Did you know that each time you follow a page, react to a post or share content on social media you are inadvertently engaging in native advertising? Now the question you may be asking is, what is native advertising?

The answer is actually pretty simple. native advertising is essentially branded content that camouflages itself into various contexts, thus these adverts look and feel like natural content. For instance, a brand’s page on Facebook will make a post, just as you would, but because it is coming from a page and not an everyday user it is called native advertising. Content marketers are increasingly turning to native advertising as a result. This is because it builds trust and promotes engagement with a user which helps us learn how best to promote brands for consumers so that you don’t constantly see annoying or repetitive content.

Social media is the main platform that uses native marketing, and its popularity has grown to such a degree that publishing companies are only now jumping on board with interesting advertising integrations. These companies include, Time Inc, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

So what constitutes a native ad?

Firstly native advertising does not include a call to action, as this would take away from the advert camouflaging in with everyday content. Secondly, anything that looks like an infographic in print or online is a form of native advertising. Furthermore, anything that subtly includes a brand (AKA product placement,) such as an article about fashion that mentions one or two specific famous brands, is a form of native advertising.

Overall, native advertising is a marketing tool that should not be discounted, as it is an integral and largely free online marketing utensil that when used well can lead to staggering results.

Email: info@menziesmedia.co.za

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