Motivate Your Market

Stats from native content platforms and publishers sound great, and it’s no surprise that they want to give you the best spin possible. In 2012, BIA/Kelsey predicted that revenue from native advertising could reach $9.6 billion by 2016. Data does suggest that the click-through rate on native ads is generally considerably higher than the rates for banner ads.

Then again…so what?

In part, I ask that question because the click-through rates for banner ads are abysmal. “Better than banner ads” isn’t a stellar recommendation. On the other hand, most advertisers were resorting to banner ads before the native content boom, simply because options were limited.

The other reason I ask is far more significant: click-throughs in the world of native content can be pretty meaningless.
The Downside to Great Native Content

When you’ve come up with some great piece of sponsored content—content that looks and feels just like the other content on the publisher’s site and holds the reader’s attention even if he’s not interested in your brand—you’re likely to attract some attention. But, is that attention helping to build your brand or sell your products?

The answer is “it depends on how well you’ve integrated your brand, your product and your call to action.”

The problem isn’t that native content doesn’t convert well. In fact, as Jeff Wayne at AdsNative has concluded, native advertising “can be used to accomplish just about any goal that exists.” The problem is that when the imperative to create high quality, editorial style content intersects with the environment in which publishers and marketers alike are conditioned to think in terms of clicks, it’s easy to lose sight of the ball.
Making Sure Your Sponsored Content Pays Off

No brand wants to invest in great content and generate thousands, or tens of thousands, of clicks and shares only to find itself without any real benefit. To ensure that you make the most of your investment:

    Clearly determine your goals before creating and placing your content. That means deciding whether you’re promoting your brand generally, promoting a product or trying to draw readers to your website, blog or some other opportunity for further engagement.
    Make your content relevant. You already know that the most effective native advertising is relevant to the readers of the site and fits well with the editorial content. However, if you want to convert, that’s only the beginning. It’s also important to make your content relevant to the market for your product or service.
    Invite the reader to act. Of course what this invitation looks like depends on your goal.
    If you’re building brand awareness/image, then a simple tie-in with your product, your company’s past contributions or current efforts may suffice (IBM has some very powerful brand-building campaigns).
    If you’re attempting to encourage further engagement, consider hosting similar content or even a continuation of the story on your own site, blog, YouTube channel or wherever you’d like to direct readers (Captain Morgan is doing a great job with this).
    Finally, if you’re selling a product, sell the product. In some cases this is best done subtly, while in others you may simply include a clear call to action for your product at an appropriate place within the content.

If this seems like a lot to think about, don’t worry! ContentWriters has experienced native content creators who can help you find the right balance to achieve your goals. Sign up today!