Cutting through the noise to reach your target audience isn’t always a walk in the park. And the numerous ad forms out there don’t make choosing any easier.
Fortunately, you can get savvy and leverage the various types of native advertising to elevate your brand. Far more subtle than traditional ads, native ads blend seamlessly into the user experience and surrounding content across platforms.
The result is higher engagement, brand lift, more conversions, and other benefits.
However, that’s just one side of the story. The other is knowing which types of native ads are most effective for reaching your audience and promoting your brand.
That’s exactly what we’ll discuss in this post. Let’s get started.
Now, the average person spends six hours and 40 minutes of their day on their screens. For any marketer or business owner, this is a great opportunity to get a top-notch native advertising campaign out there.
The good news is that the following 13 types of native advertising can help you achieve that goal. Check them out.
Native video ads are among the most popular native ad formats today. These are branded videos that match the look and feel of the surrounding content.
Take this LinkedIn video ad for instance. You’re just scrolling through your LinkedIn feed, networking with your fellow pros.
This video ad is just there on your feed, blending in like camouflage with other posts. It doesn’t disrupt your experience on the site and plays automatically as you scroll.
Check out this example of a native video ad by Postmark, which appears as a YouTube search result when you search for a related keyword. It looks like any other search result, except it’s not.
Image via YouTube
Native video ads on websites may play automatically or give users the option to click to initiate playback.
These videos can be used to build brand awareness and visibility. All the more reason why they are one of the best of native advertising.
These are innovative types of native advertising that integrate branded content directly into video games.
Here's the thing, video games provide engaging native advertising platforms to reach a massive market. They offer seamless opportunities to integrate branded content and deliver native ads to the 2.64 billion gamers worldwide.
Gamers don’t always welcome in-game ads, especially traditional display ads or banner ads. But, it turns out, they’re okay with native ads as long as they are high-quality, non-disruptive, uninterrupted, and relatable.
In-game ads can be billboards in a virtual cityscape, products used by game characters, branded gear, and more. Or they can be like this Milk-Bone ad about why the world needs more furry buddies.
Image via Crazy Games
Now, who wouldn’t want to play and win their favorite game with a furry buddy as their lead cheerleader?
Native in-game ads neither interrupt nor delay the gamer’s access to the game, making them must-have types of native advertising. They’re just there to create an immersive experience, entertain users, and connect brands with a targeted gaming audience.
And in this case, the ad convinces the gamer why they need a furry friend!
Promoted trending topics and hashtags are types of native advertising used on social media platforms. They allow brands to pay to artificially boost the visibility and impressions of a chosen hashtag, keyword, or conversational topic.
These native ads appear in the “Trending” section of social platforms that displays topics seeing high recent engagement. They are often labeled “Promoted” or “Sponsored” to indicate they were paid placements, rather than organic trends.
So, when users click on a promoted trending topic, they see a mix of regular organic posts using the tag along with the brand's sponsored posts. It blends paid brand content into existing public discussions.
Check out this example of a branded hashtag promoted by Disney+.
Image via Neal Schaffer
Pro Tip: Use hashtag generator tools to create relevant hashtags that’ll reach and engage the right audience.
Recommendation widgets are contextual types of native advertising that suggest related content or products based on user behavior. They often appear at the bottom of pages under headings like “You may also like…” or “Recommended for you.”
For instance, browsing for a beauty cream will prompt Amazon to recommend other products that usually complement that cream.
Image via Amazon
Here's the lowdown—they seamlessly blend into the page, matching the surrounding content. You see, they collect data on users' browsing history and interests to serve up the most relevant recommendations.
So, the more a user engages with the site, the more tailored the recommendations become.
Users see recommendation widgets as useful discovery tools rather than disruptive traditional ads. No wonder they're a go-to native advertising format for many publishers.
You may be wondering, is digital audio still a thing? The short answer is yes, it is.
The latest numbers indicate that there are 464.7 million podcast listeners globally and are projected to grow further. Not to mention there are many other popular digital audio formats, such as radio, audiobooks, and audio blogs.
Native ads are a natural fit for digital audio platforms like podcasts and music streaming platforms. These native advertising platforms blend audio ads into the listening experience through audio segments voiced by the host or using a similar style.
