NATIVE ADVERTISING IN 2019

In this day and age, advertisement requires thoughtful strategy. The phenomenon and continual growth of digital advertising has recreated the way businesses execute on social, and if brands don’t follow suite to the ever-developing trends and technology, they will inevitably fall behind. In order to effectively sell a product or provide a service, businesses must work harder than ever to stand out amongst the influx of information and voices vying to be heard. So, how can you adapt your business to stay at the forefront of advertising?

Native advertising is a dominating force in the digital realm, constituting around 20% of all advertising revenue. Projections indicate that this percentage will reach a whopping 74% by 2021. Essentially, native advertising is promoted content that is strategically placed in a non-disruptive way to the viewer. Many forms of native ads don’t even appear to be ads at all.

Before native ads, banner ads were the go-to digital advertisement. But today, this form of advertisement is often referred to as “banner blindness.” Why? Because by now most businesses have caught on to the necessity of having an online presence, meaning that you’re nothing special for having an internet ad. Instead, you need to show your audience why you do it best - enter native ads.

Native ads are usually tailored to the user. Have you ever been on the prowl for a new winter jacket and after mining through your favorite online shops run into a promo ad for your dream jacket on your Instagram feed? Coincidence? Definitely not.

So how can you effectively use native ads to stay at the top of your game during 2019? We’ve compiled a short lists of key things to keep in mind.

Going mobile: Adapt your ads to where the attention lies. Today, that’s social and mobile. Connecting and engaging with your audience not only means targeting ads to their favorite social platforms, but doing so in a way that feels authentic and meaningful. Instead of bombarding them with product, give them something tasty and relevant - aka disguising ads as content they love to look at every day. In order to accomplish that, it’s important to know your target demographic inside and out - what are their daily habits? When do they most use their phone? What is important to them when buying a product? Are they loyal to brands or looking for the best deal?

Content is still key. Although the primary goal and advantage of native advertising is strategic placement, none of that matters if it’s not top-quality material and most importantly, tailored to the needs of the viewer. Don’t slack on what you put out there. Native advertisement does its best work when content and placement work together as a team.

The value of native advertising lies in its ability to benefit both parties. In order for businesses to generate sales, they have to connect with their customer’s needs and tailor their ads accordingly. Essentially, businesses are catering to their customers to prove they know them better than their competition does. Native advertising shouldn’t be viewed as a bogus scam or deceptive ploy, but rather a helpful tool that operates on its own as you go about your business.

We don’t really give this digital tool enough credit. The reality is your favorite pair of shoes, nicest piece of furniture, or even that winter coat is all thanks to a native ad working its magic.