Native Advertising Insights
Research, Infographics and Resources
Native Advertising
The Official Definition
na·tive ad·ver·tis·ing
n. Native advertising is a form of paid media where the ad experience follows the natural form and function of the user experience in which it is placed.
Form
Native ads match the visual design of the experience they live within, and look and feel like natural content.
Function
Native ads must behave consistently with the native user experience, and function just like natural content.
Leading Media Companies Monetize Their Content Feeds with Native Ads
The largest social platforms in the world monetize with native, in-feed ads, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr. The publishing industry is quickly following suit, as companies such as Time Inc, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today, continue to introduce new advertising integrations on desktop and mobile that match both the form & function of their editorial feeds.
Types of Native Ad Integrations
The IAB Native Advertising Task Force (co-chaired by Sharethrough CEO Dan Greenberg) established six core native ad formats.
The Role of Sponsored Content
Sometimes referred to as advertorials or even native ads, leading publishers have launched sponsored content studios to create content on behalf of brands. Publishers include venerable media brands such as Time Inc, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and The Guardian, as well as new media companies like Buzzfeed, Thought Catalog, Slate and many others. To keep up with the best performing sponsored content, check out the Sponsored Content Leaderboard.
Why Go Native?
People See Them
25% more consumers were measured to look at in-feed, native ad placements more than standard banners.
Viewed as Editorial
Consumers looked at native ads 2% more than editorial content and spent the same number of seconds viewing.
Mobile Branding
97% of mobile media buyers report that native ads were very or somewhat effective at achieving branding goals.
Purchase Drivers
Native ads registered 18% higher lift in purchase intent than banner ads.
Research & Reports
Sharethrough's proprietary research examines monetization and content marketing effectiveness and the digital advertising trends of the future.
Infographics
A good infographic is worth a thousand words. Check out these data visualizations using data from our platform and our research.
Native Ad Examples
Native Ad Generator
The Native Ad Generator is an interactive tool that transforms any content url into a native ad. Visit site »
Additional Resources
Sponsored Content Leaderboard
Browse the top sponsored editorial content ranked by sharing across social channels. Visit site »
Native Advertising Summit
The marquee conference for leading publishers, platforms, and brands to discuss the future of native advertising and content marketing. Visit site »
Meaningful Content Fund
Learn how our philanthropic venture is helping storytelling evolve by putting paid distribution dollars behind the web’s best stories. Visit site »
About Sharethrough
Sharethrough is a software company that powers in-feed “native” ad placements for brands and publishers. The Sharethrough Advertising Exchange (STX) is the world’s largest in-feed advertising exchange and enables Fortune 1000 brands to drive engagement towards their brand content on premium websites. Top media companies partner with Sharethrough to create, manage, and monetize in-feed ads across all connected devices. Founded in 2008, Sharethrough is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, London, Chicago and Los Angeles.