Do you comment on websites that use Disqus for their commenting system? If so, prepare to be targeted for ads based on those comments and the sites you make them on.
1.6 billion unique monthly visitors see Disqus comments on a variety of websites. It is unknown how many of the websites utilizing Disqus would be displaying ads, although it is known that they have 150 million users signed up to comment. Disqus is used on large websites such as CNBC and Rolling Stone, specific industry targeted sites such as Search Engine Land and down to small hobby sites.
The ads are run through Xaxis, an automated ad platform, and the ads appear in an ad block above the comments.
The Disqus Sponsored Comments ad units appear above discussion threads on websites using the company’s commenting platform and participating in its advertising. Creative possibilities for brands include text, images and embedded video, tailored to specific audiences, topics under discussion, or both. The platform will continually scan the words and expressions used on sites and in comments to ensure ads are only placed in brand safe environments. The same technology will also be used to perform enhanced targeting, enabling brands to target over 1,000 discussion topics, breaking news and trending memes.
Disqus targeting ads are now available in both the US and the UK, with plans to roll out in additional markets, although no timeline for more countries was given.
What is interesting is that Xaxis refers to these advertisements as “native advertising” instead of contextual or behavioral based advertising, although it would seem they really aren’t native advertising in the true sense.
“For native advertising to make sense for major brands, it needs to be scalable and precisely aligned with the rest of their digital marketing strategies,” said Brian Lesser, global CEO of Xaxis. “With the Disqus partnership, advertisers can now apply the same audience-based lens to the delivery, tracking and measurement of native ads that they apply to their existing display, social, mobile and online video campaigns.”
It is also unclear whether the websites that are displaying the ads through Disqus are getting a revenue share or any compensation for hosting the ads. Depending on how large or obtrusive the ads are, it could make some webmasters pull Disqus from their sites completely, especially since a click on an ad through Disqus could result on the loss of that visitor clicking through to another page on the site or on an advertisement the webmaster would earn revenue from.
It could be an opt-in program for website owners however, as Adweek notes that while they use Disqus for their comments, they do not plan to run the ads in the comments.
There is also the question of ads appearing on inappropriate articles or above comments that have become inflammatory or spammy, and how the company plans to combat these issues.
For those not wanting to see Disqus targeted advertisements, you can opt out of Xaxis.
Jennifer Slegg
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