RE: It is time to make Steem an economically self sustainable business ecosystem
This is the best proposal I have seen as regards ads:
"The Solution
Simply remove the posts from trending status the moment the use of a bidbot or other promotional tool is detected.
I mentioned that, way back when.
Slide those posts over to the promoted tab (or create a new tab), and allow the real content, produced by those who put their hearts and soul into this platform, rise to the top.
When we're busy publishing, before we hit the post button, we should be able to select from a list of these promoted posts and include one or two to sit as banners within or under our publications. If a member visits our blog, sees one of these ads, then clicks; that click should function just like the vote button, rewarding the author of the post. That's one of the easiest ways a blogger here could generate ad revenue.
The ads could jockey for position on this list by spending more and more money like they do now to hijack the trending page. That, my friends, is good for business. Everyone wins.
Bloggers curate advertisements to include with their posts, and when that advertisement gets it's reward, a share of the final revenue should go to all bloggers who chose to include that ad on their post.
I'm certain advertisers would want to find ways to sweeten the pot to ensure their ads are the ones being selected by content producers by offering incentives in the form of quality ads and higher rewards. They'd know they're now able to tap into a larger market and get more eyes on the prize instead of depending on a measly 20-30 top trending slots. I know I'd be out looking for the best deals.
People need to buy STEEM in order to create these ads, which is good for everyone; and now we have another alternative method of distribution as well."
Post visibility is a UI level action. So, you can make the suggestion to people who are creating the various front-ends that you see around the place.