Unskipable Instagram Ads

Case Study: Minimizing User Frustration with Unskippable Ads on Instagram

Introduction

Instagram recently announced that it will be experimenting with unskippable ads. This redesign aims to minimize user frustration during this experience.

Problem Statement

We've all encountered unskippable ads on TV, streaming services, YouTube, and now social media. However, social media introduces a unique layer of frustration. Unlike TV, where viewers passively watch ads, social media users actively interact with their devices, rapidly consuming content at their own pace. Interrupting this flow with unskippable ads can be highly aggravating, simalar to the frustration of mobile game ads that force you to wait adverts and find the cancel button.

Impact on User Behavior

Introducing unskippable ads during the scrolling experience could lead users to exit the app and reduce their overall Instagram usage. To mitigate this, a strategy focused on anticipation could be effective.

Proposed Solution

Countdown Timer and Content Preview

A countdown timer can signal that the ad break will end soon, but this alone might not be enough to keep users engaged if the ad itself isn’t compelling. To enhance the user experience, Instagram could show a preview of the next post during the countdown.

Ad break advertisement while also showing a bounce effect 30% enlarged image of the next post shown in image 1. Once the Ad countdown begins, the post image will then minimize to 10 percent at the bottom shown in image 2.

Timing these ads with posts from a user’s favorite accounts could increase curiosity and encourage them to stay to the ad timer is over. A somewhat resistance to wait it out with conflicting desires to leave or stay.

This Seek Post approach could also work with content Reel that quickly grabs users interest and attention. Users know if they leave the app, they may not be able to find the content again so easily. This would be considered dark Ux if this happened to a user more than 2/3 daily.

Benefits

While this approach might divert some attention from the ad, it’s a preferable alternative to users exiting the app altogether creating an unconscious habit with a slow exodus.

A mitigation is 1) lower the saturated colour within the ad content when it first appears at the same time the Next Incoming post is semi enlarged shown in first image. 2) Then once the Next Incoming Post is minimised to 10%, increase the colour saturation of the Ad to draw back attention shown within second image. 3) show next image has normal, shown in image 3.

Additional, a large amount of data would need to be tracked and assessed bases on users segmentation. Example, some users maybe able to tolerate the ads if its well tailored. Vs some users may not be incentived to stay on the app even if their favourite account just posted.

Conclusion

In summary, Ad Break current reaction from users is they do not like this. Therefore by integrating a preview of upcoming content that the user may like to see, increase incentive to wait it out. Instagram can create a less frustrating and more engaging ad experience for its users.

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This once again point to importance and foundational role human emotions plays within product design.

prototype below