The digital magazines, multiplatform publishers, and media companies making native advertising news
Looking for the latest in native advertising news? PubExec.com has been a bonanza lately for industry activity when it comes to sponsored content, not least because of its recent Native Advertising Summit.
Let’s dig right in today – there’s a lot to share.
How *Not to* Make Native Ads Part of Your Digital Publishing Strategy
Strong piece from PubExec.com drawing from its Native Advertising Summit on the mistakes that digital publishers make when it comes to native ad production.
“All three panelists emphasized the need for publishers to be selective about which companies they sell native advertising to. This is in part due to the heavy lifting often involved with a native advertising campaign. ‘Ultimately it comes down to scalability. It’s very difficult to expect to have native campaigns running with every partner,’ said Kerry Dyer, of U.S. News & World Report,” Ellen Harvey writes.
“Another reason to be selective is that not all advertisers will have a compelling story that fits the editorial mission of a brand. ‘We don’t want our editors to hawk something they don’t believe in,’ explained [Fashionista Creative Director Nina Frazier] Hansen. ‘Being that gatekeeper is important.'”
And what about communicating that message to your sales reps?
“’Educating your sales staff and getting the sales staff to understand how to teach the clients about native advertising is the most crucial step,’ explained Hansen. She said that once a native advertising campaign is sold, it’s critical that salespeople help manage client expectations and keep them in the loop. ‘It’s important for me that we grow smart and that, at all stages of the process, everyone is on the same page,’ said Hansen.”
How *to* Make Native Ads Part of Your Digital Publishing Strategy
On the flip side, there’s a right way to do things when it comes to native advertising. News can be good from a digital advertising revenue perspective, as PubExec.com reports.
“Your readers have come to expect a certain type of content and writing style from your publication. You’ve built a brand that keeps them coming back. So remember that renting out space to anyone with a keyboard and a checkbook is a quick way to lose the trust of your readers and dilute the brand you’ve worked hard to create. Sponsored content is a privilege not a right. Choose your contributors wisely, and liberally edit what they bring to the table to be sure it matches the topics, tone, and style your readership has come to love,” DDG Managing Editor David Gaspar writes.
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“Given their position on the front lines of the business world, there’s no reason why corporate content providers can’t contribute informative, highly readable pieces that audiences will enjoy as much as a publication’s native content. Publishers need to make sure they hold the content to the highest standards if they want to maintain that trust from their readers. So here’s your goal: when readers see a ‘sponsored content’ logo at the top of the page, it doesn’t have to translate to ‘skip this ad.'”
Native Advertising News From the Native Advertising Summit
Nice public service from PubExec.com: audio from its Native Advertising Summit.
“In the interest of exposing the thought provoking ideas that were shared by our panelists to the Publishing Executive community, we’re posting the audio of our panels on selling and managing native advertising and the audio from our keynote session with WIRED head of marketing Maya Draisin. You can tune into these discussions by clicking the embedded audio below.”
AIM SVP on Branded Content Lab Catapult
Active Interest Media Senior Vice President of Digital and Creative Services Jonathan Dorn discusses the company’s new branded content lab, Catapult, with PubExec.com.
“So far what we’re talking about with clients runs the gamut from the very simple, a one-project type of job, to the very complex where we’re providing every service in our wheelhouse. On the simplest end of the spectrum, for example, we’re working with a client that sells horse saddles and tack to build their website and create their initial content strategy,” Dorn told Harvey.
“At the opposite end, we’re working with Bertram Yachts, which is a classic American boat brand. They have the full services suite including custom content, event activation, speech writing for their CEO, ad creative, social content strategy, and digital apps.”
Are your sponsored content efforts performing well enough to make native advertising news? Share your experiences in the comments!
To read more native advertising news and other industry trends, visit PubExec.com.
