saying “actually Acme doodads are better. Get them on the official website because Amazon is evil”. Then a bunch of people get duped into thinking they’re reading legitimate reviews from real people.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.worldEnglish
      9·
      9 months ago

      The remaining users on Reddit don’t care. They’ve intentionally dumbed down the site to get rid of people who do care, and attract more people who don’t. They can’t even be bothered to understand how things work.

  • SgtAStrawberry@lemmy.world
    3·
    9 months ago

    Haven’t that been a thing for tears now? Or have they found a way to make them even MORE post like, if so I would like to know how, because the ones I have seen you basically have to learn to recognise what titel they have to be able to tell them apart from posts.