Native Advertising: A Quick Guide for Marketers

Native advertising is a type of paid advertising that blends perfectly well with the page’s content, format, design, and behavior. These ads are designed in such a way that they are not immediately recognizable as advertisements.

It has drawn criticism for its perceived 'trickery' in misleading users to engage with non-advert content. However, when used properly, native ads don't need to be disruptive or deceptive - they can blend seamlessly into everyday online experiences.

• 90% of publishers say they have and/or are considering adding native ads to their sites.
• Native display ad spending is expected to grow by 12.5% year-over-year in 2023 in the US.
• 47% of marketers worldwide are confident about the success of native advertising.
• 71% of consumers say they personally identify with a brand after viewing its native ads.

Readers can enjoy a variety of content within their favorite magazine, including both original articles and sponsored material from advertisers. The natural index ensures that any additional ads offered will be relevant to the existing in-feed native advertising.

These types of advertisements provide a seamless, natural experience for your users, blending in with the content and allowing them to engage without disruption. This allows content publishers to strategically promote their brand without impacting their brand identity. It can be done by adding ads to existing content on Facebook News Feed and other social media platforms.

Recommendation Ads spice up articles, offering readers exciting and relevant content beyond the subject of what they're already reading. These ads, typically found on the web page or at the end of an article, make exploring new topics so much easier - a great way to get more out of the readers’ online experience.

Content recommendation engines are great for publishers and brands alike. They offer an opportunity to reach a wider audience, build relationships with existing readers, or capture leads through content marketing initiatives. Advertisers must build relationships with strategic publishers to drive relevant traffic back to their own sites.

For instance, Protocol displayed the ad for RingCentral, known for making one-on-one video calls and providing a hybrid work solution that could change the face of work.

Native search ads are a great way to target your audience with relevant content. When someone searches for specific keywords, you can have the opportunity for your advertisement to appear among the top results - allowing potential customers to find out more about what you offer quickly and efficiently. You can use a keyword rank tracker to see the full picture of your site's visibility on various search engines.

Online shoppers have grown accustomed to seeing sponsored listings presented in a way that blends seamlessly into their search results. Although publishers pay for the media placements, they often appear organically chosen.

Allbirds, a shoe company, collaborated with the New York Times in a creative and meaningful way, providing an excellent native advertising example for other companies to follow.

With their sponsored post, The View From Above: Why Our Future May Depend On the Fate of Birds, Allbirds shines a spotlight on how invaluable birds are to our entire planet. Raising awareness about climate change and its effect on bird populations is an important step toward preserving our environment for generations to come.

Allbirds is a company focused on sustainability; their latest post shows it. The creative graphics and beautiful bird sounds make for a truly engaging experience. Through this one-of-a-kind content, Allbirds demonstrates its product lineup and its commitment to eco-friendly principles.

In 2017, Netflix and Spotify collaborated to create a unique native advertising campaign that gained widespread recognition. Utilizing their user's data, the two iconic brands successfully crafted an experience tailored to provide maximum customer engagement.

After the premiere of Netflix’s Stranger Things series, they partnered with Spotify to promote it. This involved Spotify allowing users to turn on “Stranger Things Mode,” in which they can explore playlists specially tailored to each show’s characters.

It’s more than a sponsored playlist; it’s an immersive branded experience that fits the personality of both Spotify and Netflix.

Nickelodeon created an innovative and playful 'Which SpongeBob Character Are You?' Instagram filter, demonstrating that native ads on social media don't always need to be in-feed advertisements.

They have come up with a fun and interactive way to get its message across to Instagram users. Their native advertisement blends seamlessly into the app, working just like any other filter.

Native advertising is generally content-based ads that seamlessly blend with the content of other channels the users are already consuming.

They’re also a great alternative to traditional advertising, gaining popularity among their target audience. In addition to being successful, they’re also highly engaging, gaining more clicks and views and leading to more conversions.