Have you ever almost clicked on what seemed like a super interesting, super relevant piece of content, only to see a small ‘sponsored’ tag underneath it? That, is the power of native advertising.
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.
When it was first introduced, native advertising was revolutionary in it’s simplistic yet incredibly effective ways. These ads tricked consumers into thinking that they were engaging with organic content, when in reality it was heavily associated with relevant brands. Given the current nature of the digital marketing and advertising landscape, native advertising is more at home than ever before. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are basically primarily native advertising sites. Certain brands now rely solely on these platforms for their promotion.
The last few years saw a rise of consumers wanting to know the distinction between organic and paid content on these platforms. Celebrities and influencers clog up news feeds with content featuring brands and products accompanied with captions that entice followers to believe that they truly riddle their daily lives with these. Instagram recognised this issue, and has since incorporated a function in which if an influencer tags an affiliate brand in a post, and the brand confirms this relationship, the post is tagged with “paid partnership”. Influencers and celebrities have also taken it upon themselves to make this clearer, incorporating various hashtags such as #ad or #sponsored at the end of their captions so followers know this is paid.
So why should brands consider native advertising?
Consumers are more interested
According to Outbrain, consumers look at native ads 53% more than display ads. Most consumers unconsciously filter out obvious advertising. Native advertising leads consumers to believe they are choosing to view this content, rather than it being pushed on them. Even if they realise it afterwards, half the mission is getting them to consider it in the first place.
They won’t bore consumers
Native ads are tied into interesting editorial content. It is not just a simple tell and sell. There is thought and consideration into the target market. Native ads engage consumers, and this will create brand awareness.
Aids in branding
Having this kind of content tied to your brand, will solidify it. Smart, thought-provoking methods of advertising will cause consumers to think and act.
If you’re interested in testing out native advertising for your brand, contact us today.
