Navigating ad blockers: Strategies for paid media ROI in 2025

The use of ad blockers – browser extensions and software that prevent digital ads from appearing on a user’s device – has been a growing challenge for marketers for over a decade.

In 2025, ad blocking is no longer just a niche concern; it is a mainstream behaviour among internet users. With Google phasing out third-party cookies and increased privacy regulations making tracking harder, brands that rely on traditional paid media are facing mounting difficulties in reaching their target audiences.

Recent data suggests that over 40% of global internet users now employ some form of ad blocker, and among Gen Z and millennials, that number is even higher. These users want to control their digital experiences, and invasive advertising is pushing them away. For brands heavily reliant on paid media, this means an urgent need to rethink ad strategies to ensure ROI.

Adapting to the changing landscape

The rapid adoption of privacy-focused browsing and ad-blocking tools means that conventional display ads, pop-ups, and even some paid social formats are being filtered out before they can reach consumers.

Now is the time for marketers to move beyond traditional ad formats and explore strategies that align with changing user expectations and behaviours. Brands that want to thrive in an ad-blocked world must shift their focus to non-disruptive, high-value engagement strategies that work with user preferences rather than against them.

Embracing native advertising

One of the most effective ways to navigate ad blockers is through native advertising – ads that seamlessly blend with the surrounding content on a website or platform. Unlike intrusive banner ads, native ads feel more like organic content, making them less likely to be blocked or ignored.

Platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, and industry-specific publications have integrated native ad options that allow brands to provide value rather than interruptions. Whether it’s sponsored articles, branded content partnerships, or in-feed social media ads, the key is to match the tone and style of the platform while delivering content that users find relevant and engaging.

Successful native advertising strategies focus on storytelling and education, offering useful insights instead of hard-selling. The best native ads don’t feel like ads at all – they feel like content users would have engaged with anyway.

Leveraging influencer and creator partnerships

With the rise of ad-free social experiences, influencer and creator partnerships have become a key alternative to traditional paid media. Platforms like TikTok Pulse, Instagram Collaborations, and LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads offer new ways for brands to integrate into the content users already trust and consume.

By working with influencers who align with their brand values, companies can sidestep ad blockers entirely and tap into engaged communities where audiences actively seek recommendations. Instead of placing a generic display ad that users will ignore (or never see due to blockers), brands can invest in sponsored content that feels natural and authentic.

The key to success in influencer marketing in 2025 is choosing the right voices. Consumers are highly attuned to inauthentic brand placements, and forced sponsorships can backfire. Partnering with credible creators in the brand’s niche ensures messaging lands with the right audience in a genuine, trust-building way.

Investing in first-party data and personalisation

The shift towards privacy-first marketing means brands can no longer rely on third-party tracking for audience insights. Instead, they need to prioritise first-party data – information collected directly from customers via website interactions, email sign-ups, CRM systems, and loyalty programmes.

Personalisation remains a powerful tool. A recent McKinsey report found that personalised marketing efforts can increase revenue by 10% – 30% and significantly improve customer satisfaction.

With AI and machine learning, brands can use first-party data to create hyper-relevant, personalised ad experiences that resonate with users. For example:

• Behaviour-based ad targeting (e.g., serving product recommendations based on past purchases or browsing behaviour).
• Dynamic content personalisation (e.g., tailoring website banners, emails, and in-app messages in real-time).
• Contextual targeting (e.g., placing ads based on the content users are engaging with rather than tracking them across sites).

This shift towards consent-based, first-party targeting not only improves ROI but also aligns brands with privacy regulations like GDPR and the UK Data Protection Act, ensuring they remain compliant while maximising ad effectiveness.

Enhancing customer experience to reduce ad aversion

Users aren’t inherently against advertising; they’re against bad advertising. Research from IAB UK found that 73% of users say they would be more open to ads if they were less intrusive and more relevant.

One of the simplest ways to reduce ad blocker usage is to create a better advertising experience:

• Reduce disruptive formats: Minimise autoplay videos, intrusive pop-ups, and repetitive retargeting ads that frustrate users.
• Offer value in exchange for engagement: Use interactive content, quizzes, and gated premium content to encourage opt-ins.
• Give users more control: Platforms that allow users to tailor the types of ads they see tend to experience lower ad-blocking rates.

Websites that prioritise user experience, fast load speeds, and non-intrusive ads will naturally reduce the likelihood of users resorting to ad blockers.

Measuring and mitigating the impact of ad blockers

One of the biggest challenges with ad blockers is that they not only prevent ads from displaying but also disrupt analytics tracking. In some cases, 10%–30% of web traffic may be missing from analytics tools like Google Analytics, leading to distorted marketing reports.

Brands need to find ways to measure the true impact of ad blockers on their data:

• Use first-party analytics solutions that are less likely to be blocked than third-party scripts.
• Implement server-side tracking to collect essential behavioural data without being blocked by browser-based filters.
• Leverage cookieless tracking methods like fingerprint-based analytics or identity resolution platforms that match user behaviour across devices without violating privacy laws.

By proactively addressing ad-block-related data gaps, brands can make more accurate marketing decisions and avoid over-attributing conversions to the wrong channels.

The future of paid media in an ad-blocked world

Ad blockers are not going away. As privacy concerns grow and users demand better, more relevant experiences, brands must evolve their paid media strategies to maintain effectiveness.

The solution isn’t to fight ad blockers – it’s to create ads and marketing experiences that people actually want to engage with.