Are you incorporating programmatic native ads into your online advertising mix?
Some recent findings shed some light on the benefits of this tactic and why it adds a unique strategic layer to your campaign’s success.
We all know display ads are a very effective tactic in generating straight conversions if you’re looking to sell a product. However – in comparison to display prospecting – case studies have shown that native ads truly shine when it comes to driving traffic and boosting brand engagement in the long term.
Don’t get us wrong; we love display ads. Display is a great way to keep your brand name out there. But with the rising popularity of incorporating storytelling as part of marketing strategies in this content-driven age, advertisers should really make better use of the goldmine that is programmatic native!
A native ad is a paid advertisement that is served to a user matching the look, feel and function of a publisher’s website content. It is assimilated into the design of the webpage, so that it feels like it belongs on that page or in that app.
According to a DoubleClick analysis of traffic across its network in 2017, users are twice as likely to click on a native ad as they are to click on a traditional banner. When The New York Times introduced it’s “Flex Frames” native format in 2016, they saw click-through rates increase 6x compared to equivalent banner ads!
Native ads are a better experience for the user:
Native ads receive double the visual focus as banner ads! Because native ads blend in with the surrounding content, they are adaptable to their environment and therefore look less disruptive than display ads.
“You should take advantage of the fact that native ads are more likely to be read and shared by their audience,” reports Nielsen and IPG Media research.
Additionally, if your ads are linking to interesting content while appearing on informative and premium websites, information-seeking audiences will be more enthusiastic about clicking through and engaging with the linked content. The more relevant the site category targeting, the better the ad will perform!
The result is also a long-term positive impact on your branding. Because native ads feel very organic – being served to the audience within content that is highly relevant to the ad itself – they have the halo effect of improving brand perception and help to build a stronger relationship between your brand and your audience.
As a bonus, the adaptability of native ads means that they perform particularly well on mobile. Knowing that mobile use is continuing to grow, and rapidly outpacing desktop, this should be a good incentive to incorporate native into your mobile strategy.
And double bonus? They aren’t just great drivers of virtual traffic! According to a joint study by Sharethrough and Space, programmatic native ads are also better at driving in-store traffic than standard display ads.
