We’re going to piss a lot of folks off with this, but hear us out: Digital advertising in 2025 is a pyramid scheme—and you’re not the villain for opting out. If you've ever felt a pang of guilt for running an ad blocker, that’s not your conscience talking… That’s conditioning from a broken, surveillance-based ad economy that’s monetized pageviews and impressions and mistook it for value and influence. The real problem isn’t users dodging ads. Nope. It’s the lazy, bloated model that made skipping them a necessity. Let’s get this straight: users aren’t killing digital media. Bad advertising is. Bad advertising is. The real culprit is the bloated, interruptive, surveillance-soaked ad model that prioritizes impressions over intelligence, clutter over clarity, and “more eyeballs” over meaningful engagement. Is this “ad fatigue?” Yes. More than half of IT decision-makers will abandon a vendor if their content feels too promotional or unclear. Or, more precisely, is it a $10 million revenue leak disguised as “brand awareness”? You bet your sweet Don Draper underpants. You bet your sweet Don Draper underpants. And it’s time we lit a match under it. (The digital ads model, that is; we’d pay good money for those underpants!) Ahem, so in today’s story, we will discuss: Why the traditional ad model is imploding.
How pageview-chasing sabotaged media quality.
And what B2B marketers should build instead: durable, owned, audience-first assets that actually get read. Why the traditional ad model is imploding. How pageview-chasing sabotaged media quality. And what B2B marketers should build instead: durable, owned, audience-first assets that actually get read. Ready to kill the clickbait and reclaim your content credibility? Let’s dig in. ‍ The Pageview Pyramid Scheme The Pageview Pyramid Scheme Let’s start with pageviews: The most overused, overhyped metric in digital publishing. Pageviews are why we have clickbait headlines, endless listicles, broken UX, and content that reads like it was written by a caffeinated raccoon with a thesaurus. Why are publishers so obsessed with them? Simple: advertisers want “shots on goal.” What better way than through impressions? Even if the content is crap, even if the user bounces in two seconds, the gears of the advertising model creak and turn, and it still counts. But here’s the rub—51% of IT decision-makers abandon vendors if their content feels unclear or too promotional (IDG). That goes beyond trust erosion… it’s a conversion killer. You think you are winning attention; you are not. You think you are mainlining relevance; you are bleeding it. ‘Turn Off Your Ad Blocker!’ = Creative Bankruptcy ‘Turn Off Your Ad Blocker!’ = Creative Bankruptcy You’ve seen the pop-ups. “Please turn off your ad blocker. You’re killing our journalism!” No, Brad. You’re killing it by serving 68 trackers, a pre-roll, and a floating sidebar that autoplays a video no one asked for. Brad Brad You’re We recently visited CNN with uBlock Origin running in Firefox—within seconds, it blocked 68 scripts, trackers, and invasive ad calls. The result? A faster, cleaner, actually readable site. Imagine that! And we’re not alone. Firefox—still one of the few non-Chromium browsers standing—has 10 million users running uBlock Origin. The next most popular extension barely cracks 2 million. People aren’t anti-content. They’re anti-garbage. The Laziness of the Ad-First Economy The Laziness of the Ad-First Economy ‍ If I haven’t been direct enough, allow me to blunt the edge: the ad-supported internet made digital media lazy. It removed the incentive to create quality, durable content and replaced it with a hamster wheel of disposable fodder choking on its own search engine optimization (SEO). Need proof? BuzzFeed’s revenue collapsed after Facebook throttled its referral traffic.
Dozens of VC-backed media startups flamed out when their ad models couldn’t scale.
The average time on page for B2B content is just 29 seconds … because most of it isn’t worth reading. BuzzFeed’s revenue collapsed after Facebook throttled its referral traffic. BuzzFeed’s Facebook Dozens of VC-backed media startups flamed out when their ad models couldn’t scale. VC-backed media startups The average time on page for B2B content is just 29 seconds … because most of it isn’t worth reading. average B2B content isn’t worth reading But, instead of innovating, ad runners kept propping up this shantytown of a model that’s been hemorrhaging trust for a decade-plus. What’s bullshit is that they dared to guilt you for using a tool to clean up the mess. you Nah. Not today, Satan. Not today, Satan Build for the Reader, Not the Revenue Model Build for the Reader, Not the Revenue Model If you're a B2B marketer still chasing clicks, impressions, or CPMs, it’s time for a wake-up slap where the sun don’t shine. Feeling woke yet? Good. Throw on some Stillmatic, get yourself one pen, and write down what to do next: Stillmatic Ditch the banner ads. They don't convert. They erode trust. They make your brand look like it’s stuck in 2009.
