IELTS Writing Task 2 | Why Advertising Is Less Effective Today

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📘 IELTS Writing Task 2 — Advertising Topic (Practice Notes)

In this lesson, we work with the following IELTS Writing Task 2 question:

Research indicates that nowadays some consumers are much less influenced by advertising than in the past.
What do you think are the reasons for this?
Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

1️⃣ Reasons why advertising is less influential today

Reason 1: Technology and online reviews

Today, consumers no longer rely on advertisements as their main source of information.
Instead, they use independent online sources such as:

product review videos
customer comments
comparison websites

Because these sources come from real users rather than companies, they are generally considered more trustworthy. As a result, traditional advertising has less impact on purchasing decisions.

Reason 2: Advertising overload

Modern consumers are exposed to advertisements almost constantly:

on social media
in mobile apps
on websites
during online videos

When people see advertisements repeatedly throughout the day, they gradually stop paying attention to them. This overexposure reduces both interest and trust, making advertising less effective than it was in the past.

2️⃣ Opinion: Is this a positive or negative development

This trend can be seen as largely positive.

Because advertising has less influence, consumers are more likely to:

research products carefully
compare multiple options
rely on genuine user experiences

This helps people make better purchasing decisions and protects them from misleading or exaggerated marketing. At the same time, companies are encouraged to improve product quality rather than depend heavily on aggressive advertising.

3️⃣ Writing focus for this lesson

This lesson demonstrates how to:

respond to both parts of a Task 2 question
develop one clear idea per paragraph
explain ideas using simple, realistic examples

You do not need advanced vocabulary or complex arguments to write effectively on this topic. Clear thinking and logical development are enough.

✍️ Practice reminder

Write one full body paragraph explaining a reason
Write one short opinion paragraph (positive or negative)

If you want accountability, you can post both paragraphs in the comments.