Native advertising has seen an impressive surge in popularity over the past decade, achieving excellent results in terms of engagement and conversion. This form of advertising seamlessly integrates with the platform it's on, providing a non-intrusive and organic user experience.
If you're considering venturing into native ads, choosing the right platform to start is essential. Among the top platforms that have made a significant mark in this domain is Taboola.
Known for its widespread reach and advanced targeting options, Taboola stands as a formidable player in the realm of native advertising.
But is it really as good as they say? And is it worth using this platform?
In this full Taboola review, you'll find out.
What is Taboola?
Taboola is a titan in the native advertising industry, but it didn't happen overnight. Established in 2007 by Adam Singolda, this discovery platform was initially designed as a solution to help users discover engaging content.
Over the years, Taboola has evolved to become an impactful native advertising platform that caters to advertisers and publishers alike.
In terms of popularity, Taboola is a force to be reckoned with. With more than a decade in the industry, it has successfully carved out a dominant position in the native advertising landscape.
Traffic Volume and Reach
Taboola's ability to drive substantial traffic isn't just hype.
Today, Taboola reaches over 1.4 billion unique monthly users — a figure that speaks volumes about its influence and reach.
According to data released by the company, it serves a staggering 450 billion content recommendations every month. This vast volume of traffic allows advertisers to reach a broad, diverse audience, enhancing visibility and driving engagement.
This advertising network is backed by some of the internet's most prestigious and well-known publishers.
Heavy-hitters like NBC News, USA Today, Business Insider, and The Independent all leverage Taboola's platform to better monetize their content. These associations endorse Taboola's credibility and ensure that advertisers have access to a high-quality, engaged audience.
Taboola's robust platform, widespread reach, and connections with top-tier publishers make it a compelling choice for anyone looking to venture into native advertising.
Benefits of Using Taboola
In today's hyper-connected world, making your brand stand out from the digital noise can be a real hustle, but not when you partner with Taboola. Here are some of the reasons why this discovery platform can be a game-changer for you:
Work with the Top Publishers Worldwide
One of the most phenomenal perks of using Taboola lies in its robust network of top-tier publishers. These aren't just any publishers, but some of the most influential voices in the publishing world that have a strong hold over their respective domains.
Take NBC News, for instance, a leading name in the world of news and journalism. With its comprehensive reporting and insightful analysis, NBC News is an esteemed stalwart in the industry, serving millions of users daily.
Or consider Business Insider, a global giant in the business, celebrity and technology news sector. It's a trusted go-to resource for millions of readers, providing a perfect platform for advertisers seeking a well-educated, business-savvy audience.
Then there's USA Today — a daily juggernaut in the newspaper industry, renowned for its wide-ranging coverage of news, sports, entertainment, and more. Its readership spans millions of people across the U.S., offering a broad, varied audience for advertisers.
And let's not forget about The Independent, one of the UK's most respected digital news platforms. It's a preferred choice for readers looking for unbiased and comprehensive news, making it a fantastic platform for advertisers who want to connect with an informed and engaged audience.
In a nutshell, Taboola's affiliation with these crème de la crème publishers offers advertisers unparalleled access to prime digital real estate.
Through these partnerships, you're not just venturing into native advertising; you're stepping into the big leagues, showing your ads, and essentially rubbing virtual shoulders with some of the world's most trusted and recognized names in publishing.
High Traffic Volume at a Manageable Cost
One of the standout advantages of Taboola, especially appealing to us marketers who are all about maximizing value, is its enormous traffic volume.
This isn't just about reaching a sea of faces; it's about connecting with a diverse audience that spans different demographics, interests, and locations. Now, what's the point of all this traffic if it's going to cost an arm and a leg, right?
Well, here's where Taboola's high-traffic volume works to your advantage. With so many content recommendations being served each month, there's enough room for everyone.
By everyone, I mean businesses of all shapes and sizes — yes, including small businesses and startups that are still finding their footing.
Three Ad Locations
Another perk that Taboola brings to the table for us marketers is the ability to utilize not one, not two, but three key ad spaces. This is like being given a triple-decker stage to showcase your brand. Let me break this down for you:
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The Publisher Homepage
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Mid-Article
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Below Article
Utilizing these three ad spaces effectively could be the equivalent of a marketing hat-trick. Essentially, Taboola lets you optimize your ad placement, increasing visibility, and maximizing engagement.
Advanced Targeting Options
Okay, so we've talked about Taboola's global reach, manageable cost, and triple-threat ad placements. Now, let's get into another seriously cool feature that Taboola offers to us modern marketers: advanced targeting options.
This isn't just "spray and pray" marketing; with Taboola, you can be precise and targeted in your approach, like a digital sniper, if you will.
With its advanced targeting options, you can zero in on your ideal audience, ensuring your ads reach people who are actually interested in what you've got to offer.
Ever used a laser pointer? You know how it lets you point to something specific, even in a crowded room? That's how Taboola's targeting options work.
You can target by geography, interests, categories, demographics, and even the devices people use.
