Native Advertising: The Smarter Way

When the walled gardens of search and social are not enough, native advertising helps drive traffic, engagement, and conversions on the open web. Find out what native advertising is all about and why most marketers worldwide use native to boost their bottom line.

What is Native Advertising?

Native advertising is a form of paid advertising in which the ads match the look, feel and function of the media format where they appear. They fit “natively” and seamlessly on the web page.

Unlike banner or display ads, native ads don't really look like ads, so they don't disrupt the user's interaction with the page. This is the key to a native advertising definition – native ads expose the reader to promotional content without sticking out like a sore thumb.

How Do You Spot Native Advertising?

Native ads don’t look like ads, so you might think they are hard to spot. Perhaps readers may not even realize they are consuming a paid advertisement, which could compromise the editorial neutrality of the publisher. Fear not, for consumer watchdogs, such as the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), are at pains to regulate the use of native ads to ensure that consumers are not misled.

Although native ads integrate smoothly into the web page, you can usually see that it’s a native ad by a few telltale signs:

• A video is marked Recommended by...
• There is a small icon in the top right corner of the ad
• The ads block features the icon of the native network, such as Outbrain
• The ad is marked “Suggested Post”
• The ad is marked “Recommended for you”
• The ad is marked “Sponsored” or features a sponsorship credit
• The ads block is marked as “Recommended Stories”

Native Advertising Examples

“By 2025, native advertising worldwide will reach a value of $400 billion.“
Still, the best way to really understand the power of native advertising is to see it in action.

Take Michelin, for example. The global tire company saw great success with native ads, even outperforming their social media ads. Plus they lowered their Cost per Visitor to the website by 16%, all while boosting the quality of traffic, driving interested and engaged audiences.

How to Create Native Ads

Native ads are built from a number of metadata elements, such as a headline, thumbnail image, content URL, description text, and more. Here are some basic rules to get started:

• Images work best when they depict people, rather than company logos.
• The ad image and headline must be congruent, meaning they relate to one another in a logical and compelling way.
• The content the user lands on when they click the native ad must be a natural continuation of the ad experience.
• Different native ad types are best suited to different goals and offers.
• Always be A/B testing different images and headlines.
• Read more tips about creating headlines and images for your native ads.

Native Ad Formats

As adtech becomes more sophisticated, there are many more native ad formats available to advertisers. For example, carousel ads, outstream video ads, mobile app install ads, and native social ads.

To discover all the possibilities for native ad formats, visit the Smartads Gallery.

Other Types Of Native Ads

Programmatic Native Advertising

The ability to scale your native advertising while targeting the right consumers is possible with programmatic native advertising.

Native Video Advertising

When the power of video and native advertising come together, it forms the foundation for a strong and effective full-funnel advertising solution. Native video ads are served to readers as part of the flow of their online browsing experience.

Benefits Of Native Advertising

Why do advertisers love native advertising? Because it works. Here are some of the benefits of native advertising enjoyed by marketers across numerous verticals:

• Consumers look at native ads 53% more than display ads.
• Native ads create an 18% increase in purchase intent.
• Native ads engage the audience effectively without causing ad fatigue.

How Does Native Advertising Work?

Native ads help brands and businesses engage their audiences with relevant, compelling content via high quality websites. Here’s how native advertising works:

1. Produce original, high-quality content for your audience in your niche.
2. Host the content online, such as a website, blog, or landing page.
3. Run a native advertising campaign, targeting high potential audiences.
4. Consumers browse the web and click on your native ad. This leads them to your content.
5. Consumers read your content. They become interested and may even become customers.