Native advertising formats all marketers should know

The world of digital advertising is saturated. People see ads all the time resulting in them becoming bored or desensitised, diminishing their effectiveness.

Native advertising aims to counteract this through a more natural and less intrusive approach to digital advertising. All marketers should know how they work, their varying formats, and what objectives they are best suited for.

What is native advertising?

Native advertising refers to ad types that seamlessly integrate with the form and function of the platform on which they appear, making them blend naturally within the user’s feed. The goal is to create a less disruptive experience and provide genuine value, effectively becoming a part of the organic content.

Studies reveal that audiences are significantly more engaged with native ads, showing a 53% higher engagement rate compared to traditional display advertising. This increased engagement also translates to improved positive brand perception and significantly better click-through rates than those achieved with conventional advertising methods.

Key native advertising formats

In-feed ads

In-feed ads represent a type of native advertising that integrates directly into the user’s content stream, commonly seen as sponsored content on social media platforms. These ads seamlessly blend within the user’s feed, making them nearly indistinguishable from regular posts, which enhances their appeal and reduces the perception of intrusive advertising.

In-feed ads are particularly effective for increasing brand awareness, expanding audience reach, and distributing content to a broader demographic. Their natural integration allows them to capture user attention in a less disruptive way, nurturing engagement and driving visibility.

Recommendation widgets

Recommendation widgets are an increasingly common feature on many websites, designed to guide users toward additional content, products, or services that might be of interest. Typically found in sections labeled such as ‘You Might Also Like,’ ‘Recommended for You,’ or ‘Related Items,’ these widgets leverage algorithms and user data to suggest relevant offerings.

This native advertising format is highly effective for driving traffic to specific pages or areas within a website, increasing visibility and engagement, generating leads and contributing to content discovery.

Promoted listings

Promoted listings are designed to integrate seamlessly within platforms that feature product or service listings. Common examples include eCommerce websites, where products are strategically placed to appear higher in search results or in featured sections. Similarly, promoted search results within various platforms also fall under this category.

The primary objective of promoted listings is to directly drive product sales by capturing the attention of users actively seeking to make a purchase. This format excels at generating direct responses because it targets individuals who have already demonstrated a clear purchase intent – making promoted listings an invaluable tool for campaigns focused on immediate sales growth.

Custom content integrations

Custom content integrations are a highly engaging form of native advertising, including formats such as advertorials, in-depth sponsored content series, and expertly produced branded podcasts. This approach is best suited for building thought leadership within an industry, effectively telling a brand’s story, and engaging specific niche audiences.

Interactive native experiences

Interactive native experiences include various engaging formats such as quizzes, polls, interactive infographics, and branded mini-games. This approach is particularly effective for boosting engagement, collecting valuable data, and creating memorable brand experiences for audiences.

Choosing the right format for your objectives

As outlined above, each of the different native advertising formats are best aligned to certain marketing goals or objectives. Choosing the most suitable format for your goals is crucial for success:

• Lead generation: Recommendation widgets
• Brand awareness: In-feed ads
• Sales: Promoted listings
• Audience engagement: Interactive experiences
• Thought leadership: Custom content integrations

Regardless of whether or not you feel you have selected the right format for your campaign, it is beneficial to test and analyse your native ads, to optimise for future campaigns and improve performance:

• A/B testing: Test different ad creatives to see which resonates best with your audience.
• Monitor KPIs: Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like click-through rates and conversion rates regularly to understand what’s working.
• Adjust parameters: Adjust your targeting parameters based on the data you collect to ensure you are reaching the right audience with the most relevant content.

Best practices for native advertising

To ensure the most effective results, there are certain guidelines and best practices that should be followed when engaging in native advertising:

• Transparency and disclosure: Clearly labelling content as sponsored is crucial to build trust and credibility, preventing any perception of deception or hidden agendas.
• Quality: Content should be valuable and engaging, and should align with the platform’s style and audience expectations. The created content must seamlessly fit into the existing environment, providing genuine value to the user.
• Targeting: Using demographic, interest-based, and behavioural targeting options offered by the platform can help ensure the ads are seen by the most relevant audience
• Measurement: measurement and analytics should be implemented to track key metrics and evaluate the performance of advertising campaigns.

Conclusion

Native advertising is a highly effective and adaptable strategy within digital marketing. It gives brands a method of getting in front of their audiences, without disrupting the flow of the platform, minimising the effects of ad fatigue, and improving user experience.

Embracing the natural, non-disruptive nature of native advertising is essential for building meaningful connections with audiences and achieving desired results in the competitive digital space.