The Different Types of Native Advertising: A Marketer’s Guide

Introduction

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, advertising is in the middle of a very necessary transition from intrusive interruptions to seamlessly integrated experiences. Native advertising, a strategic approach to advertising that blends seamlessly with its surrounding content, has emerged as a dynamic solution for brands aiming to engage audiences effectively. This article delves into the multifaceted realm of native advertising, dissecting its various types and strategies that empower brands to connect with consumers in a more authentic and organic manner.

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As consumers become more discerning and averse to traditional advertising methods, the art of persuasion has taken center stage. Native advertising, often referred to as sponsored content, endeavors to deliver promotional messages while harmonizing with a given site or platform’s existing content style. Within this realm, a diverse array of formats has arisen, each catering to different platforms and consumer preferences. From in-feed advertisements that seamlessly blend into social media feeds to content recommendations that discreetly catch the reader's eye, understanding the nuances of these native advertising formats is crucial for marketers aiming to navigate the digital landscape adeptly. 

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Native advertising serves as a bridge between compelling storytelling and brand objectives, ultimately fostering a more engaging and meaningful connection with the audience. Let’s take a closer look at the many manifestations of native advertising, including some of the most compelling formats, as well as real-world examples of native advertising formats in action.  

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What Is Native Advertising?

Native advertising refers to a strategic marketing approach that seamlessly integrates promotional content within the natural context and design of the platform where it appears. Designed to mimic the style and structure of the surrounding content, native advertisements aim to deliver brand messages in a non-disruptive manner, fostering a sense of authenticity and engagement. By aligning with the look and feel of the platform, native advertising blends promotional content with editorial content, making it less intrusive and more appealing to audiences. This symbiotic relationship between advertising and content allows brands to establish a more genuine connection with consumers while enhancing their overall brand narrative.

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Importantly, native advertising helps brands transform their content marketing into advertising experiences that they can activate. This tactic plays a vital role within the middle of the marketing funnel, where audiences move from mere brand awareness to actual consideration. Brands that leverage smart native advertising strategies to drive consideration in the mid-funnel can accomplish several objectives all at once:

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• They ensure their content marketing is being put to the greatest use possible and can deliver measurable ROI.
• They connect with audiences in the influential environments where opinions are shaped and decisions are made.
• They seamlessly connect their upper-funnel awareness efforts to their lower-funnel conversions, creating a true full-funnel experience that puts authenticity, value and the consumer’s desires at the center of their efforts.

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Ultimately, the bridge between awareness and action is paved with content, and native advertising helps advertisers ensure their valuable content is showing up where and when consumers need and want it most. 

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What Are the Most Common Types of Native Advertising? 

So, what are the various types of native advertising available to marketers, and what are the benefits of each? Here’s a rundown of the formats that brands and agencies need to know: 

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In-Feed Advertisements: In-feed ads seamlessly blend into the user's natural content feed on platforms like social media and news websites. These ads match the surrounding content's style and tone, making them less intrusive and more likely to catch the audience's attention. Their non-disruptive nature leads to higher engagement rates, and they offer an effective way to reach a large, targeted audience.

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Content Recommendations: Content recommendation widgets suggest related articles, videos, or products at the end of a piece of content. These recommendations can enhance the user experience by offering additional relevant content, leading to increased page views and extended time spent on the website. Brands benefit from increased visibility and user trust, as they are introduced in a contextually relevant manner.

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Promoted Listings: Promoted listings appear alongside organic search results or product listings on e-commerce platforms. By featuring products or services in a search context, these ads offer a non-intrusive way for brands to reach consumers actively seeking relevant solutions. This boosts the chances of conversion while ensuring a seamless integration with the user's search experience.

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Branded Content: Branded content involves creating high-quality articles, videos, or other content that aligns with a platform's editorial style while subtly promoting a brand. This type of native advertising allows brands to tell their story in an engaging and informative way, building a stronger brand affinity among audiences who value informative content.

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In-Content Ads: In-content ads are advertisements embedded within editorial content, often using similar typography and formatting. These ads provide value to the reader by being relevant to the topic at hand. This format ensures a natural flow and enhances the overall user experience, resulting in improved click-through rates and prolonged engagement.

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Sponsored Social Media Posts: Sponsored social media posts appear within a user's social media feed and mimic the style of regular posts. These ads benefit from the social media platform's targeting options, enabling brands to reach a highly specific audience. They also encourage user interactions such as likes, comments, and shares, increasing the campaign's reach and effectiveness.

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Native Video Ads: Native video ads provide a non-intrusive way to promote products or services to viewers who are already engaged with video content. By targeting information and educational video content via native video ads to the right premium publishing environments, brands can bring significant scale to their video marketing efforts. 

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Each type of native advertising brings unique advantages, such as increased engagement, improved user experience, and the ability to seamlessly integrate promotional content within relevant contexts. By choosing the appropriate type based on their target audience and goals, brands can effectively enhance their visibility and foster meaningful connections with consumers.

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How Should Advertisers Choose the Best Types of Native Ads for Their Campaigns?

Selecting the most appropriate format of native advertising for your campaign hinges on a strategic alignment between your brand's message, target audience, and the platform's or publisher’s natural content flow. To begin, conduct a comprehensive analysis of your campaign objectives and the preferences of your intended audience. 

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Consider the nature of your content: Is it informative, entertaining, or product-focused? This evaluation will help you pinpoint a format that seamlessly integrates your message into the user experience while offering value and relevance. Additionally, delve into the demographics and behaviors of your target audience to discern their favored websites, platforms and content consumption habits. This insight will guide you in selecting a format that resonates with their preferences, ensuring your message gains maximum traction.

