Native Advertising | Glossary

What is native advertising?

Native advertising is paid-for content that lives on a third-party site with the goal of leveraging someone else audience to bring them to you. Unlike traditional advertisements, native ads take the format and style of the page they are living on, making them feel less like an ad and more like another piece of content.

As native advertising sits on a third-party platform, it uses the built-in audience of that brand, company, or influencer to redirect traffic to your own platforms. Because you are using someone else’s platform, it’s vital to make the ad feel as natural and native as possible as most people despise seeing adverts and feeling they are being sold to.

Native ads come in many forms including:

  • Videos
  • Infographics
  • Social media posts
  • Articles and advertorials

The format you use will depend on the type of content that will best highlight what you’re advertising and the best style match for your target publishing platform.

It’s important to note that as per FTC rules, you will need to disclose that the post is paid for or sponsored. Thankfully, a mixture of being transparent and providing quality content to put your advertisement in helps readers gain trust in you and improves the likelihood of getting the audience to read on and click on your links.

What is the difference between native advertising and content marketing?

It’s easy to get confused between these two types of marketing as they share a lot of attributes. After all, the majority of successful native ads are created as useful piece of content that readers love to consume.

The key difference here is the intention of the piece. With content marketing, brands create articles, social media posts, emails, and more to draw readers in and convert them into followers, customers, and email lists. These are done on the brand’s own websites and accounts. This is typically known as inbound marketing as it uses your own platform with the aim to keep readers there.

Native advertising, on the other hand, is always done on someone else’s platform and aims to take an already-built audience and redirect them to your own platforms and website. This is known as outbound marketing and is a great way to earn reader trust beyond your current readership and client base.

What are the benefits of native advertising?

Native advertising is the most common form of digital advertising these days because it converts the best without turning potential customers off. Here are a few of the key benefits it can bring your business:

Pressmaster / Pexels

1. Reach a wider audience and create an emotional connection

Using content to help advertise your brand, service, or product on another platform gives you access to a potential new audience who would benefit from your product or services but who may have never heard of you before. And if you can emotionally connect with them, they are more likely to convert into your own audience. In fact, according to expert Yvonne Beister, consumers are 49% more likely to react positively to native advertising than to pop-up or banner ads that invade a person"s experience.

2. Borrow another company’s credibility

When a company allows you to pay for native advertising on their platform, they are essentially giving their audience the greenlight that you are a credible brand that deserves their attention. As such, as long as you provide interesting, impactful content, readers are more likely to trust you and engage with your ad resulting in a higher clickthrough rate and better chances of conversion.

3. Prove yourself as an industry leader

Your audience already knows your value, but others may be more skeptical. That’s why it’s vital to pack your advertisement with as much value as possible. Tell a story about a problem and highlight that your company is the one to solve it. You’ll resonate with audiences, seeing you as a trustworthy brand while also letting people know of your expertise. Even if you don’t convert readers straight away, a thoughtful native ad that’s packed with helpful insights will stick in readers’ minds and may result in them thinking of you in the future.

Strategies for creating high-converting native advertising

Here are some key ways you can create quality native ads that convert audiences to your brand, product, or service:


Add value
Audiences don’t want to be sold to, they want to be enriched. Your ad should give them valuable information, advice, or story that leaves them feeling fulfilled. Don’t make the mistake of thinking because it’s an ad should be short and sweet. Nurture and add value to the audience and they’ll be more receptive to your message.

Don’t put yourself at the center of the content
Yes, this advert is about you and your product. But audiences don’t care. They want to know what’s in it for them and if you can help them (with proof). So keep any mention of youbrand and products minimal, only adding it where relevant, and keep the content reader-focused.

Match the style of the platform
Audiences can easily spot when something is amiss on a platform they love. Platforms can become safe spaces for readers, and your ad is now taking space there. Respect the style and voice of the platform you’re advertising on so audiences feel more receptive. Plus, many platforms will reject your paid-for content proposal if it doesn’t fit their style. Do your research and make sure it fits!

Emotionally connect with your readers
The best way to get readers to engage with your advertisement is to get them emotionally invested in a story. So find a relevant story with real people who have overcome a problem or done something incredible and tell it. Add your product or service as a way to fix the problem but don’t be the story. Instead, focus on keeping your readers emotionally engaged with the story you’re telling.

Hubspot has curated an insightful list of some of the most effective native advertisements on the internet. It’s great place to find inspiration for how you can add value in your own native ads.

Foster audience trust and improve conversion rates with native advertisement

At Scripted, you’ll have access to a curated pool of expert writers with the knowledge to turn your native advertisements into new sales and followers. When you’re ready to reach a wider audience through creating impactful native ads, schedule a demo or sign up for a free Scripted account today.

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