Getting the Most From Native Advertising
/https://emgonline.com/2018/12/getting-the-most-from-native-advertising/
You see them everywhere. On your favorite website, your Facebook feed, Instagram stories and Google searches. You might not even know it, but native advertising is all around.
That’s the point of native ads. By definition, “Native advertising is a form of paid media where the ad experience follows the natural form and function of the user experience in which it is placed.” Here are some ways to take advantage of the many opportunities native ads offer.
Where Can I Use Native Advertising?
The most recognized types of native ads are sponsored articles like the one in the photo above by Morgan Stanley, but they also come in the form of Paid Search ads, Paid Listings on sites like eBay and Amazon, In-feed ads across several of the social media platforms, or the “Recommended for You” section at the bottom a news article. The possibilities almost seem endless.
Social media is also always expanding their offering in the market. Snapchat allows advertisers to design customer filters for users to put over their photos and videos. Want to send all of your friends with a snap of your face as a taco? Taco Bell has just the things for you.
How Can I be Effective with my Native Advertising?
There are many places and many ways to implement native advertising. With that there are also opportunities to be ineffective with your ads. Leaving consumers frustrated with your content will impact your reputation in the market.
When you start developing your content, keep in mind this quote from Eric Goeres, former Director of Innovation at Time Magazine:
Don’t Trick Them; Don’t Piss Them Off
A consumer is smart enough to know if they’re being sold something. Trying to hide the fact that your content is an ad will just make the people upset and will reflect badly on your brand. You also don’t want to be “loud” and distract from the rest of the content on the site. You want to get noticed by the consumer, but you don’t want to be dismissed for trying too hard to be clever.
Content is Key
The best practice with native content is the same idea as with any content you create. Make sure all the content you produce is high quality. Even if it is an ad, a thoughtful and engaging piece will attract readers and promote not only engagement with the article, but also with your brand.
Another thing to think of is to know what type of content works on which website. You don’t want to put a tongue-in-cheek listicle on the New York Times or Wall Street Journal, or a piece with a serious tone on Buzzfeed. Instead make sure that you’re pitching your content to sites whose content matches your goals, or vice versa.
As social media has become one of the cornerstones of our modern culture, everyone’s goal is to go viral. The are several examples of brands trying to copy what ever they believe to be the hot viral video on YouTube at the time, only to crash and burn and becoming laughing stocks all over the internet. Instead of chasing trends, stay on your message and produce quality content. A well-crafted video will stay in a customer’s mind longer than latest video trying to copy the latest trends.
Native advertising is a great way to encourage brand engagement. While there are many different ways to blend your content with a site’s native content, high quality content is king no matter the platform. Keep the content top-notch, and don’t ever try to trick a consumer, and you should be able to get the most out of any native ads you pursue