A recent survey by Copyblogger found that just 51 percent of marketers know what “native advertising” means. And of those, only three percent felt knowledgeable enough to use it in their own marketing plans.
Many digital marketers don’t understand native advertising because they confuse it with display advertising. However, native digital marketing often performs better than traditional display ads and can also improve SEO and online reputation.
So, what is native advertising?
Native advertising means creating and sharing content on other platforms in a way that blends in with their usual posts. There are two main types: Sponsored and Recommended content.
- Sponsored Content. This is when a company pays to have its post or content shown to a specific audience on a platform. For example, if a business shares photos on Facebook or Instagram, that’s posting natively. When they pay to boost or sponsor that post so more people see it, that’s native advertising. Sponsored content looks like regular posts but reaches a bigger and more targeted audience.
- Recommended Content. Some websites suggest articles or posts from other sites that align with their brand. For example, sites like U.S. Weekly and BuzzFeed often recommend content from other sources that appeal to the same audience.
Why should you use native advertising?
Native advertising helps you reach your customers in a way that gets noticed. When your posts show up in their social media feeds or on websites they like, they are more likely to look, click, and even buy.
People often get used to regular display ads and start ignoring them as they scroll, a habit known as “ad blindness.” Native ads blend in with other posts, so people may not even realize they’re ads. This can help you build stronger relationships with your audience and encourage them to follow your social channels.
Native ads can also go viral more easily than traditional ads. Few other types of advertising spread as naturally as native advertising when done well.
If you want to learn more about native advertising or other ways to share your products and services, reach out to Tucker/Hall today.
