Banner ads.
Founder and CEO Jonah Peretti, who once poo-pooed peers that acquiesced to third-party ad software, saying that their sites are “slow” and “don’t care about the reader,” has changed his tune: BF will now host ads via Google and Facebook next to content on their site.
Juxtaposing in-depth current events coverage with ads for wrinkle cream does seem like a step backward for a site that’s been working hard to establish itself as a reputable news source for millennials…
So why are they doing it?
To make more money, obviously.
As the media company’s been ramping up their original reporting, they’ve also been exploring other monetization channels from their Tasty cooking videos, to physical products — perhaps to boost their $350m annual revenue for an upcoming IPO.
That said, Peretti’s comments about third-party ads bogging down sites aren’t without merit: BuzzFeed’s current site loads over 2 seconds faster (an internet minute) than competitor, Vice.
But, if they’re lucky, people won’t even notice
Peretti says the company has been running subtle tests of programmatic ads on their site since last year without backlash from the community.
Frankly, we didn’t realize they weren’t already doing it — kind of hard to believe an article titled “15 Clever Ways You Never Thought To Use A Toothbrush” isn’t a third-party ad.
The post Buzzfeed goes where every media company has gone before… appeared first on The Hustle.
(via The Hustle)