Native Advertising

What is native advertising?

Native advertising is a form of paid media in which the ad experience is designed to match the form, feel, and function of the environment in which it appears. Rather than interrupting the consumer with a banner or pre-roll, native advertising blends into the surrounding content — a sponsored article in a news feed, a recommended product in a shopping environment, or a branded offer on a post-purchase confirmation page.

How does native advertising work?

Native advertising works by matching the look, feel, and function of the platform it appears on. This makes it more engaging and less disruptive to the user experience. For example, a native ad on a social media platform might look like a regular post from a friend or family member. A native ad on a search engine results page might look like a regular search result. And a native ad on a website might look like a regular article or blog post.

Types of native advertising:

• In-feed ads: Sponsored content appearing within a publisher's editorial feed, matching the visual style of surrounding posts.

• Sponsored content: Branded articles or videos labeled as paid but matching the editorial format of the host publication.

• Recommendation widgets: 'You might also like' modules that surface relevant brand content alongside editorial content.

• Post-transaction native ads: Branded offers appearing on confirmation pages in a format consistent with the publisher's checkout experience.

How to measure native advertising:

• Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of people who see an ad and click on it.
• Conversion rate: The percentage of people who see an ad and take a desired action, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase.
• Engagement rate: The percentage of people who interact with an ad in some way, such as liking, commenting, or sharing it.
• Brand awareness: The percentage of people who are aware of a brand after seeing a native ad.

Choosing the right native format

The appropriate native format depends on the publisher environment and the advertiser's goal. In-feed and sponsored content formats work well for awareness and consideration objectives in editorial environments. Promoted listings drive direct product sales within retail environments. Post-transaction offer units are most effective for customer acquisition — reaching consumers who have just demonstrated purchase intent in an adjacent category.

Why is native advertising important to marketers?

Native advertising is important to marketers because it is an effective way to reach and engage consumers. Native ads are less likely to be ignored or blocked, and more likely to be seen and clicked on, because they blend into the environment where they appear.

Additionally, native advertising can be used to achieve a variety of marketing goals, such as:

• Increasing brand awareness
• Generating leads
• Driving sales
• Promoting content
• Building relationships with customers

Who needs to know what native advertising is:

• Digital marketer
• Performance marketer
• Search engine optimization (SEO) specialist
• Social media manager
• Content marketer
• Brand manager
• Agency owner
• Marketing manager
• CMO

In the Fluent context

Native advertising is a core format on Fluent's commerce media network, appearing in post-transaction, loyalty, and owned-media environments. Fluent's AI-driven decisioning ensures that each native ad is matched to the right consumer at the right moment.