• by Jessica Reuben , May 13, 2015

Native advertising has become a ubiquitous buzz term in the digital media landscape for quite some time. As with most hot topics, there has been significant backlash on both the advertiser and publisher side of the spectrum.  In a recent Forbes article, native advertising was described as “a Faustian bargain“ and “an ongoing heartbreak.”  

Despite all the criticism, the native advertising industry is growing exponentially, with an expected 7.9 billion dollars in spending this year (according to a Business Insider study).

Native advertising is often an extension of what publishers are already producing, so they welcome it for many reasons. Among them:

1. Increased audience engagement. Users are twice as likely to click on a native advertising post than a standard banner ad. This not only lowers bounce rates, but also increases time spent on site along with page views — as long as the native piece is housed on the publisher’s site.

2.  Creative showcasing. Publishers pride themselves on being creative agencies of sorts. Native advertising opportunities are great ways for publishers to flex their creative muscles in both ideas and execution.

3. Higher rates of repeat business. Because native advertising touts higher engagement metrics, advertisers see higher correlations between dollars spent and conversions. Whether the campaign is a brand awareness or a conversion play, the increased engagement leads to happier clients, who feel their ROI is much higher than for standard ad campaigns. Publishers are happy, because their clients are happy, but also because the percent of return business is typically higher.

4. More first-to-market opportunities. When advertisers are willing to think outside of the box — typically the case for native ad campaigns — they allow publishers to offer first-to-market opportunities. This is a great way for both the advertiser and the publisher to get recognized in the industry for being leaders and innovators.

5. Better brand alliance. Native advertising is a great way for publishers to integrate advertisers into their brands in a way that's both inclusive and connected. Custom solutions allow publishers to tailor the creative messaging and execution so it makes sense for their audience, and gives them the control to traffic and distribute the message to relevant demographic sectors within their audience network.