Native ads or Display ads : which technology for HR marketing?

While display advertising has been around for more than 20 years, native ads was only invented in 2011. In recent years, native ads are on the way to dethrone display as the leader in online advertising. Why and what are the advantages for HR marketing?

What are Display ads?

Display ads are visual advertisements in the form of graphics of various formats and sizes. These ads are effective in promoting specific products.

Display ads often show physical or virtual products and the brand's logo.

The first display ads were banner ads, image and hyperlink-based ads in the form of a horizontal strip, usually located at the top of a web page. Later, as web design became more complex and creative, display ads evolved into a range of shapes and sizes, and included videos, interactive elements, pop-up features, etc. Today, the term "banners" simply refers to a specific size of display ad among the 20 or so IAB formats required in display ads.

Display ads generally have a low click-through rate - only 0.05% across all formats and platforms.

Display ads have an effect on brand awareness and purchase intent, which is why marketers use them as an important part of their online strategy, especially in e-commerce retargeting campaigns.

What are Native ads ?

Native ads are ads that look and feel like the natural content of the medium on which they are served. Because these ads blend seamlessly into the website content, they appear to be organic content and are therefore less intrusive and less aggressive than the display format. This format captures the interest of the target audience giving the brand the opportunity to tell its story.

Although native advertising is a relatively new advertising technology, it has become an established part of the online advertising industry. Native ads are highly engaging and perfectly suited for mobile, with click-through rates as high as 0.50% for premium native ads viewed on a smartphone. On a desktop, the average click-through rate is 0.25%, half that of mobile, but much higher than display ads.

Native advertising is therefore an effective way to drive traffic to a website.

The different types of Native ads

Native ads are generally classified into three different groups:

In-feed ads

These ads are embedded in content elements, social feeds or platforms. They blend into the publisher's content and create a non-disruptive user experience.

Although the ad has the appearance of a "regular article", it is separated from the organic content by an ad label. When a user clicks on the ad, they are directed to the sponsored brand's landing page.

In-feed ads are one of the primary ways to deliver ads on a large scale on the web today, and their non-disruptive nature results in click-through rates up to 10 times higher than banner ads.

Content recommendation ads

Recommendation ads are displayed alongside editorial content or other ads in a recommended format. These ads are typically found at the end of an article and feature different ads or suggested content.

Similar to an in-feed ad, once users click on the recommendation ad, they are directed to the sponsored brand's landing page.

Search ads

Another type of native ad is what is called a search ad and is one of the oldest forms of native advertising.

Search ads are paid text ads that are often seen in search engines such as Google or Bing, or on metasearch engines such as Indeed. These promotional ads are based on keywords that a user has searched for and are displayed on top of natural or organic results.

They are considered a form of native advertising because they match the form and function of the page.

Search is ideal for geo-targeting and finding users at the very moment they are looking for a product or service.

Social ads

Social network marketing in the news feed is the most famous form of native advertising. Sponsored posts target a given audience directly in the news feed or are suggested through the news topics.