As our consumption of media becomes ever more personalised and fragmented, traditional advertising is becoming increasingly less effective.
There is no doubt that a place for TV and print advertising still exists, but for today’s marketing to cut through the noise, it often needs the ongoing momentum that only online engagement can deliver.
Marketing has always made use of celebrities and industry experts for endorsement purposes, but social media has levelled the playing field in terms of who can be an influencer and why. The reach that bloggers and vloggers networks offer can often match that of a celebrity or publication, so access to this influence has therefore become incredibly valuable to brands.
The demand for content-driven marketing, the proliferation of social media influencers and the arrival of programmatic technology has given rise to new paid-for tactics such as native advertising and sponsored content.
Blurred lines
Delivery of paid-for content often goes hand-in-hand with traditional communications such as PR, meaning that it’s sometimes barely distinguishable from the editorial it sits next to.
Placing content at the heart of marketing and advertising strategies has blurred the lines between editorial and advertising, this raises some serious ethical questions around unfairly exploiting and misleading audiences.
Just as consumers are now interacting with more content and experiencing a more personalised combination of messages, they have become more adept at filtering and responding to this content. Many consumers can distinguish between commercial and editorial content, but what of those who don’t find it as easy or are not aware there is a difference?
The audience shouldn’t be responsible for making the distinction each time, particularly when native advertising is disguised within online publications.
Avoiding ambiguity
The IAB has published good practice guidelines detailing how marketers should present advertising content like native advertising and content-based marketing, including effective disclosure of its purpose, which should help to remove ambiguity. They are, however, reliant on marketers adhering to them completely.
It is in the interests of respected online publishers and influencers to make a clear distinction between content that is paid-for in some way, and that which is not. Providing this is done, and the content is relevant guideline marketing content doesn’t devalue either publishers or influencers in any way, if the content is relevant to and adds value for the audience in question.
The content creators themselves, be they publication or social media influencer, doubtless have a role to play in ensuring brand collaborations will engage their audience and are a good ‘fit’ alongside the other content they produce. Audiences can quickly become fatigued if the frequency is too high, or the quality drops, so it is vital that the publisher chooses carefully and sparingly when committing to commercial content briefs.
But most consumers understand that there is a commercial need for paid-for content, and expect it to some degree across any platform. As long as readers aren’t bombarded with advertising, it is useful, relevant, and it is distinguished from editorial, paid-for content does have a clear purpose.
The future is full of opportunity for creators and purveyors of native advertising and influencer marketing, as marketers continue to look for new ways to drive online engagement. The ongoing challenge will be to strike a balance between content that interests and affects action, whilst also maintaining a respectful distance from unpaid content, complementing and not overlapping.
By Alexei Lee, head of social and PR at Fat Media
Want to keep up with the latest ideas in digital marketing? Free conference and exhibition Integrated Live is the place to be.
PrivSec Conferences will bring together leading speakers and experts from privacy and security to deliver compelling content via solo presentations, panel discussions, debates, roundtables and workshops.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the website.
comments powered by Disqus