Speaker 1: Forget those pesky pop-ups and flashing banner ads because this is 2024, and it's all about native advertising. So stick around and find out why on this Monday Marketing Moment. Hi everyone, happy Marketing Monday. This week, we're talking all about native advertising, but first let's start with a little scenario. So you're scrolling through Instagram or Facebook or TikTok, and you catch a story from your favorite influencer. And they're talking all about this new cool skincare routine, or they're talking all about this new app. Whatever it may be, it looks natural, and it's just like all their other content. That, my friends, is the magic of native advertising. Instead of shouting their message from the rooftops, brands are now whispering it in your ear, disguised as content you already enjoy. Think of it like making a new friend. You wouldn't just barge into the conversation and start promoting your business. Well, at least I hope you wouldn't. You'd blend it in and get to know them. And then maybe, just maybe, you'll mention your awesome product or another way that you could help them out with a service in a natural way. It's the secret sauce behind native advertising. It's subtle, it's engaging, and it's surprisingly effective. No wonder a third of marketers are planning on pumping an investment into this format. Why? Because it's effective. Here's the thing. We're all getting pretty good at ignoring traditional ads. We've trained ourselves to become banner blind, but with native ads, they don't feel like ads. They're disguised as news articles, social media posts, even search results. Content is where we're already actively consuming it. That's why it gets 50% more engagement than those boring old banner ads. Plus, native ads are like little flexible chameleons. They adapt to the different platforms. On Instagram, it might be a cool story about purchasing a product in action, or in the search results, it might appear as a relevant product information when you're researching an item. And on content recommendation engines, it might pop up as an interesting suggestion alongside content you already enjoy. The key to pulling off native advertising is honesty. Don't trick anyone. Be upfront about the fact that the content is sponsored. It builds trust with the consumer and shows your respect for their intelligence. A few other ways of creating this successful native advertising this year are first, knowing your audience. You want to begin looking at your audience before crafting an ad. Understand their interests, their online behaviors, and their platform frequency. Tailor your content seamlessly and blend it with the platform style and cater to that audience's specific preferences. Additionally, focus on value, not just selling. Don't just push the product out or the service out. Create informative, engaging content that generally adds value to the users. This could be a helpful listicle. It could be an informative infographic. It could even be a thought-provoking article. Finally, you want to make sure that you are transparent. As I said, clear disclosure that the content is sponsored and it's a native ad. This helps build trust and avoids deceptive practices. And while you're thinking about building that trust, think about the right partners. Partner with the right creators. Collaborate with content creators who resonate with your brand and whose style will reach your target audience. This ensures the content feels authentic and resonates with viewers. And as always, with every marketing effort, you want to track and analyze. Regularly monitor your native ads and your ad campaign performance. Analyze the metrics like engagement, reach, click-through rates, and see what resonates with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly. If you focus on these areas, you can build a successful native ad strategy. Just always remember it's about connecting with your audience in a meaningful way, not just shouting at them. Be authentic, be transparent, and watch your brand relationships blossom. As always, I hope you have a great week and a marvelous Marketing Monday.