The best ads are the ones that you don’t even know are there. With native advertising (also known as sponsored content), the creatives are designed and placed in a way that they mimic the actual publisher content.
There are 2 main components to classifying a creative to be a native ad.
Form
The ad must match the visual design of the surrounding content. It must look and feel like actual publisher content.
Function
The ad must behave just like the publisher content. This means user experiences such as clicking and interactivity options must be the same.
Examples of Native Ads
A classic example of a native search ad is the Google search ads that have been around since the dawn of time (or at least it seems like that way). The Google ad fits the form category because the Asphalt Green Ad is visually formatted just like the Wikipedia basketball link. The function of the ad is also the same as the same as the Wikipedia basketball link because both links click the their respective pages as indicated in the green URLs.
Other Examples Include
- Amazon sponsored content
- In feed ads on Facebook or other sites
- Facebook messenger ads
- Recommendation wiges
- Paid search ads
- Sponsored social media posts
How are Native Ads Placed?
Here is a great infographic on how Native ads are served in a RTB environment, courtesy of Sharethrough.
Why Native Advertising?
Consumers are becoming more and more aware of ads and are trained to avoid them like the plague. For ads that consumers do see, they generally see them as just a cash grab and treat them with an ounce of sault.
Because native content looks just like the publisher content, it will be likely that consumers don’t even realize that they are looking at an ad. This can lead to several important effects:
- The consumer is more like to see the ad and also interact with it.
- For consumers that like a certain publisher, they are more likely to develop trust with the brand as it appears to be part of the publisher’s actual content.
Native Ad Platforms
- Sharethrough
- Triplelift
- Outbrain
- Taboola
- Google AdSense
- Facebook Audience Network
Sources
- https://www.sharethrough.com/nativeadvertising/
- https://www.sharethrough.com/guides/programmatic-native/
- https://smallbiztrends.com/2015/05/what-is-native-advertising.html
Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you’re passionate about something, then you’re more willing to take risks.
— Yo-Yo Ma
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