What native ads are
Native ads are paid ads that take the form of the content around them, so they appear in the flow of a feed, an article page or an app instead of in a separate banner slot. A native ad is short (an image or video, a headline, sometimes a line of text) and it is marked as sponsored or promoted by the platform.
| Where native ads appear | What they look like |
|---|---|
| Social feeds, such as Facebook and Instagram | A post in the feed, labelled as sponsored |
| Publisher sites, through native ad networks such as Taboola and Outbrain | A “recommended for you” card under or beside an article |
| Apps, through ad networks such as Google AdMob | An ad laid out like the app’s own list items or cards |
| Search and shopping results | A promoted result in the same format as the others |
Its only job is to make the right person curious enough to click.
What an advertorial is
An advertorial is a full page written like an editorial article and paid for by a brand. It answers the reader’s question, explains the problem and introduces the product as a sensible answer. It lives on the brand’s own site or a landing page, not inside the ad platform, so the brand controls its length, layout and content.
For a step-by-step method, see How to write an advertorial.
Advertorial vs native ad, side by side
| Native ad | Advertorial | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it appears | Inside a feed, widget or results list on someone else’s platform | On your own page, after the click |
| Job | Earn the click | Explain, then send the reader to the offer |
| Length | A headline and an image or short video | An article, from a few hundred words up |
| Who sets the format | The ad platform | You |
| Typical measure | Click-through rate and cost per click | Click-through to the offer and sales from it |
How they work together
The two are written as a pair. The ad makes a promise, and the advertorial’s headline keeps it, using the same words where possible. When they do not match, visitors feel they have landed somewhere else and leave.
- If the ad asks a question, the advertorial headline asks the same question.
- If the ad shows a list (“5 signs…”), the advertorial is that list.
- If the ad uses an image, the advertorial’s first screen shows the same image or the same subject.
You can run several ads to one advertorial, but each ad’s promise has to be answered near the top of the page.
Labelling sponsored content
Both are advertising and both should be identified as such. Ad platforms label native ads automatically. The advertorial is your page, so the label is your job: a clear “Sponsored” or “Advertisement” near the top, and nothing that suggests the article is independent journalism.
Advertising rules and ad platform policies in many markets require this disclosure, and platforms may reject ads that lead to unlabelled advertorials. Check the rules for each country and platform where you advertise.
When you need both, and when you need one
- Both: the product needs explaining and the traffic comes from feeds or native networks, where people are not shopping.
- Native ad to the product page: the product is familiar and the ad itself can carry the message, such as a sale or a new release.
- Advertorial without a native ad: you send traffic from email, a partner newsletter or organic social, and the reader still needs context before the offer.