Native Ads: Doing our part to ‘clean up’ the Internet
Did you hear that? It sounded like a muffled, grocery-store announcement.
Clean up on aisle Internet. I repeat: Clean up on aisle Internet.
And much like the sluggish teenager holding a wet mop, advertisers have been slow to the scene when creating better experiences for online users.
Think about it (whether you work in marketing or not). How many seconds do we spend waiting on content to load on our devices? How many animated images or videos load before we’re able to read the content we clicked on?
Seriously.
Take a look at SouthernLiving.com …
Or Forbes.com …
And Yahoo!, where the same ad is being served twice in the same format …
These three examples only took a minute to find. You’ve likely seen additional references.
As an agency growing fast in the field of integrated communications, we realize this is a big problem. And, to be clear, we’re not standing on our soapbox because Google finally will begin cracking down on annoying ads in 2018, either.
It’s because we believe in providing the best online experiences for our clients and their target audiences — now and into the future. This begins by developing a stronger focus on native advertising.
You might say, “My digital ads are working fine. I don’t need to change anything.” That may be true for now. But, as more people implement ad blockers and influential content becomes more valuable, native advertising may be the tool you need to differentiate your brand or company from the competition.
What is native advertising and what does it look like? It’s a form of paid media that appear in online users’ news feeds, search results, and across all devices (desktop, tablet, mobile). This includes their favorite websites, mobile apps, and social media networks. Native advertising is growing because it helps build better trust and engagement than other digital advertising, such as: display, email, website pop-ups, etc.
In other words, your content IS the ad — as opposed to a flickering message along the top, side, or bottom of someone’s screen.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has identified six native ad units. They are:
In-Feed Units
This format is extremely valuable because your information mirrors the form and function of other content available. It places your content in the area readers’ eyes automatically go: the news feed. The challenge, however, is creating content users want to consume and read.
Paid Search Units
If you have ever conducted a search on Google, Yahoo!, or Bing, you’ve likely seen one of these ads.
Recommendation Widgets
Unlike In-Feed Ads, Recommendation Widgets appear at the bottom of contextually relevant articles, and have a consistent feel from one online platform to another.
Promoted Listings
Promoted Listings are not necessarily editorial content. These ads often appear among search results on sites, such as: Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.
In-Ad with Native Element Units
Skirting the line between display and native, this ad unit allows advertisers to publish contextually relevant content within a standard ad.
Custom / “Can’t Be Contained”
This native unit is too specific to be placed inside one of the groupings above. For example, Spotify offers advertisers the chance to create custom playlists for users. That offering is not available on most websites or apps.
Learn how native advertising can help you achieve your marketing and sales goals. Contact Vimarc by completing the form below:
