Going native

180Vita CEO Jamie Nevin asks whether native advertising is the next big thing in affiliate marketing?

Native advertising can be defined as any type of marketing which ‘fits’ the publisher. An example could be a preview of a football match published on a football blog that focuses on a certain bookmaker, or a poker training video played on a specific poker site. I often think of native advertising as being digital, guerrilla-style product placement.

The growth of native advertising stems from the undeniable fact that adverts need to become more relevant and be seen in the right context in order to succeed. Over the last decade, everyone has watched the demise of banner adverts. Their lack of success can at least partially be attributed to their lack of relevance, and the fact that they are clearly ‘adverts’ has an off-putting effect for some users. Native advertising claims to solve both these issues.

Problem solving
Native advertising does not have a set format, but the most popular and scalable method of native marketing comes in the form of advertorial articles, social sharing and media (video) sharing.

There are numerous unique advantages of such marketing initiatives. Firstly, unlike conventional banners, native advertising is typically evergreen.

Although an article or video will have an initial reach, it will exist on the publisher’s website for many years to come and the advertiser will continue to enjoy exposure. Secondly, as Google and social media algorithms become more sophisticated, a brand being mentioned and linked in multiple high quality portals will likely receive a positive impact on their search ranking or at least will assist in retaining current rank. Finally, as touched on above, users are sick of being ‘sold’ to. Native advertising targets people who are already interested in the product and any agency should ensure the advert feels natural.

It’s also worth noting that native advertising is very well suited to any campaign that has viral potential. For a relatively low cost, brands have the opportunity to get that all important initial traction that’s always necessary for a campaign to gain viral status.

Being able to send a consistent message, tailor-made to each audience with over 20 or 30 high traffic websites in your niche, is a very powerful tool. Combine this with the likely ‘free’ marketing and articles that will be written as a consequence of the initial campaign, and it’s easy to see why so many other industries have been exploiting this type of advertising for many years.

The best examples of native advertising and product placement are usually undetectable. This is part of the reason they can be so successful – such marketing has the potential to penetrate the viewer’s subconscious. Think of the characters you see using iPads in TV shows, or Tom Cruise wearing Ray-Bans for most of Top Gun and the power of native advertising becomes clear.

Pros and cons
One disadvantage of this type of advertising, especially online, is that when it’s done badly it can actually be damaging to a brand. Posting the same news article on 20 different websites could potentially result in a Google penalty, or content that has not been well thought out risks your brand appearing to be low value or – God forbid – spammy.

I don’t think it’s possible to claim any method of marketing can rule the roost over the next 20 years. However, right now it’s clear that native advertising offers a very effective form of marketing, where advertisers can see a real ROI.

Once too many people do it, the story might change and the cost of deploying such advertising may no longer prove viable. But, compared to the alternatives of mailing lists, banners, pop ups and website takeovers, I would find it difficult not to take advantage of the opportunities offered by native advertising.