Strategy

Building Customer Trust Through Native Advertising

Plenty of savvy consumers today have pop up or ad blockers installed on their web browsers. That doesn't mean that they hate ads. On the contrary, it's because these kinds of ads interrupt their online experience. Native advertising, on the other hand, is seamlessly integrated into a website's content. Consumers of today prefer native advertising because it attracts their attention but doesn't intrude their workflow.

About Native Ads

Native advertising is the use of sponsored ad formats that fit and match the look, feel and functionality of the web page that they appear on. Native ads are customisable and fit the aesthetic of your editorial, not to mention that the content is relevant to what visitors are reading about. For instance, promoting a TV show on the same topic as an article about the film industry is a great example of native advertising. That’s why these ads generally have higher click rates than any other kind of ad. Showing that you value their experience and cater to their needs is a great way to build trust with customers.

When you prioritise your customers’ online experience, you cultivate a relationship with them. Brands that spend time building relationships with customers know that it’s key to earning their trust. Once you earn customers’ trust, your brand will experience more customer loyalty. In this article, we’ll address a series of essential issues like how to build trust with customers, whilst increasing revenue at the same time.

Have Stellar Content

Ads should be relevant to the editorial content that they accompany. Readers clicked on your page because they were interested in the topic. Give them more of what they want with customised ads that speak to their interests. You may not even have to mention a product or service in these ads.

More importantly, while the internet is oversaturated with rich content, having well-written text remains absolutely imperative. While the freelance market doesn’t provide today’s businesses with sufficient good writers, companies like Trust My Paper have addressed this issue by collaborating with top niche writers. So if you’re considering to improve your ad texts and overall content strategy, companies like these are your best bet, in case you’re not looking to hire an actual content writer.

Your primary goal should be to keep the promises you make to your customers. Create content that has unique insight and shows awareness. Something as simple as addressing pain points in your native ads will go over well with prospects. Strive to choose appropriate brand partners, as well. Consumers will feel better about trusting publishers that make responsible choices about which ads they decide to run.

And it might seem obvious, but native advertising only works if you have great content to go with it. Aesthetically speaking, ads should look good and meet a certain standard. Videos and gifs are a brilliant way to catch the attention of prospects. Three formats for including video are:

• Native Autoplay Preview (short preview that gives an idea of the topic)
• Native In-Feed Video (user must click to watch the ad)
• Outstream Auto Play Video (automatically starts in a large format player, usually embedded in the content)

Focus on Trust

Building relationships with customers is the key to earning their trust. Consumers have become wary about which brands they choose to work with. While you want to promote your product and increase your sales, building trust with your customers is worth more. Avoid focusing too much on sales talk as that can be overwhelming to readers. You don’t want your customers to feel like they are just another number to you. Treat them as important individuals that are essential to your brand’s success, because that’s what they are.

Honesty and transparency will take you far in native advertising. You want to earn your reader’s trust, not lose it. Avoid any level of deceit, no matter how small you may think it is. Misleading ads that are not directly related to your product may get more clicks but will diminish your credibility. Although, remember that your product doesn’t always have to be the main focus.

The best way to build trust is by showing your customers that you are listening to them. Be sure that your content provides some kind of insight. Actively ask yourself if your ads are telling a story that people want to hear. You will know that consumers value your content if they are giving you their time. A matter of minutes is all it takes to communicate with your target audience effectively.

Make an Emotional Connection

Once you’ve managed to gain your audience’s trust, appeal to their human side. When consumers see brands as being relevant to their lives, they will feel connected to them. A brand that is reliable and helps make their lives easier will become beloved.  Incorporate long-term thinking in your native advertising. Show your customers that you will be there for them.

A great way to approach native advertising is thinking of it as a conversation. It’s not just about what you have to say to consumers, it’s about what they have to tell you. If you can get an emotional reaction from readers, they will be more likely to pay attention to your product. Use these emotions to cultivate a deep connection with consumers. Engage with what matters most to your target audience.

Having an emotional connection to your customers doesn’t just help you create relevant content, it boosts brand loyalty. When consumers feel connected to a brand, they will consistently choose that brand over others. For a brand, this means two things, a captive audience and increase sales. While these are great for a brand’s success, don’t take it for granted. Focus on maintaining that emotional connection to ensure the longevity of your relationship.

Include Labels

Ads are everywhere, and readers are used to them. Don’t be hesitant about labeling your ads. Make it crystal clear that this is “Promoted Content” or “Brought to you by” a specific brand. As mentioned before, when your ads are relevant to the reader they won’t mind seeing them. However, being straightforward about the fact that it’s an ad and not editorial content is a must and recommended in order to maintain trust.

However, most readers will be able to tell the difference between ads and content. Regardless, if an ad is perfectly tailored to the editorial content, it may hard to distinguish between the two. Some publishers use colorful bars to demarcate their ads clearly. A label at the top right corner is an ideal placement for excellent visibility.  Whether you choose to label your ads or not, ensure that the font is large enough for everyone to read.

By including labels, you will avoid confusing or frustrating your audience. Full disclosure about your ads allows readers to know what they are getting themselves into by clicking on something. Consumers who feel tricked by ads will likely click away and hold negative sentiments towards your brand.

Conclusion

Utilising native advertising is a great way to connect with customers and build relationships. Nevertheless, it’s vital that these ads be presented in a certain way. The content in your ads should always deliver on promises that your brand makes to its consumers. It should also be relevant to the content that readers are consuming. Doing this will help consumers trust your brand.

When consumers trust your brand, they will expect you to be helpful and honest. So, don’t worry about your product always being front and centre. Instead, provide good insights that will deepen your customers’ trust. This allows for an emotional connection to develop. If consumers feel emotionally connected to your brand, they will be loyal and return to buy from you again and again.

Finally, don’t destroy all your hard work. Attracting, connecting with and getting customers to trust you all depends on honesty. From the beginning, make it clear that your ads are ads. Incorporating all of these elements into your advertising will certainly help you build customer trust. Be consistent to earn and keep customers’ trust for long-term relationships successfully.