At a time when every marketing dollar has to work harder than ever, native advertising can maximize the effectiveness of ad spend.
Companies looking to boost their turnover and profits at this uniquely challenging time are increasingly harnessing the cost-effectiveness of native advertising campaigns.
It’s been almost a year since COVID-19 exploded into the public consciousness, and companies around the world have had to radically rethink their marketing strategies. Many firms have lost revenue through a combination of the pandemic, lockdowns, and dwindling consumer confidence. Others have had to effectively shut down brick-and-mortar businesses and rebuild their brands online.
In today’s mature online marketplace, where traditional banner ads have minimal impact, native advertising is vital for reaching engaged audiences. If a company’s turnover or profits have dropped in the last year, native advertising platforms could boost the bottom line. But what is native advertising, and how does it help to increase revenue and turnover?
In an age of ad blocking and consumer cynicism, native advertising helps firms engage with relevant audience demographics on platforms other campaigns wouldn’t reach.
What is native advertising?
Native advertising is defined as on-screen advertising designed to resemble the content on the host website. For instance, you might be on a newspaper’s website, and see a discreet “sponsored content” box below the article you’ve just read, in a similar font and style. Even though the primary on-page content will be the same for every site visitor, the native ads which display will vary from one user to the next.
How does native advertising differ from traditional ads?
There are several key differences between native and traditional ads. First, native advertising is more discreet than those look-at-me banner ads, which are now blocked by over a quarter of American internet users. On top of that, because it’s designed to blend in with other on-page content, it’s almost four times as effective at driving click-throughs as banner ads. What’s more, native advertising platforms gather extensive demographic data on users, allowing companies to micro-manage who sees their content. It’s also possible to manage and edit campaigns in real time, adjusting daily budgets that can be as low as $100 on some networks.
By definition, native advertising is less “Look at me!” and more “Can I tell you about . . .?” Customers are weary of hard-sell exaggerations, but they’re often ready to be convinced by explanation and commentary. That’s why native advertising tends to focus on problem-solving, or answering commonly-asked questions.
How can native advertising boost my revenue?
The effectiveness of a native advertising campaign will depend on the objectives of your campaign, which tend to vary widely:
- Sales can be driven by promoting a product or service to people whose demographic data indicates relevance—bridalwear ads for newly engaged women, for instance.
- Brand awareness is elevated through opinion pieces, which offer a new perspective on an industry or issue, either created in-house or written by a freelance copywriter.
- Event promotion can increase subscriptions or attendance at webinars or other online activities, positioning your brand or business as a key voice in its sector.
- Email marketing campaigns may be supported by directing people to an interesting and informative free article that promises more content if people opt into communications.
In each instance, native campaigns can be customized to pique the reader’s interest, redirecting them away from the original website. Because content networks have long-standing relationships with media sites, your ads will appear in places you’d never reach through conventional advertising or PR campaigns. And reaching new audiences is the lifeblood of any company with aspirations to grow and become more profitable, rather than simply servicing its existing customer base.
What is native advertising capable of offering in terms of boosting sales?
These are some of the ways native advertising platforms can improve sales and profits:
- Retargeting campaigns display products people have previously viewed but not purchased.
- Basket reminders encourage people to finish incomplete transactions.
- Multi-stage campaigns can start by displaying a product, then offer up positive reviews, then display discounts or incentives to help people make a buying decision.
- Platform-specific targeting places your products and services in front of people already reading about related material—like bike accessory ads on a cycling website.
How can Brax help?
Brax has long-standing relationships with all the major native advertising platforms. Networks like Revcontent, Taboola, and Outbrain have their own unique relationships with media outlets and websites around the world, so you may be better served running simultaneous campaigns with more than one brand. Our About Us page explains how Brax unifies the management of native ad campaigns, with a user-friendly interface allowing you to easily manage multiple campaigns.
Ready to find out more about our granular budgetary controls and in-depth statistical analysis? Sign up for Brax’s 15-day free trial.
