What is Native Advertising:  Basics and More Revealed!

In the world of online marketing, the link between content and viewer engagement is always being talked about. To get more clicks and shares seem to be the main aim of almost all online entities. There are many tactics that have been devised and used but just recently, it is Native Advertising that has been going viral in the industry.

Basic Definition

It is an online advertisement strategy which uses content that is in line with user experiences. This is done for the aim of getting the attention of readers and ensuring that maximum levels of engagement is attained.

Mechanism

It has been proven that there could be different interpretations on how this form of advertising really works. It would depend on who is being asked and on which industry or online niche these people belong. These could be advertisements in form of tweets, online content, sponsored stories, and other similar things. When placed in a website, Native Advertising content blocks should match the elements located there. It should not be an obvious marketing piece. There must be that “natural feel” on the presence of these ads on a page. It means that when readers see it, they will think that it is an intended element of the site and not an externally sourced piece. It should be able to communicate to readers and use their current experiences as means of engagement.

Important Elements

It is true that any brand or individual could make use of this form of advertising. However, using it is not a ready assurance of success in terms of clicks or visitor conversion. There are some who succeed and those who don’t when they make use of the tactic called Native Advertising. Of course, one should focus on how the former did it. There are three elements that make this form of advertising effective. These are the following:

  • Fully customized and targets specific customers – Native Advertising is meant to communicate or speak with specific rather than general types of readers or customer markets. If the brand being carried is supposed to be catering to the needs of new moms, the native ad should have content that fully relate only to their experiences.
  • Design that matches the page or site naturally – Readers hate content or ads that “shout” out the commercial purpose of their presence. Ad blocks could be placed as an integral part of a web page. It should not stand out aggressively among other page contents beside it. This is one of the true contexts of “native” on this type of advertising tactic. To cite out an example, a page containing inspiring stories could accommodate native ads that use the same content format in delivering its message. The reader is able to relate to the content being presented while the advertiser can subtly go on with the promotion of a product or service.
  • User-initiated function – To put it simply, it should be clicked by the reader if he or she wants to read it. The context of true native advertisement is lost once such ads immediately pop out of a site when pages are accessed or when the cursor hovers over a webpage’s texts. It gives users the feeling that they are in control of the experience. It also assures better conversion since those who will click such ads are the ones who are truly intending to buy or patronize a product or service.

Effective Formats

Those who publish must ensure they are using the best possible formats since native advertisement campaigns cost a lot of money. The most effective formats would of course vary across different industries and publishers. However, there are entities that have conducted surveys about which formats really stand out or give the best possible results. According to the survey made by Hexagram and Spada, the following are the ones that work best for US-based publishers and companies:

  • Blog posts – 58% of the 1000 surveyed respondents believe that this is one of the most effective formats of native ads. Blogs attract specific types of readers and visitors who are looking for information that has already been categorized. People see the authority of blogs on delivering high quality recommendations in terms of products or services.
  • Articles – 56% of all respondents also mentioned about the effectiveness of delivering published content and sponsored pieces. Information in the form of articles will always be a valuable commodity in the online world and people will always be looking for it.
  • Videos – 53% of news outlets surveyed think that using video to convey product and service information yields the best rates of customer engagement and client conversion. In a world flooded by written content, informational videos are welcomed with better anticipation.
  • Social media posts/Infographics – These formats of native ads have also been mentioned by the surveyed respondents. A lot of people are currently involved in social media activities. This is a very beneficial thing for those who are using social media ads and posts for the promotion of products and services. Infographics, on the other hand, catches attention better when compared to old-school ads.

Cost

There is stiff competition today between standard display ads and native ad materials. However, it can be noted that since the latter is becoming more popular and getting high preference ratings among publishers, service providers are exercising freedom on charging premium fees. Native ads are apparently more valuable because people don’t ignore it. Display ads, on the other hand, are so notorious for being generic and in worst cases, tools of spammers. This is the reason why people are hesitant to click on these display ads. There are some Native Advertising companies who charge on measured basis. As an example, there is a publisher that has been noted to implement a $1 “cost per engagement” system. Using this system, it is possible for a client to spend on a $1000 CPM.

To sum it all up, Native Advertising revolutionizes the online marketing industry through effective utilization of user experiences for customer engagement. Those who are aiming to succeed in the highly competitive world of e-commerce should never underestimate its power.