So here’s a scenario: I’m watching Dry Bar Comedy on YouTube on my TV, and Shayne Smith, one of my favorite comedians on that channel, is on a roll.
He’s doing his bit, the audience is laughing, and from the line of jokes that he is spitting out, I can sense that he’s about to drop something dope. The jokes get funnier and funnier, and just when he’s about to reveal that drop, an ad interrupts the show.
I cry foul. Not that I scream towards the television, but nevertheless, I cry foul.
What in the world is this junk?
Some stupid ad about a local communications network that I don’t even like. If I’m lucky enough, the ad has a countdown to skip. I’m holding my breath in anticipation — and with satisfaction — to skip that crappy ad and go back to my comedy.
I moan about the ad ruining the flow of the show, but I press on. Shayne is dope, and I love his bits on Dry Bar. So I continue, forgetting the ad experience and pressing forward.
Until of course, another ad pops up, interrupting the experience. Again. This time, I was able to notice a short ad countdown on the bottom right corner of my screen right before the ad appeared. This time, the ad is 1:30 seconds long, and you have to wait 12 seconds before you can skip.
Having had enough, I close the app and start it up again. Rinse and repeat.
Is this familiar to you? Do you get YouTube ads disrupting your shows and making your viewing experience miserable?
It’s no secret that YouTube ads are annoying. Matter of fact, they’re downright intrusive. It’s like a 5-year old trying to wave peanut butter hands all over your face trying to get your attention, because he wants you to see the boogers that came out of his nose.
Ok, well that’s an exaggeration, but you get the gist of it.
So why are these ads annoying? Why are they built this way, and how do we stop them from being so dang intrusive?
I’m sure there are more reasons as to why they’re bad and annoying, but I’ll give my best 5 reasons here:
Reason #1: Can’t easily remove or skip ads
Pop up ads on a website can be annoying enough, but at least they’re fleeting and they can be immediately removed from your purview at the click of that x button.
Video ads, on the other hand, aren’t as easily removed. While there are different types of ads with different countdown lengths, the most annoying ones are ads that you simply cannot skip, and you have to wait 10-15 seconds of your precious time being drilled on how well Tide packets clean your dishes, or how lavender Febreeze can make your room smell fresher (like, “everyone” loves lavender).
For those types of ads, you are FORCED to watch it – as much as they can help it. Sure you can mute the ad or turn off the screen for a few seconds (if you’re watching from a console). But if you don’t have that luxury, you’re likely to just sit there and watch until it’s over.
The bonus (and I say that sarcastically) is if the ad is longer than a minute. I’ve seen an ad that was 10 minutes long for a movie or tv show. I skipped it on my TV without realizing that I should have taken a picture of it to share in this post. If I see it again, I’ll take a pic.
Reason #2: Ads are invasive and intrusive
Ads are intrusive by nature. I get that. It doesn’t mean it’s not annoying, or that it’s not invasive at all. They just happen to disrupt your watching experience.
Think about that for a moment.
You’re sitting comfortably, most likely on your sofa or bed, invested (or becoming more invested) in what you’re watching. And something else comes in and disrupts what you’re invested in, only for you to have to reinvest again in whatever it is you’re watching.
What a lousy experience. IF that were an ad on a desktop, the angry marketer in me wants to just click the heck out of it and destroy their metrics. That will teach them, right? LOL (No, I won’t do that… at least I won’t do it and tell).
Reason #3: Ads can be irrelevant or uninteresting
How many ads have I come across that have been irrelevant to me, nor do I have a personal interest in the product or service being pushed to me?
Like bro, I am not interested in Pearl Maxi-Pads. Don’t know, don’t care. If and when I need to learn more about it, I will ask my wife. I don’t need help from an ad.
I have not been hit by a truck and no mesh was installed in any part of my body.
I don’t have pets, so I don’t need pet freshener on my sofa.
I don’t watch whack tv shows, and I don’t try to support woke companies.
I’m aware of other propaganda that are being distributed as ads too. Politics, local or otherwise, aren’t my bag.
Reason #4: Ads ruin the experience
When you get disrupted in what you’re doing: playing video games, cooking, or working out, your flow gets interrupted, and so does your experience. You can lose the game, forget to add an ingredient in your recipe, or get distracted in your workouts.
Getting back to what you’re doing after that experience can leave you with a “bad taste in your mouth,” a negative impact on your focus after that disruption.
And if there was a negative effect because of that disruption, it can sour the mood or get you frustrated.
Reason #5: Just plain annoying
Ads are annoying, but that’s also a perspective. Some ads can be welcomed, given the right time, place and setting. Superbowl ads, for one, are quite fun to watch with a group of people, because it’s expected, not as invasive, and we as an American society, have been trained to watch these ads with an anticipated, lighthearted and fun point of view.
I can’t exactly say the same for a majority of YouTube ads out there, especially for those you cannot skip. I’m a marketer, and I abhor those types.
A Couple of Ways to Block YouTube Ads
Now that you’ve got your reasons, what’s the next step? What are you going to do if you don’t want to see these ads? Well, there are several ways to block them.
Use online tools like Adblock Plus, AdGuard or similar ad blocking technology
These tools are great for blocking ads on Chrome and you can also get them for YouTube. Just don’t expect it to work 100% of the time, all the time.
I personally love using Adblock Plus. It’s so easy to add to my browser, easy to configure, and I’ve seen my ads on YouTube get minimized by a lot. But, just like any tool, it’s not always 100% on point. Is it because YouTube is on to them? I have no idea.
You can also add ABP on your phone, and use it to block ads on your browser (I’m looking at you, Safari).
Sign up or upgrade to YouTube Premium
I hate to even promote that, but sometimes, those are business models that work for companies. “If you want free stuff, it will come with ads; but if you pay for a premium service, those ads will be taken away from you.”
Sign up for YouTube Premium, and you can get a free month trial, then $11.99/month afterwards (based on their current pricing setup). No, I don’t get commission or affiliate discounts.
David’s final thoughts — from a consumer POV
I understand that ads are invasive in nature, and they’re “meant” to cut in front of your experience in order to show you “relevant” products or services that matter to you. Or at least, that’s the intent.
It doesn’t always work out that way, as anyone watching YouTube or any videos online can share. In the next blog post, I’ll talk about what marketers like me want out of these ads, what we strive to do, and how we go about doing it — to the best of our abilities.
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