So, whether you're a tech startup aiming for millennials in the Bay Area or a fashion brand targeting women in New York who are into sustainable fashion, Taboola's got you covered.
In other words, Taboola's advanced targeting options let you find your people amidst the digital noise. You get to focus your resources on the audience that matters most, maximizing your ROI and cutting down on wasted ad spend.
You can learn more about how to do this by checking our in-depth guide on How to Target Audience in Native Ads.
User-friendly Interface
Now, for those who appreciate a good, simple, and intuitive user interface, Taboola has got us covered. We all know that an overly complex or unintuitive interface can turn a potentially great tool into an absolute headache, right?
You can rest easy with Taboola. It has designed its advertising platform to be as user-friendly as possible.
Remember that feeling when you first got your smartphone and you instantly understood how to navigate it? Or how effortlessly you picked up using that new app because its design was so intuitive? That's the feeling you get when you start working with Taboola.
From its sleek dashboard to its easy-to-understand analytics, Taboola's platform is incredibly straightforward and easy to navigate, even for those of us who aren't exactly tech wizards.
You can set up a campaign, choose your targeting options, monitor your performance, and tweak your strategy — all from one central location. Best of all, it's all presented in a clear, clutter-free way that won't leave you feeling overwhelmed.
So, whether you're a seasoned digital marketer or an entrepreneur just dipping your toes into the world of online advertising, Taboola makes the process a breeze.
Navigating Taboola's Platform
We've already mentioned that Taboola's User Interface is pretty easy to navigate, but let me still guide you on how to use it so that you already have an idea when you finally sign up.
Creating an Account
The first step to unleashing the magic of Taboola is to create an account. Don't worry, it's as easy as pie.
Remember when you set up your social media profiles? It carries the same vibe.
You start by entering some basic information about yourself and your business. Your name, email address, company name, website URL, and a few other details — nothing too taxing.
As soon as you’ve filled in your details, Taboola is all about getting down to business.
Instead of sending you on a wild goose chase around the dashboard, the content discovery platform will immediately prompt you to set up your first ad.
Creating your initial campaign with Taboola is a straightforward process that only takes three steps.
1. Add the Link to Your Landing Pages
Simply input the URL of your landing pages, and Taboola will automatically generate the corresponding image and text from the page you've added. It's like having a personal assistant that does the heavy lifting for you.
2. Establish Your Broad Campaign Settings
This includes broad details such as your marketing objective, geographical focus, and budget. These parameters will guide your campaign, ensuring it reaches the right audience at the right time.
While you can only target country here, don't worry too much since once you are approved to run a campaign on the platform, various settings and filters will be right at your fingertips.
3. Enter Your Payment Information
Lastly, fill in your preferred payment details. Taboola supports a wide range of payment methods, offering flexibility and convenience. If you don't want to get charged when your ad gets approved, go back to the Campaign Settings first and select "Pause the Campaign" when approved.
And voila! You're all set. These three easy steps make the process of launching your first ad campaign with Taboola feel as effortless as a walk in the park.
It's efficient, straightforward, and, more importantly, it shows that Taboola values your time.
Accessing the Taboola Dashboard
Once your campaign is approved (which is almost always the case, unless you add a landing page that goes against Taboola's policies), you can login to your account by entering your email and getting a confirmation code.
The home screen is a centralized hub where you can manage your campaigns, track performance, and gain insights into your audience. It's a neatly designed interface that gives you a bird's eye view of your activities.
Consider it your command center, it's where you pilot your marketing campaigns.
The Taboola dashboard is split into main sections: Campaigns, Audiences, and Tracking. Each section has a specific function, tailored to streamline your native advertising experience and drive optimal results.
Campaigns
This is your creative playground. It's where you create, manage, and optimize your ad campaigns. You can adjust campaign settings like budget, target audience, geographical focus, and more.
Tracking
This section provides valuable data on how your campaigns are performing. You can track metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions to gain insights into which strategies are working best for you.
Audiences
Your audience is the heart of your marketing efforts.
This section is split into two key areas: Custom Audiences and Taboola Pixel Audiences.
Custom Audiences are audience groups you've created based on your own criteria. This allows for a tailored approach, focusing on segments that are most likely to engage with your campaign based on your experience or target market.
Taboola Pixel Audiences, on the other hand, are groups created by Taboola using their proprietary Pixel. They monitor user behavior on your website and automatically create distinct audience groups based on that data.
These pre-set audiences can be incredibly useful in targeting new customers, retargeting visitors who didn't convert, or even excluding certain groups from your campaigns. Similar to Custom Audiences, you get comprehensive reports on the performance of these Pixel-generated groups, helping you refine your strategies and optimize your return on ad spend.
Creating a Campaign in Taboola
Creating a campaign in Taboola is a simple and straightforward process. Here's a step-by-step outline to guide you through the process based on Taboola's official documentation:
- Login to your Taboola account: Access the Taboola dashboard by entering your login credentials.
