Native advertising: features, types, benefits

Content:

1. Peculiarities of native advertising and differences from other types of advertising
2. Pros and cons of native advertising
3. Native advertising formats
4. Recommendations for selling native ads

Peculiarities of native advertising and differences from other types of advertising

The advertisements match the interests of the users who visit the site. If a user visits the site with information on gardening, he will be offered seedlings or plant seeds. And not smartphones or other equipment which is not related to the topic. This sales driver is highly effective, corresponds to the user's interests, and sometimes native advertising is part of the article (in the form of an unobtrusive recommendation that will not cause irritation).

Features

• Useful to the user, does not interfere in the study of the site.
• Not used as an open advertisement, often acquiring an advisory and non-persuasive style, does not deter potential buyers.
• Most are not just about the product being promoted. This means that the publication will not only promote the thing advertised, but will also be of practical use to the people reading it.

Distinctions

• Does not contain blatant customer enticement (banners, intrusive notifications, spam ads that take up most of the page).
• Has an unobtrusive and helpful nature, information the reader needs. For example: "90% off on cosmetics, follow the link, hurry to buy! Two hours to go!". This is the opposite example of a natural recommendation. Now let's present a comparative review of smartphones. "... We bought these products from the brand Xiaomi. The phones made everyday work easier: shooting video, editing, processing photos", - a type of text of a native advertisement. It mentions specific advantages of the products, but there is no open call to buy.

Pros and cons of native advertising

Pros

• Quality product promotion. A small mention in an article can do much more good than a "clogged" page consisting of unnecessary information.
• Does not irritate the potential buyer. There is a good chance that, after reading the article, he will be interested in the product in question.
• Increases the credibility of the company, which should attract interest. Compare the two examples given a little earlier, answering the question, "Which one would you click on? Which one would you trust if you had to choose "out of two evils"?"

Minuses

• The high cost of native articles. They, unlike a banner, should not coincide with those previously published on the Internet, so you have to spend time writing a unique text of native advertising (or pay for the work of a copywriter if such skills are absent).
• The possibility of "overdoing it" so much that the publication will be no different from spam. There is no need to get carried away, one or two paragraphs are enough to interest the buyer, leaving the matter in his hands. Do not be afraid to give a choice, do not insist on the importance and necessity of the product. Support it with evidence, avoid biased evaluations (fast, useful, quality - examples of words that should not be used). If you can't do without them, it's worth backing them up with evidence, citing a few handy features.

Native advertising formats

Types of native advertising:

Social media posts

I'll bet that while scrolling through your Instagram feed* you've come across photos of celebrities that "inadvertently" feature a mug, a drink, a sign, a hidden mention of a brand? It's a great carefully disguised natural reference. Surely it didn't irritate you, right? Did it make you buy the drink or go to the restaurant pictured?

When it comes to photography, it is worth looking out for a product that is not in the centre of the frame. It's a good idea if only a small part of it is visible, allowing you to identify the brand being promoted. Create an atmosphere in the photo where it is not conspicuous. Potential customers will find it and, if interested, purchase it.

Sponsored or affiliate content

It has become widespread in movies. Do you remember various action movies, dynamic chases and other components of art? Did you ever look at the brutal clothing of the movie characters? The vehicles used? The accessories? You should have, they're overflowing with the words "Buy Me". And the name of the manufacturer, of course, the filmmakers have graciously provided us with. At times, customer logos are shot in the open, using close-ups and suitable foreshortening. Does it interfere with the viewing? Not at all. And they are shown for a few seconds, which will not result in gagging from excess unwanted information.

Promotional articles on Zen

Zen is quite a popular platform where various posts are posted. Natural promotion is often used here. The authors charge a certain fee for writing a post "sharpened" for the product. Just a few unassuming mentions are enough to get the desired effect.

Native posts on Telegram

The algorithms are very similar to the previous one - Zen, so you should follow the same rules. Write small texts that will contain a bit of information about the product.

Video ads

One of the most popular platforms for posting such offers is YouTube. Here's just one example. The author orders a product from Aliexpress, makes a review of it, mentioning the seller's shop. In return, he gets a discount on the product (or a free batch of goods). The viewers are confident in the product, and the channel owner gets a well-deserved reward.

Recommendations for making native ads sell

• Do not use a lot of characters. 30-50 words is enough to get a good response from the audience.
• Take into account the limitations of the sites for placement. Read the rules of the project, study them in more detail, so as not to accidentally violate any of them.
• Remember the words of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: "Brevity is the sister of talent". If you can't hit the recommended number of letters, hire a specialist to do the job for you. It is better to spend a little more, but get the result.