Issues with political advertising
Many website publishers
serve advertising on their pages with creatives that are related to their chosen industry or subject. However, there are often available ad inventory for other types of ads. These could be for charitable ads, or perhaps even for political ad banners, the latter of which can be extremely lucrative. While political ads are certainly a good way to generate views and clicks, they can also create very real problems if not properly handled. If you are considering running political ads on your website, here are a few things that you will need to consider:
Fact checking
Political ads tend to contain all manner of statistics and claims, not all of which may be entirely accurate. We live in a political climate where the claim of "fake news" has become an everyday mantra for some politicians. While some of those claims are nothing more than a diversion tactic, the reality is that there is an awful lot of misinformation out there, too. Therefore, if your site targets a formal and serious audience, those claims made in the ads that you run should indeed be accurate.
Questionable advertiser
Another thing to consider is the source of the political ad being placed. Was it put out by the official campaign, or was it something that was paid for by an influencer or funder who has unethical motives? If you have any doubts about where the ad came from, it may be better to leave it off your pages. The last thing you need is to be sucked into some sort of controversy and negative consequences that could easily have been avoided with a little due diligence on your part.
Time sensitivity
If you are looking for a long-term source of advertising revenue, political ads are not really the way to go. The campaign season comes and goes in a heartbeat, with a year or two often passing between each major election. Maintaining political ads on your site after the elections are over may make it appear as though you are not on top of maintaining the ads that are shown on your site, which raise concerns on the rest of what you have to offer.
Ethics
In many cases, money and influence are used to essentially "buy" votes and sway elections. Some of these actions can fall on the shady side, while others are simply not legal. It’s tough to know what you are getting into when you enter your ad space into the political arena, which is why so many publishers simply choose to either steer clear or turn a blind eye.
Potential discrimination
There are political ads that target a certain demographic, and while it is often legally nothing wrong with that, placing those types of ads may give the appearance that you are discriminating against other groups. While this may not be your intention when targeting the ad, you cannot possibly know what other people are going to think about the political ads on your site. It is a sensitive subject that need second options from outside your organization.
Related
- Political ad serving in a divisive world
"It is often said that you should avoid discussing politics or religion, simply because both subjects are issues that tend to be very divisive. With that in mind, some publishers are a little iffy about running election ads on their websites, as the last thing anyone wants to do is alienate a large segment of their audience. " More
- Five avoidable mistakes of political ads
"Everywhere you turn right now, you run into ads put out by politicians and their political parties, with all of them telling you that they are the right person to vote for. It used to be that you could simply turn off the TV to avoid such ads, but the internet is now a place where political ads run wild. " More
- Benefits of online ad serving for political ads
"While some websites choose to steer clear of political content, there are plenty more who are willing to accept them on their pages. This may explain why so many people campaigning for office are now turning to the internet, more specifically, adservers, to get their message out to the voting public. " More