Paid Display and Native Advertising

With the right strategy and implementation, paid display and native advertising campaigns can be effective at driving brand awareness and engagement. But many marketers still mistake the role of digital ads in their larger campaign efforts. Indeed, unlike offline billboard advertising predecessors, digital ads can be tracked for not only impressions but click-through, the latter often used as a primary way to gauge effectiveness.

But there’s a problem with that. Display ads currently perform at a .35% click-through rate, the equivalent of 1 click for every 286 impressions. Native ads are slightly better (about .80%) because they look like content. Neither is a great percentage by any means. And it often leads to marketers screaming at their ad sales partner. The point is, defining success only by such CTR measures misses the point about what display and native ads do best, which is brand awareness and engagement.

In the end, developing a strategy and setting realistic expectations for how display and native ads work are critical to success in this marketing area. At Marketing Nice Guys, we train marketers on the nuances of display and native advertising, including the following key areas:

• Ad targeting and strategy by organization, industry, relevant sites
• Ad creation and visuals
• Content development and landing page optimization
• Mobile-specific strategies
• Programmatic and device-based targeting
• A/B testing and ad optimization

Our PATIO Framework for Paid Display and Native Advertising

Want to get more a more customized or intensive focus on paid display and native advertising? We have developed our proprietary PATIO framework that outlines all the core elements from planning and strategy to optimization:

• Planning & Strategy: We help you develop a strategy for paid display and native ads, which includes a discussion of overall goals, budgets, and identifying audience targeting and distribution strategies.      
• Approach: Based on goals set, we help you set the approach to paid display and native, focusing on tone, developing the right content, and identifying site-specific opportunities based on data.      
• Tools & Tactics: We’ll cover best practices on the Google ad platforms, programmatic platforms, and native platforms, as well as alternative bidding tactics.        
• Implementation: We’ll provide the core how-tos here: creating and setting up ads (with a focus on identifying visuals and writing copy), managing budgets, and more.      
• Optimization: We’ll discuss A/B testing of ads, KPIs, conversion tracking, and other key metrics.

At Marketing Nice Guys, we walk through the essence of paid display and native advertising best practices in our two-day training. Participants will walk away understanding both the strategy and tactics for successful campaigns, as well as tips to optimize ads for maximum impact. Contact us to learn more.