Dive Brief:
- Commenting platforms Livefyre and Disqus both offer ad placements in comment sections, but marketers should be wary of engaging in that venue, according to industry insiders.
- Adding ads to comment sections benefits publishers looking for revenue, but is rough territory for brands.
- Native ads are being served up in Condé Nast, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and Fox News properties.
Dive Insight:
First commenting platform Disqus, and now Livefyre, are both selling ads within comment sections on websites across multiple publishing partners. The question is, are marketers helping their own efforts by reaching an audience in comment sections? According to industry insiders the answer is a qualified “no.”
Jeanne Bright, vp of paid social and strategy at Digitas, told Digiday, “I think it would take a certain type of brand to want to run on this ad type — one that is willing to be exposed to and manage potential risk. I personally would not recommend this ad type for brands I work on.”
In a recent Livefyre blog post, Jordan Kretchmer, wrote, “Starting today, Livefyre enterprise customers can now integrate ads directly into their comments streams. It’s a totally optional add-on, but for those customers who choose to launch ads, it will mark the first time that they can connect comments directly."
Though users say commenting platforms' tools for moderating spam and hostile comments has improved, agencies are still skeptical of advertising in the section.
