Native Advertising

In the context of social media, paid advertising of any kind is relatively new. For many people, the terms 'paid', 'advertising', and 'social media' make for an uncomfortable trifecta. In fact, some people perceive the very term 'advertising on social media' as an oxymoron.

In fact, social media's paid advertising component is like any other type of advertising in that it has goals and purposes, with the major aim of leading audiences toward a desired action, robustly and efficiently as possible. When we talk about 'native' advertising on social media, we're talking about an advertising strategy that aligns with a platform's overall user experience in terms of its design and function, while simultaneously delivering a promotional message directly to the audience engaging with that platform. Despite the perceived parity of the two terms, native advertising on social media is not something one does because one has to.

One does it instead because it offers the appearance, at least, of any easy-to-ENGAGE opportunity rather than the DEALERS' equivalent of a 'don't engage here' sign that, when violated, using a social platform can lead to the hallowed ground of unfollowing.