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Equally vital is a thorough understanding of the platform where your native ad will appear. Study the platform's or website’s content style, user engagement patterns, and existing native ads to gain insights into successful integration strategies. A cohesive fit between your ad and the platform's aesthetics ensures a harmonious user experience. 

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Analyze the format options available and their track record in driving engagement and conversions. Depending on whether your campaign emphasizes storytelling, product visibility, or user interaction, you might lean toward in-depth branded content, subtle in-feed ads, or interactive social media posts. 

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Regularly monitor performance metrics such as click-through rates, engagement levels, and conversion rates to gauge the effectiveness of your chosen format and make necessary adjustments to optimize results. By intertwining your campaign goals, audience preferences, and platform dynamics, you'll seamlessly align your native advertising format with your brand's message, thereby boosting the likelihood of campaign success.

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What Are Examples of Native Advertising in Action?

So, what does native advertising look like in action? As you might imagine, there are a number of ways that native advertising can take shape. Here are just a few examples of how a brand can leverage strong content marketing in the mid-funnel to activate scalable and measurable native advertising campaigns: 

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Tech Meets News: Imagine a leading tech company launching a native advertising campaign to promote its latest smartphone. The brand decides to collaborate with a reputable news website that covers technology trends. In this scenario, the native ad could take the form of an in-depth editorial piece, seamlessly blending with the website's content. The article might discuss the evolution of smartphone technology, subtly highlighting the features of the company's new device within the context of the broader narrative. This approach capitalizes on the news website's authority in the tech space and its engaged tech-savvy audience. By providing informative and relevant content, the native ad not only educates readers but also sparks interest in the featured smartphone.

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Home Appliances Meet Lifestyle Magazine: Imagine an eco-friendly home appliances brand looking to reach environmentally conscious consumers who enjoy reading lifestyle magazines. To achieve this, they collaborate with a popular digital lifestyle publication known for its focus on sustainable living. In this scenario, the native ad could take the form of a well-designed feature article, or multiple articles, within the magazine's online pages. The article might discuss the importance of sustainable home practices, seamlessly incorporating the brand's eco-friendly appliances as solutions to common environmental challenges. Vibrant visuals and engaging storytelling could showcase the brand's products in real-life settings, demonstrating their practicality and eco-conscious design. By aligning with the magazine's readership and editorial style, the native ad educates and inspires readers while subtly promoting the brand's offerings, ultimately driving interest and purchases among eco-conscious homeowners. Such a campaign demonstrates how native advertising can effectively tap into a niche audience by integrating brand messaging with relevant content in an appealing and informative manner.

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Automotive Meets Video: Imagine a car manufacturer looking to introduce its latest electric vehicle (EV) model to a tech-savvy and environmentally conscious audience. To achieve this, they partner with a popular video-driven tech channel known for in-depth reviews and tutorials. In this scenario, the native ad execution could consist of a well-produced video series integrated seamlessly into the content of the tech channel. The video would feature the channel's host engaging with the EV, discussing its innovative features, and showcasing its performance during a test drive. The content maintains the style and tone of the channel's regular video content, offering valuable insights and entertainment. Throughout the video, subtle product placements highlight the manufacturer's commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge technology. This campaign demonstrates how native advertising can harness the power of video content to engage, educate, and persuade viewers in an authentic and compelling manner.

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These examples illustrate how native advertising can be adapted to various executions and industries while maintaining a balance between brand promotion and audience engagement. The success of each campaign depends on the careful integration of promotional content with the chosen publisher's style and the alignment of the campaign with the interests and needs of the target audience.

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What Are the Best Native Advertising Formats? 

The beauty of native advertising is that it can take many shapes and formats. Even the types of native advertising described above could look different depending on the native advertising solutions and partners you employ. For example, here at Nativo, we offer a variety of native advertising solutions and formats based on proprietary technology that can elevate brands’ mid-funnel efforts through strong native advertising. These include: 

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• Proprietary Native Articles: These deliver in-feed and live on-site, reaching audiences in trusted brand-name publisher environments. This proprietary Native Article format significantly outperforms traditional ad units at every stage of the customer journey.
• High-impact storytelling with Canvas: Similar to Native Articles, Canvas enables creative ways to tell your story by uniquely unlocking the full real estate of the page, while driving 1.3x higher time spent than traditional story-branded content.
• Stories: Designed to capture attention and encourage engagement among mobile users, Nativo’s Stories units bring this popular format to premium publishing environments and drive 1.5x higher site traffic than Instagram Stories.
• Native Video: This immersive format helps scale brands’ video efforts, driving qualified views and a 50 percent higher brand lift compared to pre-roll.
• Native Display: These ad units drive qualified users to brand destinations via an in-feed format that matches the look and feel of publisher content.

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Conclusion

From the subtle integration of in-feed advertisements that blend seamlessly with social media content to the engaging narratives of branded content that evoke emotion and loyalty, native advertising continues to redefine how we engage with promotional content online. The key to success in native advertising lies in understanding the unique dynamics of each publisher and platform, crafting content that respects the audience's interests, and forging meaningful connections. By carefully selecting the right native advertising format, brands can transcend the boundaries of traditional marketing, offering value, authenticity, and relevance, and thereby fostering lasting relationships with their consumers in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

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‍At Nativo, we help advertisers get a handle on their mid-funnel and transform their content marketing into scalable, measurable advertising experiences. We do this through proprietary technology and the most innovative native advertising formats available anywhere. Need help harnessing the power of native advertising for your brand? Contact us today.

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