This post was most recently updated on September 20th, 2019
In a time when more and more people are resorting to ad blockers, it is crucial that you are intentional about tailoring Native ads on your website. Below are the top 5 native advertising best practices straight from our specialists:
#1 – Focus on user experience
Excellent user experience is achieved when the user’s needs are being met or satisfied without hassle and trouble. When a user visits a website for its content, they expect content, and not anything else. This is a distinctive format you see in social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. All ads, including Native ads, should be integrated as part of the reading experience of the site user, according to Mike Germano, Chief Digital Officer of VICE. Therefore, Native Ads should blend well with the site’s content, and it should be contextually relevant and related.
#2 – Transparent and clear disclosure
The objective of Native Advertising is to communicate with consumers through relevant and interesting images and content in a way that doesn’t trick them.
It is imperative that ads are distinguished clearly from the rest of the site’s content. Ad labels that read “Promoted,” “Sponsored,” “Advertisement,” “Ad”,” should be included.
Publishers are continually urged by the Federal Trade Commission to distinguish Native Ads from editorial content. Native Advertising is not only about blending ads with the site’s content. The best Native ads complement the content consumption experience.
#3 – Target specific audiences
According to Steve Jobs, “Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves”. The same thing applies to Native Advertising: you should know who your audience is. You know the kind of ads interests them. They should feel that they are not wasting their time on your site. You value them. Native Ads allows advertisers to create engaging content that users with finding relevant. It is recommended that as a publisher, you should make use of the tools and analytics to gather user data to determine your audience.
With your knowledge about your audience, you can specifically target them in your Native Advertising. The more satisfied your audience is, the more likely they are to come back to your site.
#4 – Partner with great ad networks
Partner with Ad Networks that will help you supplement your display ad revenue and drive higher engagement on your website.
Here are some of the best Native Advertising Networks:
- RevContent
- Outbrain
- Taboola
- Gravinty
- Nativo
- Triplelift
- Content.ad
#5 – Think mobile-first
Click-through rates on Native Ads average 50% higher on mobile devices. As a publisher, it is important that you always think about your mobile audience and your content must be relevant to a mobile user.
You may ask yourself these questions:
- Is the content easily consumed on a mobile device?
- Can your content be easily shared across different social media sites?
- Is your content handy and always on the go?
- What is the load time of your content?
Need help optimizing your Native Ads? We’re more than willing to help you out! Click here and register free as our premium publisher.
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Kean Graham is the CEO and founder of MonetizeMore & a pioneer in the Adtech Industry. He is the resident expert in Ad Optimization, covering areas like Adsense Optimization,GAM Management, and third-party ad network partnerships. Kean believes in the supremacy of direct publisher deals and holistic optimization as keys to effective and consistent ad revenue increases.