You never click on native ads, do you?
If you’re a digital marketer, the answer is probably no – unless you’re curious about what the competition’s up to. As a consumer, you likely steer clear of them.
So why would you expect other people to click on your native ads? It’s a fair question. But here’s a better one: What would actually get you to click if you were in the customer’s shoes?
The numbers
Before we answer that, let’s clear up one thing: Native advertising works.
Or it’s worth a lot of money, at least. According to the Wall Street Journal, spending on native ads is likely to reach a whopping $32.9 billion this year. That’s a 31 percent jump over spending last year.
Meanwhile, it’s estimated that by 2021, “native ads will be responsible for 74 percent of all ad revenue,” Forbes contributor Jayson DeMers notes.
That said, some folks are expecting a slowdown. WSJ says there will be a dropoff “because of flagging growth of native advertising spending on social media platforms.”
Either way, it’s likely going to get even more challenging for a native ad to stand out. But there’s one thing you can do to give yourself a serious edge over the competition.
Spoiler Alert: It’s nothing new.
Content is key
Good content, that is.
Again, what kind of native advertising would you actually click on? Therein lies the key to good content. These three quick tips might offer a little more clarity:
1. Never underestimate the audience
Remember that you’re not fooling anyone. Since sponsored content should always be marked as such, there’s virtually no point in slyly making your headline look like a “genuine” link. Even the most casual internet users are savvy these days, and they can sniff you out in seconds.
2. Write stuff people actually want to read.
Are your native ads on a news website that’s read primarily by older people? Great. How about 5 tips to saving for retirement, especially for those who haven’t been able to save much money throughout their lives? The point is, your content should be genuinely useful and interesting to your reader.
3. Write it well
You know who skimps on copywriters? Professional spammers who live in the former Soviet Union. Make sure your content is well written; it establishes credibility and even respect. People can tell when something was just thrown together, which is probably why Nigerian princes rarely fool anyone with their spam emails.
In other words, good writing matters. One way of assuring you have it is working with a professional writer; another is simply making sure your work gets proofread for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and flow.
So where do you find such writers? And how do you begin native advertising in the first place? Fluency Digital would love to start exploring these questions with you, so reach out to us today for a FREE consultation.
