You are more likely to die in a plane crash or win the lottery than click on a banner ad. You may have heard these statistics being discussed around the web, see more here. So, is native advertising any more effective?
Lately there has been a lot of excitement surrounding native advertising. Below we will explore the effectiveness of native advertising beginning with the difference between native and banner ads, followed by an infographic that details the effectiveness of each, and an example of a controversial native advertisement from The Atlantic!
What is Native Advertising?
Native advertising uses text, photo, or video ads and integrates directly within content that is being viewed online, as opposed to banner ads which are off to the top/side/bottom.
Typically, native advertising is considered to be less “annoying” and useful in providing relevant content. However, some consider it to be a tactic used to “trick” readers.
Native Advertising Infographic
So, how effective is native advertising? IPG Media Lab and Sharethrough conducted a study to answer just that, and created the following infographic:
Native Advertising Gone Wrong
Back in January, the Atlantic sparked controversy by publishing (later withdrawn) an advertorial from the Church of Scientology.
The post looked like any other page on the magazine’s widely read website, except for the “Sponsor Content” box at the top.
The Atlantic issued this statement:
“We screwed up. It shouldn’t have taken a wave of constructive criticism — but it has — to alert us that we’ve made a mistake, possibly several mistakes. We now realize that as we explored new forms of digital advertising, we failed to update the policies that must govern the decisions we make along the way … we are sorry, and we’re working very hard to put things right.”
(Via: Huffington Post)
Avoid a PR mess due to bad native advertising by making sure the content is aligned with your message and clearly marking such ads as sponsored, promoted, etc.
What do you think of native ads compared to banner ads? The next big thing? Misleading? Let us know in the comment box below and share any good/bad examples in the comment box below!
