Advertisements have existed in traditional and digital media since their inception. While it used to be a method of introducing new and valuable products, there’s a rising sentiment that we cannot ignore. 

People Hate Ads. 

From pop-ups constantly appearing on a webpage to YouTube videos that cut midway for an advertisement, the distaste is growing. It’s time we did something about it. 

As your informants, we want you to succeed in your digital marketing objectives. We also know that intrusive, uncreative advertisements will yield zero results and adversely affect your brand. 

Let's examine the types of annoying advertisements today and consider how your brand can get customers' attention through other means. 

What sort of advertisements do users hate? 

Research shows that the types of ads people hate are auto-play video ads and targeted ads based on their online behaviour. These advertisements are generally seen as intrusive and highly disruptive to their online activity. 

Source: Statista Consumer Insight

Last year,  Ad Standards released the 5 ads in Australia that received the highest number of complaints. Among them were a Red Rooster TV advertisement, a Mars Savage Billboard ad, and a Diablo IV video game ad. 

The company also received over 3,500 complaints in 2023, a 35% increase over the previous year. While most annoying advertisements don’t violate Australia’s ad standards, we must question whether they are effective. 

Many online advertisements are missing two essential elements: Relevance and Creativity. Unfortunately, advertisements today have little understanding of their target audience and are simply plain boring to watch. This negative perception of online advertising has made ad blockers highly popular, essentially making your ad spend ineffective. 

The prevalence of ad blockers 

As a business owner, you should be concerned about your customers' attitudes toward advertisements, especially with and the rising popularity of ad blockers. 

Ad blockers are installed on customers' laptops or mobile phones to prevent ads from being displayed while browsing. These blockers can stop anything from popups, banner ads, and even video ads. 

For marketers who think ad blockers can be stopped, think again. A study by Hubspot shows that over 85% of users view ad blockers positively, believing they significantly improve their online experience.

Source: Hubspot

So, does this mean your business shouldn’t advertise online? Not necessarily. Australia has over  25 million internet users, and with over $13 billion spent on digital ads last year by local businesses, buying an ad space is still a worthy investment.  

Plus,  search ads still remain valuable and helpful to customers.

Source: Hubspot

But we should caution: As advertisements become less popular among consumers, you should supplement them with another marketing strategy to build brand awareness. 

This is where content marketing is your ally. 

Content marketing: An infallible alternative to annoying advertisements 

As advocates for content done right, we’ve seen the tangible results that  content marketing and effective SEO can bring to your brand. It attracts your customers to you instead of you approaching them. 

The major advantage of content marketing is its value creation. Most advertisements focus on the company’s products, services, promotions, and people - the list of ‘look at me’ displays goes on. 

In contrast, content marketing focuses on functional content that benefits customers, thereby cultivating their trust in your brand. It’s a softer infiltration approach that requires a  serious understanding of your customer persona and pain points. 

Content marketing may take some time and expertise to master. But those who have a  consistent content strategy will see customers arriving at their doorstep without resulting in annoying ads. 

Here are some digital content marketing ideas to help you get started. 

5 fool-proof content marketing ideas 

Blogs

Blogs are undoubtedly the most popular type of content published by brands, and it's not hard to see why. These long-form, informational pieces offer advice, resources, news, and key information to customers visiting your website. Without them, your website will sit idly on the web, generating zero traffic and no SEO. 

If you’re planning on writing blogs, be careful when using AI. Tools like ChatGPT are best utilised for creating blog outlines, but you still need a human to write them out and ensure they are personal to your brand. 

Case studies

Your customers may know you’re experienced, but do they know you bring results? Case studies are effective in showing how you’ve helped other similar customers achieve their goals. 

For example, our  case studies showcase our digital marketing performance for other brands, along with tangible statistics. Be sure to include the problem that your customers faced and how you solved the issue. 

Videos 

With  84% of customers claiming to have watched a video online in just one week, this content is powerful in getting attention. Videos are highly versatile and can be used as content on your websites and social media sites such as LinkedIn and YouTube. 

The best way to create a video is to just get started. You don’t need a big production budget and team, as many consumers prefer to watch simple, informational videos from the business owner. For more information on creating videos, see our latest video content blog.

Interactive content 

Interactive content is a content type that requires users' participation and response. This includes infographics, quizzes, eBooks, and templates, which typically turn passive consumption into active participation.

Interactive content is often an effective lead magnet, as you can ask customers to provide their details through a download link. However, you’ll have to create highly useful content for this to be effective.

Newsletters 

Email or LinkedIn newsletters are excellent for engaging with your community, being personal, and connecting with audiences who are already interested in your brand. However, they should not be overdone to avoid being classified as spam. So consider sending a weekly newsletter and promotional newsletters on special occasions for the perfect balance. 

Many businesses underutilise the power of re-engaging old customers. So, if your brand has a healthy list of existing customers, sending them emails about promotions, new products or services, and company updates is highly effective in customer retargeting. 

Key Takeaway

With the rising number of people who hate advertisements, getting customers' attention requires a subtle approach.  Content marketing uses informational content for your intended target audience and crafts your brand as the best solution to solve their wants and needs—while building SEO. 

Crafting the right SEO content requires skills and expertise in digital marketing. If your business wants to develop killer content that can generate leads, speak to us at Digital Assassin. 

At Digital Assassin, we help brands refine their content and SEO strategy with informational content and a killer website. Our  digital marketing package includes blog posts, SEO-optimised YouTube videos, and case studies that help businesses infiltrate their customers. We work together with our partners' internal staff to ensure all content is made to produce targeted results. 

To improve your social media marketing strategy with Digital Assassin,  speak to an assassin today.