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According to Hootsuite and We Are Social’s 2018 Global Digital Report, internet users have surpassed the 4 billion mark. In Southeast Asia, internet penetration is at 58 percent, and mobile connectivity is at 141 percent. With the far-reaching effects of the internet, it became a platform for companies and businesses to advertise their products and services.
Many people must now be familiar with banner ads that are sometimes next to the scrollbar or in the middle of articles. While banner ads are still around now, its average clickthrough rate (CTR) can be as low as 0.06 percent.
This is where native advertising comes in as a more effective medium to help brands advertise their products and services.
Defining native advertising
While banner ads attract an audience to click to another page through an engaging image or copy, native advertising takes on a more subtle approach. It typically refers to content that piques readers’ interest in a particular topic, prompting them to click on headlines to continue reading the article in full.
Media publication websites are a great example. Upon closer inspection, one will realize that some articles are native ads. At Tech in Asia, for instance, these ads are demarcated with a “Branded Content” tag, and the start of the article clearly states the company which sponsors the article.


Why it’s effective
The short answer is that it captures the attention of the reader, who may be a potential customer. Then, it persuades them.
While traditional banner ads receive only 0.06 percent CTR, native ads receive up to six times more, 0.38 percent. In comparison, banner ads on Tech in Asia’s site receive an average of 0.1 to 0.3 percent CTR.
With native advertising, the subject title of an editorial piece first captures the reader’s attention, then it prompts them to read more about it. If they are convinced that the mentioned solution will be useful, then the advertiser wins a customer.
Joint effort between businesses and publishers
It is crucial for businesses to work together with publishers to ensure that the content is relevant and reaches your intended audience. For example, native ads on Tech in Asia is a joint effort between our in-house content team and our clients.
Having spent the past eight years building the tech ecosystem, we are familiar with what the tech audience wants, and we bridge that knowledge with our client’s goals to produce valuable content for readers.
When are native ads ineffective?
Should your business invest in native ads?
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