For instance, this Spotify-Frontline partnership features a ‘dog-friendly’ podcast that shows how the power of audio helps ease dogs’ anxiety. The audio ads featured on the podcast are at a frequency heard only by dogs.
Image via Spotify Advertising
This native ad format drives brand awareness through contextual relevance. You can create various types of native audio ads depending on the context of the podcast or webinar. You can use the host’s voice to play an ad or insert an audio clip during the podcast to act as an ad break.
In-feed ads are one of the most common types of native advertising on social media feeds and content sites. They are highly customizable and blend seamlessly into the normal feeds alongside organic search results.
Their visual design fits right in, working wonders for image-focused campaigns.
Check out this Blueberry ad, for instance. It effortlessly blends in the feed and a reader might not even notice it’s an ad.
Image via Google
In-feed ads typically contain eye-catching imagery, headlines, text, hashtags, and a clear call-to-action button. They aim to drive clicks to the publisher's site or landing page. This explains why they’re popular among the various types of native advertising.
Remember, landing page optimization is key to converting visitors into leads and customers. You can do it yourself or make use of landing page outsourcing services offered by a professional to get the best results.
In-ad native units feature standard IAB display ad containers, but with native elements that match the surrounding content.
For example, Google's new AR beauty tools allow shoppers to virtually try products on mobile browsers. This lets shoppers try on makeup colors and looks on their phones.
It makes the ads more fun and real so more people engage with them.
Image via Google
This combo creates a hybrid ad that catches attention like display ads but also offers the relevance of native content. Here’s the real gold: this synergy boosts brand visibility and engagement while providing the audience with appealing and valuable content.
Mobile geo-targeted native ads are a type of native advertising that use users' location data to serve personalized native ads.
For example, say you own a coffee shop chain. You can target coffee enthusiasts with native ads based on their location in relation to the nearest store.
Image via PlotProjects
This brings us to geo-fenced promotions. Brands use these native ads to offer exclusive special offers or discounts to users when they enter a specified geographic perimeter, a geo-fence.
Back to the coffee shop. You may send native ads for discounted new coffee flavors to customers when they enter a particular geo-fence.
As a bonus, you can use these types of native ads as effective local SEO tools!
Promoted product listings are types of native advertising that blend into search results and product pages just like regular listings. However, they typically feature a “Sponsored” callout.
Promoted listings increase visibility and favor products that brands have paid and bid to highlight. Some good news though; ecommerce sites, like eBay charge brands for promoted listings only when the listing leads to a sale.
See these sponsored items illustrated here. The site used the shoppers' recent history on the site to recommend several items. While they’re ads, they do provide value.
Image via eBay
These native ad forms allow consumers to shop seamlessly while discovering new items, resulting in increased ecommerce sales. That’s why it’s one of the best types of native advertising.
Q1. How do native ads differ from regular ads?
A. Native ads match the natural form and style of the platform they appear on. So they don't disrupt the user experience like pop-ups or traditional banner ads.
They blend seamlessly into blogs, newsfeeds, search engines, games, and more.
Q2. Why are native ads so effective?
A. By providing valuable content and recommendations, native ads don't feel overly salesy or annoying. This leads to higher engagement and click-through rates compared to disruptive display ads the audience tends to ignore.
Q3. What is an example of native advertising?
A. In-feed ads on social media platforms like Instagram, which appear as regular social media posts, are the perfect examples of native advertising.
Q4. How much do native advertising campaigns cost?
A. Costs vary widely depending on factors like platform, ad type, run-time, targeting, and more. But they often convert better, justifying higher production costs for long-term success.
Q5. Where should I run native ads?
A. The best platforms depend on your goals and audience. But popular ones include social media feeds, leading publications, search engines, audio platforms, ecommerce sites, and mobile apps.
So, there it is, 9 of the most effective types of native advertising to level up your marketing game. The key, however, is crafting campaigns that entertain and provide value, while connecting your brand promise, less disruptively.
Most importantly, use the right native ads platform.
Remember, the right native ad campaign can generate more quality leads, nurturing them into loyal customers. Don't go at it alone; instead, leverage Attrock's lead generation services.
Our lead generation experts will help you achieve your marketing goals and increase sales using various types of native advertising.
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