7 Native Advertising Companies You Need to Know About

Key Takeaways

Native advertising is a powerful tool for content promotion, with platforms like Outbrain, Taboola, Sharethrough, AdsNative, TripleLift, Nativo and Instinctive offering unique opportunities for brands to reach audiences and increase brand recognition.
Each platform has distinct features and focuses; for example, Outbrain specializes in recommendation widgets, Taboola excels in visual content distribution, Sharethrough is the largest in-feed ad exchange, AdsNative offers programmatic advertising, TripleLift focuses on image-delivery technology, Nativo provides a non-disruptive user experience and Instinctive promotes real-time syndication of blog articles and videos.
Choosing the right native advertising platform depends on a brand’s goals, objectives, and budget. It’s important to understand the platform’s ad formats, pricing model, targeting capabilities, analytics tools, and customer support before making a decision.

If you’re having trouble getting your content noticed through all the noise that exists online today, I can’t recommend native advertising enough.

I’ve used it on both the Louder Online blog and on campaigns for my clients, and there’s simply no faster option for generating fast traffic than this new paid promotional model.

But what is native advertising? And how do you get started?

Sharethrough defines native advertising as:

As advertisers, this provides a unique opportunity for us to reach users where they consume content. When done correctly, it doesn’t disrupt their experience. Instead, it enhances it.

That said, if you want to get involved with native advertising, you need to first understand the different ways native ads are published before we can discuss the different platforms available.

The IAB Playbook does a great job of breaking down the different ad units you’ll see, including:

In-feed
Paid search
Recommendation widgets
Promoted listings
In-ad (with native elements)
Custom/”can’t be contained”

External tools and platforms often focus on the three main categories: in-feed, in-ad and recommendation widgets.

The following platforms all help advertisers land spots on top media outlets, increase their brand recognition, and promote high-quality, relevant content to users.

Outbrain

Outbrain built its brand by providing brands access to top publications through recommendation widgets. It allows users to promote articles, videos, infographics, slideshows and other earned media that provides entertainment or informational value.

An astounding 80 percent of the world’s leading brands use Outbrain. They operate across the world to provide real-time recommendations to audiences on top publishing websites like CNN, Slate and ESPN.

Outbrain uses a cost-per-click (CPC) pricing model, which means that you only pay when someone clicks on your promoted story. Advanced testing and conversion tools within the platform help you determine how to optimize your campaigns in order to reach your goals.

Taboola

This company started as a video recommendation service, though they’ve since pivoted to become a leading content discovery platform. In some instances, their commitment to analyzing visual content may give them the upper-hand when it comes to competing with other platforms that struggle to distribute visuals.

Today, Taboola’s predictive engine serves up content on major publishing sites like:

Business Insider
Yahoo!
Mail Online
NBC

You can get real-time insights on your campaigns using the company’s analytics dashboard, which can help your team analyze its performance and adjust its strategies based on results.

Taboola uses a similar pricing model as Outbrain (CPC), with an additional option to pay a bit more per click for access to the platform’s top publishers.

Sharethrough

Sharethrough boasts itself as the world’s largest in-feed ad exchange. With publishers like Forbes, Real Simple and People, your content can reach up to 247 million viewers through sophisticated audience targeting.

The platform also features several proprietary pieces of technology, including content quality tracking tools, content cards and a creative optimization system.

Each of these features work together to provide an enhanced experience for your native advertising goals. The company seems incredibly committed to equipping users with the tools needed to drive success, so definitely check this platform out if you’re thinking about getting into native advertising.

AdsNative

AdsNative strives to make the Internet a better place through programmatic native advertising and a wide network that includes more than 1,000 publishers across a variety of industries. With both display and video ad formats, you’ll have the opportunity to put your best content in front of thousands of people.

AdsNative uses in-feed and in-ad placement strategy, giving you a variety of different advertising options, such as:

In-feed
In-article
End-of-post
In-app
Custom placement

Companies can also take advantage of the platform’s white-label feature, which gives you access to the system’s technology and infrastructure within your own network and apps. Develop customized dashboards, deliver reports and monitor campaigns – all with AdsNative.

TripleLift

TripleLift differentiates themselves by focusing on their image-delivery technology; specifically, their Computer Vision tool, which reads images to format them perfectly on all devices, every time.

Focusing specifically on their USP, the company uses the OpenRTB platform to access the industry’s largest ad exchange. It works pretty simply:

Place your bid for the ad space
If you win, the platform identifies your image and caption assets
Rendering technology formats your content to deliver a native, high-quality image.

If your brand spends time on visual-focused content, you’ll definitely want to check out what TripleLift offers. It could be just the native advertising platform you need to get your content in front of the right audience.

Nativo

Nativo claims that their programmatic platform improves native ad performance by 300%. Because the platform serves content within a publisher’s editorial stream, each ad is guaranteed to match the look and feel of the specific publication.

