What is Native Advertising?

Native advertising refers to a specific type of paid advertising whereby ads are designed to match a publisher’s website or platform. With this technique, ads integrate seamlessly with the niche, aesthetic, and functionality of their platform, fitting “natively” into it in a way that feels less intrusive and more organic to visitors.

What are examples of native advertising?

Native ads can take a variety of forms across different platforms and media. Common examples of native advertising include:

• Sponsored content: A brand co-creates a piece of sponsored content, such as an article or video, promoting a particular product or service. This is published on a publisher’s site just as editorial content is.
• Recommendation widgets: A publisher displays ads in “related” or “recommended” sections. These ads promote other content, items, or services that may be relevant to a particular user based on their history.
• In-feed ads: A publisher displays ads within its content feed. The ads are created to appear as organic content to drive user engagement.
• Paid search results: A brand pays to have its product or service included at the top of a search engine results page (SERP) for a particular search term. The results are indicated as paid, but otherwise blend in with the style of the page, helping to drive traffic to the advertiser’s site.
• Promoted listings: Advertisers pay to feature their products or services in search results or listings on e-commerce platforms. These ads mimic the style of organic listings, making them more appealing to users browsing for related items.
• Social media ads: Ads on social platforms, such as Instagram or TikTok, are designed to look and feel like regular posts in a user’s feed. These native ads use platform-specific formats to align with organic content, increasing their likelihood of engaging the audience.

What are the advantages of native advertising?

Native advertising is a widely utilized technique because it offers some significant benefits to publishers and advertisers. The advantages of native advertising include:

Precise targeting: Native ads are designed to fit seamlessly within existing content in every way, which means they also take audience interests into account. By fitting with the niche of the host site or platform, advertisers can target specific audiences with relevant, contextually targeted messages that will drive engagement and conversions.

Smooth UX: Due to the subtle nature of their design, native ads are less likely to disrupt the user experience and more likely to accentuate it. Rather than appearing like an intrusion, as some ads might, they deliver ad content in a way that feels natural and avoids issues of ad fatigue.

Consumer trust: Native advertisements typically use the style, tone, and format of the editorial content on their host platform, and this lends them credibility. When an ad so closely aligns with a publisher’s content, it communicates absolute endorsement from the publisher and builds trust with the audience.

Conclusion

Native advertising allows advertisers to present their content in a way that aligns with the design and tone of the platform. By reflecting the style of the publisher’s content, native ads engage audiences more effectively while maintaining a positive user experience, making them a powerful tool for digital marketing.