Decoding the Concept of Native Advertisement in Digital Marketing

Advertisement has always been at the center stage of the marketing arena. In the era of Digital marketing , advertisement has moved to a place where data analytics has overpowered the area’s to be targeted & impact of it can be measured over time.

But the core marketing remains the same as the consumer behavior is the key determining factor at the center stage. 

Off late digital advertisements are facing a new set of challenges in the name of banner blindness where consumers/shoppers overlook overbearing ads while scrolling. Native Advertising or Native ads is gaining prominence to help answer the banner blindness issue.

What is Native Advertisement ?

Native advertisement in simple words is advertisement whose look & feel gel up with the content of the publisher. It uses the idea of inserting persuasive messages in the form of display ad or search ad in such a manner that it comes as part of the natural flow of the consumer's online experience & does not disrupt his experience.  Do note that Native advertisement can be contextual as well as non contextual in nature as broadly they match the look & feel on the publisher site/ platform. 

How is Native Advertisement different from Display advertisement?

Display ads are the boxes and banners we can see at the top of web pages. Native ads on the other hand is a concept which can be used in search ad or a display ad too where the design matches the style of the page , thus creating a less disruptive experience for users. Display ads have seen the concerns of banner blindness which native advertising try to resolve.

Native Ads reminds us of the Embedded Marketing

Embedded marketing , also known as Product placement is a form of marketing where the product is placed in relevant music videos, movies, tv shows & other outdoor events in such a manner that it gel with the content of the channel. For example a cooking show showcasing use of specific salt or rice in preparation of the end product. 

The biggest benefit of embedded marketing comes in the form of impact as the consumers don't realize they are watching an advertisement. Embedded marketing is being used as part of advertorial in online marketing.

 

How Native advertising is different from Content marketing?

Content Marketing is an inbound marketing strategy that involves building trust with your consumers and pulling it towards your advertising platforms while the in Native ads is on paid media that takes advantage of consumers that are already there on third party websites, mobile apps, social media platforms etc. 

Thus native advertising delivers a superior user experience as they do not disrupt the consumer or user experience while browsing the content at the publisher site / platform. 

Advantages of Native Advertisement

• Native advertising has greater chances of going viral if the content goes viral as the user experience is higher than the traditional Display advertisement
• Also the time of consumption increases on Native ads as one goes through the editorial read up. Higher attention from the consumers. 
• Disruptive ads which do not match the look & feel have low CTR (Click Through rate)  compared to Native advertisement.
• Native ads provide a good way for brands to drive traffic to their sites without interrupting their user experience.
• Native ads uses the technique of soft selling

Disadvantages of Native Advertisement :-

• Native advertisements do not stand out on the website thus brands looking for disruptions might not benefit. 
• Native ads are not hard selling concept as it works on soft selling.
• Difficult in identification of the Native ad at the publisher.
• Native ads might result in accidental CTR & thus higher cost. 

On an overall basis since the clutter of advertisements is increasing in digital marketing, companies are moving towards native advertising as soft selling makes the users experience much better than disruptive ads & they stand a higher chance of higher CTR’s. 

Types of Native Advertisements

Native ads can be shown across different platforms ranging from websites , social media, you tube etc .Some prominent forms are:-

• Ads Shown in In-Feed - In feed advertisement is placed within the content feed of the website & user experience it as it is a publisher content.

• Google Search Advertisement - Native ads are best explained in the ads appearing on the SERP (Search Engine results page) & they are seen in a favorable position majorly above or below the organic search results. They look very similar to the organic results thus ensuring the search native ad without any disruption to user experience. 

• Promoted Listing - Native ads are placed on websites that are not content based like E-com sites where they are shown in similar manner as the products being offered on the site.

While the concept of native advertisement is critical for the marketers , the basic principle of marketing remain in the traditional as well as the digital age that is to keep the consumer first & ensure the delivery of the advertisement in such a manner which enhances his experience/knowledge & result in a conversion.

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