Native advertising has become increasingly popular and effective, as all sorts of businesses and brands are utilizing this relatively new advertising tactic to better engage their target audiences while maintaining user-friendly online experiences.  While publishers and advertisers have different advertising needs and goals, native ad platforms have proven useful for both sides, unlike its traditional advertising predecessors. More publishers and advertisers are wising up quickly as native ads have emerged as the third most popular strategy among digital marketing strategies.  To illustrate how multi-faceted the benefits of native advertising can be, MGID has listed the top three advantages for both publishers and advertisers below.

 Ad Control

For Publishers

Due to the nature of native ads, publishers can further control over native than any other form of online advertising. Publishers have the power to choose what they promote and what they don’t, based on relevance to their products or content. This can lead to increased engagement and site time with consumers, who otherwise may have been turned off by irrelevant ads.

For Advertisers

The ability to display relevant ads is made possible by intelligent algorithms that native advertising is known for. Displaying relevant content is beneficial to advertisers essentially because the likelihood of clicks goes through the roof. Less money is spent on hit-or-miss ads, and more concentrated resources can be invested into native ads, which have been proven to yield higher CTRs and potential earnings.

 Consistent Site Experience

For Publishers

Before native, online advertising was notorious for disturbing the user experience with flashy, obtrusive ads. Through the idea of blended content, native ads fit in seamlessly with published content, allowing publishers to display ads while maintaining a positive experience for their viewers. Additionally, by utilizing branded content that echoes the pre-existing style, color scheme and structure of their sites, publishers do not have to sacrifice their layout to monetize their site.

For Advertisers

Blended and branded content is a win-win for advertisers in terms of usability with publishers and credibility with consumers. Giving publishers the ability to maintain their intended user experience will increase the likelihood that they will display a specific ad platform. Publishers can utilize ads across more platforms with advertising that resembles their brands and online identities. Additionally, having ads displayed in a relevant, unobtrusive way will give consumers a positive experience with your ads. Instead of existing as a distraction, native ads are displayed as complimentary solutions to publishers’ content. This will likely encourage consumers to click on ads that are displayed with content that is relevant to their searches, and will ultimately connote a positive resonance in their minds when they think of or interact with a specific advertiser’s content.

 Increased Shares 

For Publishers and Advertisers

With native, ad content is likely to be device and platform responsive, thus making it easily shareable across diverse digital spaces. Statistics show that native ads are viewed 53 percent more often than display ads. In addition to the structure of native ads, its smooth integration into informative content increases chances for shares as well. Studies show that consumers prefer authentic content that doesn’t appear too promotional or flashy. These aspects combined help many brands and advertisers go viral. Viral content means an increased audience for advertisers’ products or offerings, and increased views on publishers’ digital platforms — and ultimately, increased brand recognition and trust with customers and viewership for both parties.

Native has become an almost irreversibly essential component needed for any successful advertising strategy.  No matter what side you’re on, increased views means increased engagement, which can translate to higher revenue for publishers and advertisers.