What is Native Advertising, and Why Should You Care?

If you’re like me, the term “native advertising” is somewhat new to you. If you’re like lots of others, it’s totally foreign.

Apparently we’re not alone in our naiveté.

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, there remains a considerable lack of agreement regarding a one-size-fits-all definition of the term. But in their IAB Native Advertising Playbook, they describe it as “…paid ads that are so cohesive with the page content, assimilated into the design, and consistent with the platform behavior that the viewer simply feels that they belong.”

So, why should you care?

Because, according to Search Engine Watch in their article, “Why Small Businesses Should Care About Native Advertising,” consumers are more likely to focus on native ads and share them, than they are with display ads.

From the piece: “No other form of advertising in recent memory has been as well-received by consumers as native advertising. While native advertising is just an extension of content marketing, the data suggests it will be around for the long haul and should be seriously considered.”

Here’s an example of one type of native advertising, which was created by Xerox in partnership with The New Yorker. (Advance through the Business Pages carousel, and you’ll see one of our articles.)

Is native advertising part of your content marketing strategy?

If not, I encourage you to read the above-linked articles and learn why you should consider including native advertising as an integral component of your overall arsenal.

As always, thanks for reading.