This native advertising approach offers the following benefits to everyone involved:

Non-disruptive experience for consumers
Publishers receive premium monetization
Higher engagement rates for advertisers

The platform automatically delivers your content through this process. In addition, you can use their native-specific analytics system to understand performance, analyze revenue and see your A/B testing results.

Instinctive

Instinctive wants to help your brand align form, function and fit to promote earned media that gets results through their innovative platform, which syndicates your blog articles and videos in real time to their network of publishers.

The company’s patented Fully-Native technology brings you several benefits:

In-depth attention metrics
100 percent viewable guaranteed
Programmatic integration
Enterprise-grade console

Each of these platforms can help you take your content marketing campaigns from entry level efforts to native advertising powerhouses. That said, maintaining a presence on each platform gets expensive, so it’s wise to choose the one that works best with your brand’s goals, objectives and budget.

So now, I want to hear from you! Which native advertising platform will you choose? Have you already seen success using one of these? Share your experiences below in the comments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Native Advertising Companies

What are the key features to look for in a native advertising company?

When choosing a native advertising company, there are several key features to consider. Firstly, the platform should offer a wide range of ad formats to suit your specific needs. This could include in-feed ads, promoted listings, content recommendations, and more. Secondly, the platform should have robust targeting capabilities, allowing you to reach your desired audience based on factors like location, demographics, and interests. Thirdly, the platform should provide detailed analytics and reporting tools to help you track your campaign performance and optimize your strategy. Lastly, the platform should offer excellent customer support to assist you with any issues or queries.

How can native advertising benefit my business?

Native advertising can offer numerous benefits for your business. It can help increase brand awareness, drive more traffic to your website, and boost conversions. Native ads are designed to blend in with the surrounding content, making them less intrusive and more engaging for users. This can lead to higher click-through rates and better overall performance compared to traditional display ads. Additionally, native advertising can help you reach a wider audience, particularly on mobile devices where native ads often outperform other ad formats.

What is the difference between programmatic and native advertising?

Programmatic advertising refers to the automated buying and selling of online ad space, using sophisticated algorithms to match advertisers with publishers. On the other hand, native advertising is a type of online advertising where the ad matches the form and function of the platform upon which it appears. While programmatic advertising can include native ads, it also encompasses other ad formats like display ads and video ads.

How much does it cost to use a native advertising platform?

The cost of using a native advertising platform can vary widely depending on several factors. These can include the platform’s pricing model (e.g., cost per click, cost per impression, cost per action), the size and scope of your campaign, the competitiveness of your target audience, and the specific features and services you require. Some platforms may also charge a setup fee or a minimum monthly spend. It’s important to carefully review the pricing details and terms of service before choosing a platform.

Can I use native advertising for B2B marketing?

Yes, native advertising can be an effective tool for B2B marketing. By creating high-quality, relevant content that provides value to your target audience, you can build trust and credibility with potential business customers. Native ads can also help you reach a wider audience, drive more traffic to your website, and generate more leads and conversions.

How can I measure the success of my native advertising campaign?

There are several key metrics you can use to measure the success of your native advertising campaign. These can include impressions (the number of times your ad was viewed), clicks (the number of times your ad was clicked), click-through rate (the percentage of views that resulted in a click), conversions (the number of desired actions completed after clicking on your ad), and return on ad spend (the amount of revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising). Most native advertising platforms provide detailed analytics and reporting tools to help you track these metrics.

What are some common mistakes to avoid in native advertising?

Some common mistakes to avoid in native advertising include not aligning your ad content with the platform’s style and tone, not targeting your ads effectively, not tracking your campaign performance, and not optimizing your strategy based on your results. It’s also important to ensure that your ads are transparent and clearly labeled as sponsored content, to avoid misleading users and violating advertising regulations.

Can I use native advertising on social media?

Yes, many social media platforms offer native advertising options. These can include sponsored posts, promoted tweets, and Instagram ads. Native ads on social media can be a highly effective way to reach your target audience, as they blend in seamlessly with the user’s feed and can leverage the platform’s rich targeting capabilities.

How can I create engaging content for my native ads?

Creating engaging content for your native ads involves understanding your audience’s needs and interests, and providing value through your content. This could involve sharing useful tips, providing insightful industry analysis, telling compelling stories, or offering exclusive deals or promotions. It’s also important to use high-quality visuals, compelling headlines, and clear, concise copy to grab the user’s attention and encourage them to click on your ad.

What are some top native advertising companies to consider?

There are many top native advertising companies to consider, each with their own strengths and specialties. Some popular options include Taboola, Outbrain, Sharethrough, Revcontent, and TripleLift. It’s important to research each platform carefully, considering factors like their ad formats, targeting capabilities, analytics tools, customer support, and pricing, to find the best fit for your specific needs and goals.