According to a recent study by Page Fair and Adobe, 20 percent of Canadian Internet users now employ a form of ad-blocking. “Tuning out” digital ads is a growing concern for advertisers, and to help counteract it, many brands have returned to the idea of advertorial content. Often labelled native advertising, or branded content, today it’s offered as sponsored content that mirrors the platform it’s on, whether it’s print, social or digital.
Native advertising is a growing industry trend. Business Insider predicted that spending on native advertising will top $7.9 billion this year and increase to $21 billion by 2018. What is it that’s making native ads so popular right now? The answer is two-pronged:
First, native ads are seen as a potential new revenue stream for legacy publishers. As demands for innovation by publishers increase, sponsored content offers brands a new vehicle for reaching valued audiences. Second, native ads have proven to be effective – garnering more click-throughs and engagement than traditional ads.
But what will keep native ads from suffering the same fate as traditional digital ads? It’s about finding opportunities to creatively spark conversation.
Start with the audience
The first step to a successful native ad experience is to understand the advertisers’ target audience. Data analytics can help identify the audience and pinpoint where they are online, but the idea has to resonate. That’s where creative teams come into play to help develop a concept that will truly resonate with an audience.
Once you know the audience, it’s the creatives’ job to uncover content that’s worthy of their interest. No small feat when you consider the average Canadian has the attention span of a goldfish.
Grab their attention
For an AOL client that provides 3D mammography technology, our Huffington Post team created content that focused on enlightening men about women’s bodies. The headline playfully asked what need to know about “Lady Parts.”It was a real attention grabber, getting clicks from both genders.
To support the brand message, the sponsored content was surrounded with more traditional ad buys. This type of brand alignment is subtle but effective, especially when the content is fresh and compelling.
Make it about the conversation
To be successful with native advertising, brands need to adapt their strategy. Native advertising shouldn’t be about broadcasting a message, but rather an opportunity to open a dialogue with an audience. With the “lady parts” example, the cheeky nature of the content spawned social commentary and sharing, generating conversations that carried across platforms.
It was successful because it was something people wanted to consume and share. And, at the end of the day, that’s the goal of any good content: To make the audience laugh, or cry, or somehow take notice.
Be upfront
The client example also worked well because the advertising brand was able to intersect authentically with the content. It made sense for them to be part of the discussion, and the ads surrounding it complemented the content. We know from Advertising Standards Canada that approximately a third of Canadians feel “bothered” when they find out content they’ve read is sponsored, but if the content is good, Canadians are forgiving.
For native advertising to remain successful, brands should focus on creative content that’s purpose-made for the audience, and that can create opportunities for advertising brands to participate in resulting conversations authentically.
Mark Charles is the creative solutions director for AOL Canada
