Wondering why native ads work so well? Their ability to convert customers through targeted multistage campaigns is a significant factor.
Why Native Ads Work
In the past, advertising campaigns were paid for out of hope rather than expectation. When companies took out billboard advertising, ran an ad in the local paper, or produced a radio commercial, there was extremely limited information on who the ads would reach. Worse, it was often impossible to track where new customers came from. Did new inquiries stem from that lovingly crafted ad campaign, the Yellow Pages, or sheer chance?
The internet has made the process of tracking and monitoring consumer behavior far more scientific. Today, companies like Brax specialize in helping firms to orchestrate granular online advertising campaigns. Advertising managers can be as involved as they want to be, and individual consumers can be wooed with multistage campaigns designed to resolve their pain points and do away with doubts.
In this article, we consider why native ads work, how to get the most from them, and why native ads are used over traditional ads nowadays.
What are native ads?
A native advertisement is an ad that’s designed not to look like one. That might sound counterintuitive, but it makes perfect sense. Consumers are tired of seeing banner and hover ads, while ad-blocking software is used by over a quarter of Americans. By contrast, native ads appear on high-profile websites with large audiences, below primary on-page content. Distinguished by a discreet “Also on the web” or “You might also like” subheading, they usually comprise a snappy headline and an arresting thumbnail image, linking through to a specific webpage.
Why use native ads?
If you’re questioning why native ads work and why you should be using them, here are a few key points worth considering.
Native ads keep it relevant
The great thing about native ads is that they’re only displayed to relevant audiences. Unlike the hit-and-hope ad campaigns of yesteryear, companies like Taboola and Outbrain can place native ads in front of specific demographics. If your business sells fancy dress outfits for kids, you can target parents and grandparents, rather than young professionals or singles. You can drill down to specific zip codes, ethnicities, interests, and several other distinguishing attributes. This maximizes the chances of your ads being displayed in front of people likely to be interested in seeing them.
You can respond to audience reactions
Another benefit of native advertising over traditional campaigns is the ability to run ads in sequence, responding to individual consumer behavior. Rather than simply repeating a product ad, you can run it and see how people react. If people click through and view but don’t buy, you can follow up with a basket reminder. If they still don’t complete the purchase, you could publish an ad displaying a testimonial or review. Because native ad campaigns track activity at each stage, you won’t end up re-showing the original ad to a customer who’s already bought your product. Instead, you could advertise related goods and services—accessories, extended warranty offers, etc.
Native ads are inexpensive
When thinking about using native ads, it’s also essential to consider the payment model used, and how this delivers value. Rather than paying for adverts to appear online, you pay when an ad triggers a response. This is usually a click-through to your chosen webpage or microsite. That makes native ads highly cost-effective because brands only pay when consumers express interest. The native advertising firms distributing those ads need to ensure they appear before relevant and interested demographics on reputable and high-caliber third-party websites.
You’ll get more eyes on your ads
Finally, it’s worth considering the differences between the companies publishing native ads on behalf of brands and businesses. We’ve recently published guides to three of the industry leaders: Taboola, Outbrain, and Revcontent. They all perform similar jobs, but there are significant differences in minimum daily budget and partner platforms. For instance, Outbrain has partnered with international media giants like Sky, the BBC, Le Monde, and El Pais. In short, the sheer number of partner websites is a big benefit to using native ads. How else could you get your products and services in front of huge audiences in whichever countries and territories you’re targeting?
Start raising your revenue with Brax
Hopefully, this article has answered any questions you may have had about why native ads are effective. If you’d like to discover how a coherent campaign could become a cost-effective revenue-raiser, get in touch with Brax for a free trial of our native advertising software.
