So, you’re convinced of the idea of implementing native advertising into your online marketing strategy, but now what? Let’s have a walk-through of how to apply and incorporate native advertising into your campaigns to engage your target audience.
Simply knowing how to define native advertising without knowing how to apply the strategy is like memorizing a recipe for your favorite dish without ever cooking it yourself. Like everything else, the best way to effectively learn something new is simply by doing it. We last touched base on what native advertising is and why it is important for your online marketing campaigns. Our findings in a nutshell: native ads are seamless ways to get the user attention for performance or branding – now let’s look at how to use it.
What do you want? Define your campaign goals
When thinking about implementing native advertising into your marketing strategy, do not forget to not lose sight of your goal. Are you focusing more on branding your product? Or, are you looking to simply boost performance and reach? What demographic would you like to reach? Is your audience most active on desktop or mobile? According to eMarketer, in 2018, over 85% of US native ads appeared more on mobile devices. Aside from the obvious goals of earning more revenue, be sure to proactively think about the micro-goals that come with the big picture. Consider your campaign as a holistic package of earning you more revenue, but with a structure filled with mini-goals framed within.
The sky is the limit: know what formats are out there
Like many situations, there are countless options and resources out there to help you achieve your campaign goals. Native advertising is part of an effective and holistic communication strategy. When applying it, consider which advertising formats are most suitable and appropriate for your needs. Think of the ad formats as tools to fulfill your goals – which tool will bring you more revenue? Gain an understanding of each type of format’s functions and what needs it proves to be most suitable for. For instance, Native In-Feed Ads placed between editorial reading recommendations give you maximum attention for brand awareness. Meanwhile, Native Recommendation Ads are placed in conjunction with editorials based on users’ reading and clicking behaviors. Here, Recommendation Ads boost performance by generating leads and high-quality traffic. Once you master knowing your options, you will be able to get one step closer to reaching your campaign goals.
Get creative! What do you want to tell your audience?
Creativity is key, but staying true and directly conveying your message as clearly as possible goes a long way. These days, people want to receive to-the-point messages. As online marketers, we have to understand our audiences, identify their needs, and proactively connect to them with a clear, yet creative message. It’s all about the user at the end of the day, so if you were them, what types of native ads would you like to see? Once you define your message and begin to think about how to send it out via your campaign, consider the approach. “BUY ME NOW!” may come across as too strong, however, something like “Travel to the Bahamas for under $1,000” are messages that will likely generate clicks for your campaign since it directly and creatively speaks to the target audience. According to the Native Advertising Institute’s 2018 Trends report, 45% of online marketers find that convincing advertisers to tell real stories is the biggest challenge regarding native advertising. Meanwhile, 64% find written content as the biggest native advertising opportunity. Pair a clever headline with a captivating image or video, and you’ve got an enticing campaign!
Always follow up – was the campaign tactic a success?
Once you’ve set up your campaign goals, do not forget to simultaneously set up your KPIs. The numbers and data are hard facts that can help you make realizations that you never thought of prior to the campaign. Measuring your efforts will help you confirm or deny your native advertising tactics. NAI’s 2018 Trends report shares that 73% of their respondents measure the audience engagement from the effect of native advertising, while 67% measure traffic and 41% measure time spent. Always be sure to record and follow your campaign result numbers. If you’ve been open to trying various native ad formats and discover that you’re not hitting your revenue goals, observe and study the data. Build patterns. For instance, you noticed that all your campaigns didn’t perform well for a few months and was embodied as an In-Feed Ad; maybe you can do A/B tests or try for another format. Use data-driven decisions to make creative solutions.
Maintain a good relationship with your account manager
When in doubt with your campaigns, remember to consult with your provider! Your account manager is there to help, so don’t hesitate to reach out for campaign optimization. Should you have any questions or feel overwhelmed with details that you may have missed – for example, the native creatives with texts and images, or setting your campaign goals, your account manager will happily assist you.
Native advertising is a great tool to use since it is user-friendly, unobtrusive, and gives you – the online marketer – a great opportunity to achieve your performance and branding goals. Coming back full circle, understanding how to apply native formats with your mastered communication strategy will certainly engage your audience. This can ultimately earn you more revenue. Are you ready to apply native advertising to your campaigns? Check out our variety of promising native ad formats, such as our Recommendation Ad and Outstream Ad best for higher visibility. Contact us, and get started on your first campaign today!