Social media’s brand-safety crisis is a big opportunity for premium publishers

For years, social media platforms have thrived by using publisher content to attract and engage audiences — only to turn around and undercut those same publishers by keeping ad budgets locked inside their walled gardens. Advertisers have been drawn in by the promise of vast logged-in audiences and powerful targeting tools, but in reality, they’ve invested their budgets into an opaque system where brand safety and control take a back seat to engagement at any cost.

Now, the tide is turning.

The risks of advertising on social media have never been more apparent. Meta’s decision to abandon independent fact-checking in favor of user-moderated “community notes” follows X’s similar move under Elon Musk. Both platforms frame these changes as a commitment to free speech, but they expose a deeper reality in that advertisers’ brand safety is no longer a priority.

Advertisers have relied on keyword blocklists, curated buying lists and verification tools to mitigate risk. But the latest changes make one thing clear: Marketers never truly had control on platforms like X and Meta. These companies set the rules, rewrite them at will and expect brands to adapt.

While social platforms hide behind Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, shielding them from liability for user-generated content, they profit from engagement-driven algorithms despite the presence of hate speech and misinformation. On the other hand, publishers are accountable for what appears on their pages, holding high editorial standards and content integrity to ensure a brand-safe environment that social platforms can’t guarantee. Shifting budgets away from social platforms, however, requires more than just offering a stronger alternative — publishers must actively prove their value. Here are three ways publishers can attract more advertisers.

Retaining business outcomes for advertisers

Performance has long been the driving force behind advertisers’ reliance on social platforms, but advancements in addressability, independent measurement and supply path transparency have made premium publishers more competitive than ever. With privacy-conscious audience solutions, verifiable measurement and high-value inventory, premium publishers offer a more transparent and accountable alternative to social platforms, where ad placement is dictated by black box algorithms and self-reported metrics.

Those who effectively communicate their ability to drive real ROI in a responsible, high-quality environment will be best positioned to attract advertiser investment and build long-term partnerships.

Reinforcing the value in polished, premium content

Brand safety is social media’s biggest vulnerability and a powerful differentiator for premium publishers. Media owners should position their safe environments as a competitive advantage, with case studies proving that premium content drives high engagement and ROI and that social media’s unpredictable feeds pose greater risks.

For publishers, it’s essential to spotlight specific improvements that make their inventory more addressable and easier to buy. The adoption of ID solutions and first-party data strategies has strengthened audience targeting. This, combined with third-party measurement, provides advertisers with increased performance and greater transparency than what’s delivered in social media’s self-reported metrics. Sharing these partnerships and their success stories will show advertisers that they no longer must choose between performance and brand safety —publishers offer both.

Many media owners have also streamlined transactions, making it easier for advertisers to buy their inventory and compete with social platforms’ frictionless experience. Publishers that have implemented supply path optimization, reduced resellers and enhanced transparency should actively showcase these advancements to reinforce trust and demonstrate efficiency.

Reimagining storytelling for evolving habits

Competing with social media also means evolving content strategies. Adapting high-quality content to engaging formats like short-form videos and interactive experiences will help publishers attract younger audiences while maintaining credibility.

As brands grow more cautious about where their ads appear, publishers have a unique opportunity to reestablish themselves as essential partners. Concerns over misinformation and mental health impacts are pushing brands to seek environments that offer reach, brand safety and alignment with their values.

This is a chance to reinforce publishers’ value as trusted, high-quality environments that offer a more stable, transparent and effective alternative. Those who act now — proving that performance and responsibility go hand in hand — will be best positioned to attract advertiser investment.

This op-ed represents the views and opinions of the author and not of The Current, a division of The Trade Desk, or The Trade Desk. The appearance of the op-ed on The Current does not constitute an endorsement by The Current or The Trade Desk.