Native advertising: You’re doing it right?

Crissy Lintner

Last week, I gave my first thoughts on native advertising. I left off stating that while earned media coverage is the preferred method of exposure, I would recommend an online advertorial opportunity to my clients if the budget existed and only if we can ensure the content is valuable. I wanted to expand on that (without my first post becoming a novel) because it can be done right.

Valuable content, paid or unpaid, is valuable content. Period. I love this example of a paid post on The New York Times website. Netflix is promoting its original hit series, “Orange is the New Black.” The article is multifaceted, utilizing copy, video, photos and audio components. It is informative, engaging and very well done – arguably, a stellar piece of pure editorial content, if only it weren’t paid content. I came away from this article with a greater understanding of the challenges women face in prison, how the prison system is changing to meet their needs, and where some formerly incarcerated women are today – living successful lives after having been incarcerated for years in what for some were drug-related or “minor” crimes. This is a brilliant way that Netflix and “Orange is the New Black” are using native advertising to bring awareness to an issue with the prison system while promoting the show. Note how NYT makes it impossible for you not to realize you’re reading content that was paid for – it’s even in a special section of the website that uses a URL with “paidpost.nytimes.com” at the beginning, a banner that says “Paid Post,” and the logo for Netflix and “Orange is the New Black.” Even the graphics use brand colors: orange and black.

Screenshot of Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black” paid post on nytimes.com    

However, this is paid content that makes an impact, and it’s an ingenious way to garner eyes and drive the message home while promoting a brand. This is why native advertising can be beneficial.

Of course, BuzzFeed is the king of native advertising – as referenced on this episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on HBO, which I mentioned in my previous post. However, nonprofits take note: you can participate in native advertising on BuzzFeed without paying for it! See our client Literacy Mid-South’s BuzzFeed Community page and note that on each actual post, there’s a disclaimer that explains why LMS does not pay, even though they are a brand publisher. Sure, all of their posts are about LMS, but that’s the point. This is a fun way to have unique content for social media and newsletters, enhance SEO and perhaps be found in the community by potential supporters. LMS is effectively using this unique aspect of BuzzFeed, and we love it!

Literacy Mid-South’s BuzzFeed Community page    

So, when it comes to native advertising, if the point is to drive a message home or to share something important, should brands be penalized by the consumer? How about media outlets for inviting brands to place advertorials? Nope. Regardless of whether an outlet engages in native advertising with companies, credibility in the media still exists. There will never be a time when sources for pure editorial will be unnecessary. Some outlets and native advertisers do a terrible job at it, which can harm the reputation of the media outlet (like John Oliver’s example from The Atlantic’s January 2013 sponsored content from the Church of Scientology; see The Atlantic’s effort to clean up afterward here). But, most try to provide useful, engaging content.

I think consumers are wiser than the FOX News experts gave them credit for, and they will only become more so as the years pass. Awareness of native advertising will make all of us savvier. Brands will become better at ensuring content is valuable to readers. And, if I see an article that looks like it could offer interesting or entertaining content, I’ll read it. Then, it’s completely on me – a consumer – if I feel like it was a waste of my time to read what turned out to be shameless promotion or biased content created by a company, political group or other entity.

What's on your reading list?

Katie Pemberton

PR is a constantly evolving practice. How we did our jobs five years ago is quite different from how we do them now. It can seem frustrating at times to have to keep up with all the new developments, but aren’t we glad that other professions evolve: like digital technology, transportation and medicine? And so we PR practitioners too must adapt and stay current on everything that is changing in our industry and be attuned to every possible way that we can provide value to clients. I would like to suggest one radical approach to doing that: Read books!

In our time-crunched society, it’s tempting to try to get all of your new information from articles online, and certainly online content is key for the newest of the new developments in social media and technology. But if it’s depth you need, you must take it a step further. Here are some books to help you fill up your PR arsenal.

AP Stylebook (the CURRENT version!)

You will not find anyone at Obsidian without either a hard copy of this book and/or access to the AP Stylebook’s online database. It is simply a must. The changing media landscape (another heavily evolving industry!) means that there are far fewer reporters to do the same amount of work. In order to be a highly valued PR person with great relationships with the media, it helps if you make their jobs easier. One major way we at Obsidian do that is always writing in AP style. If a reporter or editor can lift your news release straight from your Word document and publish it with no or few changes, you have just won some serious credibility, my friend.

“The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly” by David Meerman Scott

This book is a highly reviewed tome that details all the newest ways we as marketers can reach out to various audiences. It includes information and chapters on mobile marketing, real-time marketing and PR, and new ways of collecting online metrics. Author David Meerman Scott has been the VP of marketing for two publicly traded companies and now serves as an adviser for emerging companies.

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey

Of course you know about this book. Everyone does! There’s a reason for that—it’s awesome! And his seven habits, including being proactive, beginning with the end in mind and understanding before being understood, are so relevant to PR. If you’ve read it before your PR career, take a fresh look at it now and see if you can’t use some of these habits to make you a stronger PR practitioner.

“Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D.

The Journal of Marketing Research said “Influence” is one of the “most important books written in the last ten years” for marketers. That’s because anyone in any role in the marketing and PR realm must have some power of persuasion. You must be able to persuade reporters to write about you, persuade executives to give social media a chance, persuade potential customers to consider your product or service. If you’re in development or fundraising, the need for persuasive technique is much more obvious. Following Dr. Cialdini’s recommendations, such as his “rule for reciprocity,” will get any marketer, PR person or salesperson further in their quest for whatever they seek.

“Likeable Business: Why Today's Consumers Demand More and How Leaders Can Deliver” by Dave Kerpen          

Kerpen is also the author of last 2011’s “Likeable Social Media,” which is a USA Today and New York Times bestseller. In “Likeable Business,” which was released in October 2012, he introduces to readers the 11 principles of business likeability, such as authenticity, transparency and simplicity. The book includes case studies and plenty of in-depth content on how businesses can spur growth, profits and success by being likeable online.

"The Book of Business (Un)Awesome" by Scott Stratten

How much do you invest in arming your front-line staff with the skills they need to make a good first impression on your customers? When it comes to your business being awesome - or unawesome - success or failure is not usually because of upper management. It's the everyday heroes who interact with your customers - cashiers, floor salesmen, customer service representatives, etc. Social media influencer and marketing pro Scott Stratten offers great examples of companies being awesome, and alternately unawesome, in business. 

You and your employees are your brand. Stratten's entertaining and fast read shows how you can ensure success (and failure) across all areas of business through marketing, PR, social media and those most important: your ambassadors.

 
Let us know what some of your favorite PR books are! And remember that many books can have PR implications, even if they don’t seem to at face value.

You and I know how much joy, knowledge and fulfillment can be drawn from reading…but many adults do not. An estimated 30 million adults in the U.S. can read only at an elementary school level or below. You can help by becoming a tutor with Literacy Mid-South or donating to its adult literacy program. Visit www.literacymidsouth.org for more information.