Why Content is Important for Native Ads and why you should be Paying more Attention
Most marketers must have heard about the AIDA marketing theory and many marketers find this theory commonly understood as the basis of marketing. But, not as many truly apply it as a strategy in their marketing activities. While the AIDA theory consists of the following steps of a) Awareness; b) Interest; c) Desire, and d) Action, marketers are eagerly engaged in pursuing performance without following the theoretical steps in order. However, it is important for marketers to begin from the first step ‘Awareness’ because it is a crucial foundation for acquiring customers as brand awareness refers to people’s ability to recall and recognize the brand. Native advertising is one of the best ways to apply this theory and here is why you should pay more attention.
Understanding the Native Environment
Native ad is known to be one form of paid media which appears in a similar design as of the organic content on websites so that it can capture the users’ attention without any objection. The placements where native ads thrive is within the page of a media website or in social media feeds. And this is where advertisers need to differentiate the content creative to fit each placement.
Some Thumbnail Images and Title aren’t suitable for all Ad Contents
Advertising banners are not one size fits all creative, often we need to customize according to the placement and environment of the ad.
Banner Ad
The image below is a very common banner used for an ad creative. It is suitable for ad placements which drives conversion. However, in terms of the initial step of awareness, this ad creative isn’t suitable. Awareness placement including native ads should be more subtle and informative.
Although the above banner ad can be considered as informative it informs readers only about deals, discounts instead of giving out reason and value as information so readers can understand why they should pay attention to these deals.
Native Ad
On the other hand, the ad creative below gives out a subtle but direct information which is about watches. Although this creative doesn’t directly mention its brand, it is very suitable for native ads because it mingles well with the surrounding content of the website. Native ad is effective for bringing higher awareness because it contains the combinations between subtle yet direct thumbnails which are elaborated by its title.
This way, brands can redirect their readers’ attention to understand more about the product information and identify if the product suits their current needs, instead of directly being bombarded by deals and discounts that disrupt the reader’s browsing experience.
Dable, the global customer discovery platform, supports the creation and management of ad contents. Dable’s support page includes useful information for advertisers on creating the best type of ad content from choosing the right image and title, setting the thumbnail ratio, to creating landing pages that generate higher conversion and leads. Any advertiser can easily create their own content through the Dable Ad platform.
👉 Visit the ‘Create and Manage Content’ menu on the Advertiser Support Page
Dable helps to create the perfect native ad creative by combining thumbnail images and titles
As you can see, the advertisement on the LEFT is the recommended title as it makes better sense to get brighter skin in a day, instead of making a tricky promise like the one on the RIGHT that says to get a white face skin “in only a few seconds”.
Native Ad Creative Examples suggested by Dable
Listed below are several examples on how to choose the right thumbnail image for native ads.
Considering the environment on which native ads are placed within media’s website, it is very crucial for advertisers to customize their ads accordingly.
Left: Clean images with a single center of focus helps the ad to stand out. The image clearly shows the intention behind without causing any awkwardness or discomfort.
Right: Image is ambiguous and has a little bit of abstract to it which makes readers question the intention behind the thumbnail.
Left: Image’s intention is pretty clear without any disgust and discomfort.
Right: Image is uncomfortable to look at and it doesn’t say anything whether it’s a disease or solution, it just shows baldness.
Left: Although both images are acceptable, the left image gives out more information on shoes. By presenting a person wearing or trying out the shoe it gives readers a sense of comparison.
Right: Just a plain image (only the shoes) without any context. Unlike the left image, the right image doesn’t show the usage of the product, so people aren’t able to relate to the brand’s story or product.
Key Takeaways
- Create good quality thumbnail images
- Make a title that easy to understand
Practical Tips on making a successful Native Ad Creative
- Your thumbnail must carry good context and give more information subconsciously to readers.
- Thumbnails should be intentional, informative and interesting that makes readers want to know more about the product.
- Make your thumbnails clean and aesthetic without disturbing or confusing the user’s online journey
- Title is the second best element to supplement the thumbnail, so the synergy between thumbnail and title is important to produce high quality clicks(CTR).
- Make your ad title easy and obvious when combined with the thumbnail to elicit readers to purchase, find more information and benefits, or sign-up.
- Cycle the creatives displayed in the recommendation widget every now and then to prevent ad fatigue from looking at the same ads over again.
Dable offers a variety of services to support advertisers on creating the best performing ads. To better achieve this, Dable suggests conducting A/B tests that find the best combination of title and thumbnail that is most suitable for the reader, helping advertisers show content in the most efficient placement. Dable also provides local support through local market experts who are present in 11 markets to help and guide advertisers bring out the best results.
To start your advertising journey with us today, sign up your account here.
For questions related to native ads, email us at ad@dable.io.
