Native Content Marketing

The use of native content marketing has many advantages. We’ve listed what we consider to be the five most important benefits below:

1. Native ads can't be blocked
In 2016, the use of ad blockers grew by 30% and they are currently installed on more than 615 million devices worldwide. But because native ads are published in the same way as regular content, they can’t be blocked.

2. Non-disruptive
One of the main reasons for the use of ad blockers is because advertisements are perceived as irritating and disruptive. Native ads are not seen in this way, because they fit seamlessly with the platform on which they are shown.

3. Easier to create
Creating content demands less specific design skills than creating display advertisements.

4. Shorten your sales funnel
By consistently providing new and existing customers with relevant information, you keep them better informed and that saves valuable time for your sales colleagues.

5. Reach new target groups
A growing number of publishing companies try to broaden the reach of their websites and expand their target group. You native advertising campaign profits from these efforts, in other words, native content marketing creates a win-win situation!

We wouldn’t go so far as to say that native is better than display, or vice versa, but it is interesting to look at the similarities and differences between the two approaches. They are similar in the sense that they are both often used to reach a larger target group, outside of your own database, usually with branding as the main goal.

The biggest difference is that native advertising is often seen as more innovative, because of the circumvention of ad blockers. However, there is still a very large group of users who do not yet use ad blockers and maybe never will.

There are also differences between user attitudes. Some people think display banners are terrible, while others study them carefully. The same principle applies to native advertising; whereas one person might not even notice that an article is sponsored, another may regard it as an attempt to ‘mislead’ the reader. One thing’s for sure: whichever form of marketing you choose, good execution is key to getting the best results.

1. Advertorial
Advertorials are often used on websites and in newsletters. They are usually short messages with a clear call to action.

2. Sponsored content
An ideal way to get the content you have created, such as videos, articles and case studies, onto other platforms. Sponsored content can contain a clear call to action, but it is more frequently used for branding and creating engagement.

3. Branded content
Similar to sponsored content, but in this case the content is actually created by the publishing company to ensure that it fits seamlessly with the other content on its platform.

4. Social advertising

Over the years, native advertising has also grown on social media channels such as LinkedIn due to the decreasing effectiveness of other types of advertising. To see for yourself, just scroll through your timeline and count the number of sponsored updates.

5. Search engine advertising
The first few results shown on search engine websites like Google and Bing are almost always paid listings. However, they are so similar to the other results – plus they are usually relevant – that many people do not even notice that they are advertisements!

1. Know your audience
To make a real difference with native content marketing, it is important to get to know your audience optimally. Who are they? Which channels do they use to obtain relevant information? Immerse yourself in your audience and determine your strategy based on what you find out.

2. Create added value for your audience
Your probably already know who you are creating your content for, but what does your target audience really want to know? Ask yourself the following questions as a guideline for your approach:

- Which problems does my target group face?
- What is my target group concerned about?
- What information is my target group looking for?

3. It does not have to be about your product?
In his book ‘Epic Content Marketing’, Joe Pulizzi writes that customers do not care about you, your products or your services; they care about themselves and their own wants and needs. Make sure the content you use for native advertising is aligned with this insight. It certainly does not always have to be about your own product. Find inspiration for good topics here.

4. Follow the guidelines
Even when you are paying to place your content on a platform, it makes sense to stick to the platform’s own specific guidelines. These are often drawn up to help everyone achieve the best results given the platform’s audience, so it would be a mistake not to take this into account. Make sure your content fits seamlessly with the platform’s target group!

5. Think carefully about your goals
This may seem obvious, but it is often forgotten. Introducing a new product or service on the market requires a completely different approach than generating leads for a product that has been around for years. Think about this carefully before you start producing your content!

Check out our native content solutions or contact one of our marketing advisors to learn more about the opportunities to grow your business!