![iOS9 Ad Blocker Impact and Affiliate Marketing [LNIM091]](https://www.latenightim.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Dollarphotoclub_93588085.jpg)
This week Mark takes time to thank everyone who welcomed the show back on the air, then dives into a discussion about iOS9 ad blockers and what they mean for affiliate marketers. Featuring a clip from Leo Laporte and Om Malik on This Week in Tech, the episode makes the case that affiliate marketing is the advertising model best positioned to thrive in a world where traditional display ads are under pressure.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- Why iOS9 ad blockers signal a market correction, not the end of online advertising
- How The Wirecutter built a successful business on affiliate revenue alone
- What Leo Laporte and Om Malik predict about the future of content monetization
- How Google Analytics Calculated Metrics can reveal insights about your business
- This week's Internet Marketing Fortune Cookie on taking action today
Show Notes
Mark opens with gratitude to listeners who reached out on Twitter and Facebook to welcome the show back after a hiatus. He then introduces this week's Fortune Cookie: “Live, think, and act for today. Tomorrow may be too late.”
The main segment features a clip from This Week in Tech (Episode 522, not Mac Break Weekly as Mark initially states) with Om Malik and Leo Laporte. They discuss how ad blockers are pushing the industry toward a model where trusted recommendations drive purchases directly, rather than display advertising. Om highlights The Wirecutter as a site that runs zero display ads and earns all revenue from affiliate links because readers trust their reviews.
Mark puts this in context for his audience: at the time, iOS devices represented 20% of all web traffic. Even widespread ad blocker adoption on iOS would not destroy the advertising industry. The bigger message is that the kind of affiliate marketing Mark teaches, helpful content that genuinely assists purchasing decisions, is exactly what these industry leaders see as the future.
The tech tip covers Google Analytics Calculated Metrics, a new feature that lets you create custom metrics by combining existing ones (for example, Revenue Per User).
Editor's Note: The clip in this episode is from This Week in Tech, Episode 522, not Mac Break Weekly as mentioned during the show.
What Has Changed Since This Episode
Mark recorded this in November 2015.
Ad blockers went mainstream and the industry adapted. Chrome built in its own ad blocker targeting intrusive formats. Publishers shifted to native advertising, sponsored content, and subscription models. The apocalyptic predictions did not materialize, but the advertising industry did reform its worst practices.
The Wirecutter was acquired by The New York Times for roughly $30 million in 2016. This validated the affiliate-only model that Om and Leo praised in the clip. It remains one of the most successful affiliate marketing businesses ever built.
Google Analytics was replaced by GA4. Universal Analytics was sunset in 2023. The calculated metrics concept still exists in GA4 but the interface and capabilities are fundamentally different.
Resources Mentioned
- The Wirecutter (now NYT Wirecutter)
- This Week in Tech, Episode 522
- StakeMyRep — gamification accountability app from listener Tom
- LNIM Podcast
Related Episodes
Listen and Subscribe
Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.