- Navigate to the 'Campaigns' tab: Find the 'Campaigns' tab on the dashboard. It's here that you'll be creating and managing your campaigns.
- Click on 'Create Campaign': Find and click the 'Create Campaign' button, typically found at the top right-hand corner of the dashboard.
- Fill in the 'Campaign Info': Enter a name for your campaign, then select the brand for which the campaign is intended. Select your marketing objective from the choices (Lead Generation, Online Purchases, Website Engagement, Brand Awareness, App Promotion).
- Determine the 'Campaign Schedule': Define the start and end dates for your campaign. You can also set specific hours or days of the week for your campaign to run.
- Set the 'Campaign Targeting': Determine who your campaign will target based on a variety of factors, such as geography, platform, operating system, and browser.
- Set the 'Audience Targeting': This section is optional but highly recommended. You can choose your target audience from marketplace audiences, your own custom audiences, and contextual audiences.
- Create your 'Ad Group' and 'Ads': Set the name for your Ad group and create ads. You'll need to provide a title, URL, and image for your ad. Taboola also offers options for advanced settings. You can add several Taboola ads per campaign.
- Set the 'Campaign Budget & Bid': Define your total campaign budget, daily budget, and bid strategy according to your marketing budget and objectives.
- Review and Launch your Campaign: Finally, review all campaign details to ensure everything is in order and then hit 'Submit for Review'. Once your campaign has been reviewed and approved by Taboola, it will go live.
Remember to monitor your campaign's performance and make necessary adjustments to achieve your marketing objectives.
Performance and Campaign Management
Taboola doesn't just serve as a content discovery platform for launching your campaigns, but also provides an incredibly detailed and rich set of data for all you savvy marketers who love to delve deep into the analytics.
With real-time reporting, you can scrutinize your campaign performance and adjust your strategies as needed, because, hey, in the digital age, flexibility is key, right?
Image from Taboola
Taboola's comprehensive reports are like your personal marketing oracle, providing data on impressions, clicks, conversions, and more.
This empowers you to make informed decisions, optimize your campaigns, and pivot on the fly. You're not driving blind here; every move you make is backed by solid data.
And that's not all. Taboola also offers conversion tracking options via S2S or pixel. This means you can glance at your dashboard and see the exact impact of your Taboola ads on your bottom line.
We're talking clear-cut, tangible results that show you your Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), helping you measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. So go ahead, take charge, and master your marketing journey with Taboola.
Taboola's In-Line Recommendations for Campaign Optimization
In addition to the comprehensive analytics and targeting capabilities, Taboola also provides personalized recommendations to aid in enhancing the performance of your native advertising campaigns. These recommendations are generated based on their proprietary algorithms and vast ad performance data.
They offer valuable insights and practical suggestions, which when implemented, can significantly improve your campaign's reach, engagement, and conversion rates. This awesome feature is a clear demonstration of Taboola's commitment to empowering advertisers like us to achieve our marketing goals with maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
Managing Your Ad Spend
Taboola operates a clear and straightforward billing system for your convenience. The platform automatically charges either on the 1st day of every month or whenever your ad spend hits the $100 mark, whichever comes first. This ensures seamless operation of your ad campaigns without interruptions.
Then, on the 7th of each month, Taboola sends out an invoice documenting all of your transactions for the previous month. This system provides you with a predictable billing cycle, making it easier for you to manage your finances. Remember, prompt payment of these invoices ensures your campaigns continue unimpeded, maintaining your reach to your vital audiences.
Taboola Pros and Cons for Advertisers
Taboola, despite its impressive features, has its share of strengths and weaknesses. Here, let's take a closer look at some of the pros and cons of using Taboola for advertisers:
Pros
- Wide Audience Reach: Taboola reaches billions of users monthly, offering advertisers a vast potential audience.
- Advanced Targeting Features: Taboola provides comprehensive targeting options, allowing advertisers to reach their specific audience.
- Detailed Analytics: Real-time reporting enables advertisers to assess performance instantly and adjust campaigns as necessary.
- In-line Recommendations: Taboola's in-line recommendations provide practical suggestions for improving campaign performance.
Cons
- Approval Process: The approval process for ads can be lengthy, which may delay campaign launches.
- Potential Brand Misalignment: Taboola's vast network includes a mix of websites of different reach and categories. To minimize the instances of your ad appearing on websites that are contrary to your brand's values, use the contextual audience targeting filter.
Taboola Verdict: Yea or Nay?
All things considered, we're casting a resounding yes vote for Taboola! Despite a few cons, Taboola's expansive audience reach, advanced features, and detailed analytics make it a stellar choice for advertisers.
Really, it’s every marketer’s dream—a platform that gets your brand and content marketing business out there and backs you up with solid data.
Having said that, if you're still feeling a tad lost in the native advertising maze, or need that extra push to take your campaigns to the next level, we have got you covered. Think of Brax as your friendly neighborhood guide.
We’re here to help you navigate and conquer. Book a demo with us today, and let's create some ad magic together!
