- Increased consumer engagement and sharing by offering a relevant and useful content in an aesthetically pleasing format.
- Generates new interest in your business—a great tool for lead generation.
- Offers mobile friendly formats.
- Low cost options provide opportunities to test different types of formats.
- Offers small businesses a smart way to subtly attach their messages to content that is more likely to be shared.
- It’s a new game, so it’s an opportunity to get ahead of your competitors.
- It can be pricey, but there are cost-effective native advertising and sponsored content products that are inexpensive and effective.
- Make sure that the publications that are offering to display your native ads or sponsored content fits your brand or business.
- Don’t try to be sneaky—make sure that publications that display your native ads adhere to the proper native ad labeling standards and requirements.
- Start small. Set aside a small amount of your overall marketing budget for native advertising and sponsored content campaigns. Try the bigger social media native advertising options—Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. At the same time, try some of the sponsored content products—Snap Skout, OutBrain and Zementa—all of which offer small businesses an opportunity to reach a targeted online audience.
- Develop the right campaign, for the right audience. Make sure the native advertising campaign supports the overall business goals. Make sure you track your results, test different messages and analyze where you get maximum reach and conversion.
- Have fun and experiment. Native advertising provides small businesses to jump in and get creative. If one native ad campaign doesn’t work, change it and try again. Mix it up and don’t forget to have some fun along the way.