Are you using Native ads exclusively as a distribution tool for your content marketing efforts? Do you consider the format to be a «top-of-the-funnel» strategy only?
Maybe you should reconsider and look at how Native ads can fit your conversion driven marketing.
From selling to telling
The «AIDA» approach to marketing (Attention / Interest / Desire / Action) is generally represented as a mixed channel campaign with different KPIs for different advertising formats in a "funnel". Get as much attention as possible at "the top" with one format and then drive customers to a conversion goal at "the bottom". Marketeers try to understand which channel is the most effective and where to allocate most budget to optimize spending against those KPI's.
However, the connection need for a balanced brand building («long») marketing approach, and result driven («short») campaign focus more often than not mean that the former is sacrificed for the latter. Measuring the longterm impact of storytelling and brand building is often harder than looking at the analytical data of conversion driven marketing.
In the long run, this creates a situation, where companies are justifiably equated to "sales companies" with little or no emotional connection or brand loyalty.
Who wins the league, every time?
Let's use a sports metaphor: When the manager is building his team, who is the most important player on the pitch? Is it the striker or is it the guy behind him who passes the ball?
This sports metaphor has been tested mathematically multiple times. If your striker (lets call him Messi) scores 6 goals for every 10 shots he takes on the goal, thats great. If you replace Messi with a slightly worse player (lets call him Pogba) who «only» scores on 4 of 10 shots, the conclusion is you have a weaker team.
BUT: if you don’t hire a great midfielder to pass the ball, Messi won’t get to take the shots necessary. If you upgrade your midfielder to a SUPER player (lets call him Eden Hazard) the number of balls passed increases and so therefore Pogba is a sufficiently good player for you to win the Champions League. It makes sense to have a great striker on the team, but it turns out that might not be the most effective way to spend your budget.
Let’s transfer that to marketing. If your advertising is centered around great offers, a beautiful e-commerce site and free shipping and service, super! But if your customers are unclear about how your product will make their life better, then what is the motivation to add something to the cart or even visit your site in the first place?
The manager plans for the whole season, not just the game today!
Digital Native advertising and Content Marketing are the peanut butter and jam combination of marketing. It enables you to tailor your messaging around your value proposition with an honest and guiding headline that’s free from intrusive and disruptive gimmicks. From «BUY NOW!» or «SHIPS TOMORROW!» to «Do you have a problem? This is how we can help you save money / time / hassle by using our product / service».
The Content you create can serve to guide, inform and teach your customers how to use your product and benefit from your service – and the conversion can happen directly in the content as a simple process to sign up, buy or download your product.
Strossle works with hundreds of advertisers across a wide spectrum of brands and products. Our customers routinely work with us using context to find new audiences. Contextual targeting enables you to engage readers based on their interests in real time and find the Native Ads that drive traffic to your site. Strossle provides the reach and analytics to help your content deliver the ideal customer journey.
We have multiple cases for several industries for you to look at. Why not start with THIS one from e-tailer elnino.cz or talk to a Customer Success manager at Strossle today about how we work with conversions through Native Ads, and learn how to get started with non-intrusive, brand and privacy safe marketing today.
