Technology has completely changed the way companies advertise and promote their brands. Nowadays, digital marketing provides a wide range of advertising trends and strategies that are often more successful than traditional methods in reaching the target audience. One of these strategies is native advertising, which we will explore in this blog. Native advertising has become crucial to modern marketing, allowing businesses to connect with customers in new and exciting ways.
What Is Native Advertising?
Native advertising is a kind of paid ad that mixes well with the website content, doesn’t bother the users by popping up anywhere, and does not hamper the user experience. This is easily integrated into the website content, blending perfectly with the overall appearance, vibe, and functionality. People might not even realize it’s there as it can be promoted listings, sponsored articles, suggested videos, or in-feed ads on any social media platform.
Some Interesting Facts About Native Advertising:
1. Many consumers or internet users are unaware of native ads.
2. Approximately 70% of consumers would learn about products through content than traditional ads.
3. Approximately 55% of people are more likely to remember native ads than traditional display ads.
4. According to Outbrain, native advertising is projected to reach a global value of $400 billion by 2025.
5. As per Outbrain, 68% of consumers trust native ads when presented in an editorial context, while only 55% trust social media ads.
6. According to Outbrain, compared to display ads, native ads are easy to understand by 62%. As for social ads, 31% are understood.
How Do You Spot Native Advertising
1. Promoted Listings:
These are the listings featured on popular e-commerce sites like Amazon, eBay, Flipkart, and more. These ads are powerful for increasing visibility and driving sales for your products.
Product listings often resembles the layout of the e-commerce site, yet usually labeled “Sponsored.” These key listings, also referred to as promoted items, arise when an online seller pays a website or e-commerce to spotlight their product. For example, Amazon permits sellers to aim at customers with specific keywords and position their product to the top with a “Sponsored” tag.
2. Sponsored Content:
Sponsored content is marked with tags such as “Sponsored” or “Paid Content,” which distinguishes it from regular articles. The main purpose of this is to give the audience useful and interesting information while quietly promoting the brand.
Good sponsored content usually matches what the audience is interested in and needs. It is evaluated using measures like engagement rates, click rates, and the overall effect on the brand. When creating sponsored content, one has to follow some rules to ensure everything is disclosed properly and does not mislead the reader. This helps keep the content believable and reliable.
3. In-Feed Ads:
Have you ever scrolled through your social media feed or favorite app and come across posts that look like regular content but are actually ads? Those are called in-feed ads, a sneaky form of advertising that blends in with the stuff you want to see.
In-feed ads are designed to match the style and format of the platform they appear on so they don’t stick out like a sore thumb. They can show up as sponsored posts on social media, recommended articles on news sites, or suggested content in apps. These ads usually include a mix of text, images, or videos to catch the audience’s eye while seamlessly fitting in with the rest of the content.
The best thing about this is that they naturally interact with users. This tends to boost engagement and boost brand visibility. Metrics used to measure performance include click-through rates, user interactions, and conversion rates.
4. Video Ads:
Web and app-based video ads should match their surroundings. They should fit the style and tone of the site or app. These ads should feel natural and not forceful, forming a better user experience. People often engage more with these ads as they merge well due to clickable links or calls to-action features.
Views and clicks determine the performance, but it becomes boring for viewers and gets tired of ads with the content. Overall, these tailored video ads are a good way to catch the user’s attention without bothering their browsing.
Importance of Native Advertising
Boosts User Experience:
Native ads boost the user experience by integrating into the context around them. Far from interrupting pop-ups or loud banner ads, these ads are shaped to fit in with the platform they are displayed on. This easy-on-eye lets users digest content without drowning in ads.
Brand Story:
It lets brands share useful information and offer a solution to audience problems. Overall, it lets brands tell their stories. With helpful and captivating content, brands can build trust and boost their general image. Shoppers tend to be attracted to those brands whose ads seem natural and apt.
Higher Engagement Rates:
Native ads usually get more engagement because they are more subtle and suit the context better than traditional ads. People often engage more with stuff that matches their likes and the platform’s content. This leads to more clicks and more time spent with the ad.
Reduces Ad Ignorance:
Native ads are more likely to grab your attention than regular ads. Their design and placement within the content make them blend well, which makes them less likely to be ignored. This means you won’t get tired of seeing ads all the time. Instead, you will pay attention and get the message they’re trying to deliver.
Targeted Reach:
Native ads sync closely with the likes and activities of the targeted audience. Having ads in related content lets brands connect strongly with certain age or social groups. These audiences may be interested in the products or services the brand offers.
Wrapping Up:
Native advertising is a great way to promote brands without interrupting the audience’s attention. These ads blend in so well with the surrounding content that they can be hard to spot. It’s important for consumers to be aware of native ads and know how to recognize them so they can make informed decisions about the content they interact with.
