Have you ever visited a website and noticed bits of other content pieces with topics that seemed like the main piece of content? You were probably seeing a native advertisement. A native ad is simply an alternative to banner ads that are slightly camouflaged as content, but the website visitors seem to pay attention to them most likely. Unlike traditional media ads, which are easy to feel intrusive, native ads are intended to be more discreet in nature.
As the online audience has become more aware and concerned about online advertising practices, such as ad blocking, click baits, and ad frauds, native advertising has become a more relevant advertising practice. Some of the best advertising platforms match the native ad content as closely as the main content of the publisher’s website, which blends naturally into the form and function of the channel it appears on. If done correctly, native ads can be easier to understand, increase brand awareness and reach the right audience who may resist traditional advertising. Native video advertising, interscroller (display native ad), sponsored articles and listicles, out-stream video ads, etc., are some of the most popular formats of native advertising.
Let’s have a look at some of the native ads' best practices publishers must follow.
Understanding the Difference Between Native Ads and Banner Ads
Banner ads or native ads may be used interchangeably, as their meanings may seem the same. But the reality is that native ads are a lot less intrusive and subtle compared to banner or display ads. Native advertising mimics the look and feel of the platform they are placed. Native advertising allows advertisers to create sponsored ad content that integrates seamlessly with the publisher’s website interface. Banner ads, on the other hand, are more marketing driven and look more sponsored compared to native ads. Mobile native advertising is another popular form of non-intrusive advertising which can blend seamlessly into the surrounding content.
Paying Attention to the Consumer Journey
In a nutshell, being consumer-centric is the most important characteristic of digital marketing in native advertising. Broadly speaking, a consumer-centric strategy is divided into three parts; understanding the customer, personalizing the ad approach, and collecting feedback. When a publisher puts these three pieces together, they have a framework for building a native ad strategy that works best for their audience and their behavior journey. A customer-centric approach increases customer satisfaction, engagement, and conversion rates.
Having an Organized Marketing Strategy
Before setting up a native ad campaign, it is important for publishers to ensure a seamless user experience for their audience. The best native ad campaigns are those where an ad does not look like an ad but rather seems like a part of the website, which increases the chances of users interacting with it. That is why it is crucial for a publisher to carefully consider which pages they want to place the ads on and the kind of native ads they want to include, to make the users more perceptive to the ad.
Implementing Key Trends
When approaching native ad campaigns, publishers must keep an eye on trends and keep on implementing key trends in their ad campaigns. This is due to the fact that audiences’ preferences change with time, so it is important to monitor what your audience likes and dislikes closely. With native programmatic ads, a publisher can get useful insights into how the ads are performing and if any changes are required to make. They can use A/B testing and other relevant tools to check which version of their ads works best. It’s possible that making the required changes in native ad campaigns can improve the bottom line in the long run. Native ad campaign strategy generally includes content, but publishers must also check what platform and which devices their target audience is active on. This will help them better understand and target different demographics.
Optimizing the Ad Content
No matter how compelling the native ad is, it will be a failed attempt if it’s not in front of the right pair of eyes. A publisher must ensure that the ad content they show matches the type of content in their native ad platform, which is their website. For the native ads to be effective, they must be contextually relevant. For instance, a native ad for sports shoes will be more effective on a publisher’s website that is centered around sports. If a native ad for sports shoes is posted on a FinTech website, it will simply fail to grab a user’s attention, even if the ad is compelling. This is one of the finest examples of native advertising best practices. Native advertisements that provide useful information and merge with the website's content are more likely to get clicked on and shared, thus sending the audience along a potential buyer’s journey.
As a result, native advertising is an effective method for publishers to establish trust and engagement with their target audience to generate revenue. Performing the native ads examples and best practices listed above, publishers can make their native ads more compelling and consumer-centric. This can ultimately result in high-retention rates and additional revenue.
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