What Is Native Advertising? The Benefits of This Ad Type

If advertising sometimes feels like shouting into the void, with many voices vying for the attention of your audience, native advertising may be the missing solution your brand needs. Designed to look and feel like organic content, native ads can appear less intrusive than traditional ads, offering a more seamless experience for your audience. 

For brands looking to boost engagement and foster positive connections with their consumers, native advertising opens a door to meaningful interactions across multiple channels. Below, we’ll unpack what native advertising is and its key advantages. 

What Is Native Advertising and What Are the Benefits?

Native advertising is seamlessly integrated with the environment it’s placed in. These ads blend in with a user’s content, making them less obtrusive than traditional ads like banners or pop-ups. This ad type can take the form of sponsored content or in-app ads on streaming platforms, host reads on podcasts, and live reads on satellite radio. The result? A better experience for users and stronger engagement for brands.

Here are the key benefits of native advertising. 

A Better User Experience 

Native ads provide a subtle but effective advertising experience. Since they’re designed to blend in with the content that audiences are already consuming, they feel more natural. For example, as a user is skipping a song on Pandora, a native ad may appear in the form of a Sponsored Station. The visual design likely matches the platform’s interface, and the ad may subtly feature a brand’s name or a “sponsored” tag. In line with a user’s listening session, the ad might boost their music discovery by featuring artists they may like. This type of ad experience creates a positive rapport with listeners while reducing ad fatigue. 

A Boost in Engagement and Positive Associations 

Because native ads can feel more relevant, audiences are more likely to interact with them. And beyond user engagement, these ads foster positive associations with your brand by providing value within a platform or format the user already enjoys. 

For advertisers, this native ad experience means more meaningful connections with customers and higher interaction rates, whether through clicks, follows, or conversions. 

Higher Ad Credibility Inspires Consumer Action 

Well-placed native ads build trust. By aligning your advertising message with respected content creators or established platforms, your brand is on the fast track to gaining credibility among audiences. 

For instance, when podcast listeners hear a trusted host talk about your product through host-read ads, they’re more likely to believe in and act on the message being delivered. In fact, one in three say they’re more likely to buy a product that the podcaster endorses, and 90% of listeners have taken any action after hearing a product or service advertised on a show.

How to Implement Native Ads with SiriusXM Media 

We’re at the forefront of native advertising, offering diverse and innovative solutions across streaming platforms, podcasts, and satellite radio.

Pandora Display Ads 

All display ads on Pandora are native to the platform, offering an interactive, eye-catching way for audiences to learn more about your offering without interrupting the listening experience. Interested in a video solution? We have that, too. Video Plus, a type of rewarded ad, seamlessly integrates into the Pandora platform and offers listeners access to premium features and additional skips after ad engagement. 

SoundCloud Native Ads 

Leverage SoundCloud’s unique cultural platform to reach young, music-loving audiences without interrupting their vibe. The streaming platform offers native solutions across desktop and mobile, including: 

• Promoted Tracks: Living at the top of listeners’ streams, this ad type offers full-screen, immersive branding and the opportunity for talent to discuss topics related to your brand’s objectives. 

• Mobile interstitials: Available on mobile, this ad takes over the screen and can prompt the user to make a decision, creating visual interest while a user listens. 

Host Reads and Video Host Reads 

Host-read ads are authentic, conversational, and personal. With this ad type, the podcast host delivers the brand's message in their own words, adding their personality and a relatable tone. As the most native type of podcast ad, host reads lack visual cues and blend naturally into the episode—appearing like a natural extension of the conversation without a change in speaker. And if you do want those visual cues? The podcast space has now evolved to include video host reads, and listeners have come to expect this format to see the reactions and emotions of the host and guests. 

Since audiences already trust the host of their favorite show, host reads (whether in audio or video format) build strong connections and encourage action. Partner with the SiriusXM Podcast Network, and you can pick your voice (and face): Conan O’Brien, Stephanie Soo, Yara Shahidi, and more. 

SiriusXM Live Reads 

Tap into the influential conversations of talk show hosts on SiriusXM with live-read ads. With the option of delivering a message live or pre-recorded, these ads ensure relevance and create a more personal connection with listeners. The spontaneity and real-time delivery make these ads both entertaining and memorable. 

While podcast hosts can add their own spin to host reads, SiriusXM hosts typically use line-for-line scripts, making it the ideal choice for brand messages that are following strict or legal guidelines. 

How Native Ads Drove Strong Lifts for a Beauty Retailer 

To showcase how impactful native advertising can be, let’s explore how we drove results for a beauty retailer with the power of host reads. A beauty retailer teamed up with the show Vibe Check to launch a custom podcast series to celebrate Black History Month and Women’s History Month. 

Using a mix of host-read ads, announcer-read ads, and bonus episodes, the campaign  highlighted Black-owned products and brands—and the results more than delivered.

• 54K+ incremental store visits 

• +22% behavioral lift in store visits 

• 75K+ episode downloads 

This campaign demonstrates the power of native advertising in building authentic connections that drive measurable results. 

Kick Off Your Native Ad Journey 

Native advertising isn’t just another ad format; it’s your gateway to creating authentic connections with your target audience. Our suite of native ad solutions offers the flexibility and creativity you need to craft campaigns that resonate—whether your audience tunes into streaming platforms, podcasts, or SiriusXM. 

Ready for native advertising to transform your campaigns? Let’s talk. 

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