Quit measuring success with pageviews. Optimize for dwell time, scroll depth, and return visits. These metrics tell you if your audience actually gives a shit.
Audit your UX. If your site feels like Times Square in the middle of an Adderall binge, simplify it. Respect your reader’s time. Ditch the banner ads. They don't convert. They erode trust. They make your brand look like it’s stuck in 2009. Ditch the banner ads. don't convert Quit measuring success with pageviews. Optimize for dwell time, scroll depth, and return visits. These metrics tell you if your audience actually gives a shit. Quit measuring success with pageviews. dwell time scroll depth return visits Audit your UX. If your site feels like Times Square in the middle of an Adderall binge, simplify it. Respect your reader’s time. Audit your UX. Here’s what modern, sustainable content strategy looks like: 1. Serve by Segment 1. Serve by Segment CMO? Give them strategic ROI frameworks.
CISO? Focus on real security outcomes, not FUD.
ITDM? Show technical relevance, fast. CMO? Give them strategic ROI frameworks. CMO CISO? Focus on real security outcomes, not FUD. CISO ITDM? Show technical relevance, fast. ITDM Each asset should answer: “What’s in it for this buyer persona?” this 2. Embrace AISO and Semantic SEO 2. Embrace AISO and Semantic SEO Use structured data. Answer real user queries that contextualize your main idea.
Organize content by topic clusters and buyer intent.
Think beyond keywords—optimize for clarity and usefulness. Use structured data. Answer real user queries that contextualize your main idea. structured data real user queries Organize content by topic clusters and buyer intent. topic clusters buyer intent Think beyond keywords—optimize for clarity and usefulness. Think beyond keywords keywords clarity usefulness 3. Monetize Smarter, Not Louder 3. Monetize Smarter, Not Louder Build gated hubs and newsletters that multiply value, not subtract time.
Create microcontent ecosystems that extend your brand visibility—LinkedIn carousels, podcast cuts, and YouTube explainers.
Productize your expertise with templates, tools, and educational series. Build gated hubs and newsletters that multiply value, not subtract time. gated hubs newsletters Create microcontent ecosystems that extend your brand visibility—LinkedIn carousels, podcast cuts, and YouTube explainers. microcontent ecosystems Productize your expertise with templates, tools, and educational series. templates tools educational series Put simply: If you want leads that convert, you need to be worth following. What B2B Needs Now: Brave Content, Not Banner Spam What B2B Needs Now: Brave Content, Not Banner Spam Let’s talk legacy habits. In B2B, especially in cybersecurity and fintech, we’ve clung to the advertising crutch far too long. cybersecurity fintech Lazy display ads, awkward sponsored content, and whitepapers so boring they should be used in CIA sleep-deprivation programs. But this audience—your audience—is smarter than they’ve ever been. your audience They use uBlock. uBlock. They ghost sales outreach. ghost sales They do 90% of their research before they ever talk to you. 90% of their research before they ever talk to you So give them content worthy of their attention. We’re talking… Real thought leadership.
Real strategic guidance.
Real empathy for their pain points. Real thought leadership. Real Real strategic guidance. Real Real empathy for their pain points. Real And do it consistently across formats, channels, and funnel stages. TL;DR: Don’t Build for Ad Dollars. Build for Loyalty. TL;DR: Don’t Build for Ad Dollars. Build for Loyalty. The ad model is dying not because users are cruel, but because publishers got lazy. It rewards quantity over quality, noise over nuance. If you're still clinging to it, you're not just behind. You’re expendable. Here’s the better play: Treat your content like a product.
Respect your reader’s brain.
Use every tool—semantic SEO, social, AI—to make your brand useful. Treat your content like a product. Respect your reader’s brain. Use every tool—semantic SEO, social, AI—to make your brand useful. useful The future belongs to brands that inform, not interrupt. That build trust, not trackers. That lead with insight, not pop-ups.

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

Digital Advertising in 2025 is a Pyramid Scheme

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