7+ Best Native Ad Platforms (2024)

If you want your advertising to be seen by more people, you might want to consider native advertising, allowing you to place your ads on popular websites and apps to reach a wider audience.

But with so many native ad networks out there, it can be tough to choose the right one for your business. In this post, I look at the 7+ best native ad platforms and my top 3 choices so that you can make an informed decision. 

Let’s dive in!

What Is Native Advertising?

Native advertising is an interesting beast that’s a must-know for any marketer.

The idea boils down to a simple concept. By making an ad that blends in with whatever content you’re displaying, you can insert it unobtrusively into an existing webpage, and your business is “native” to the piece.

Sticking an ad inside the text of an article or running fun animations around a video are just two examples of this approach. It’s not rocket science, but it takes some savvy finesse to ensure the message you deliver is practical and relevant in its integration.

Some see native ad formats as witchcraft, hiring sorcery consultants to conjure up wild spells and make miraculous things happen from tiny budgets – but if done correctly, it can be the most cost-effective way your business can reach its target audience when they’re already interested in similar topics.

What Are The Best Native Ad Networks?

1. Taboola

Best Overall Native Ad Network

Overview

Taboola is a native ad platform that provides users with an effective way to reach their target audiences.

Taboola allows users to access an extensive network of websites and apps to reach more people than ever before. It also provides detailed analytics so businesses can measure their campaigns’ success. Taboola is easy to use and has competitive prices, making it one of the best native advertising networks. 

Taboola also offers various ad formats so that businesses can get creative with their campaigns. Taboola is the perfect choice for small and large companies looking to take their marketing efforts to the next level.

Key Features

Big Network Of Websites

• Taboola provides access to a massive network of websites and apps so that businesses can reach more people than ever before.

Detailed Analytics

• Taboola offers detailed analytics, so users can track their campaigns and adjust as needed.

Easy To Use

• Taboola is easy to use, making it the perfect choice for business owners who don’t have much experience with native advertising.

Good Range Of Ad Formats

• Taboola offers various ad formats so businesses can get creative with their campaigns.

Reasonably Priced

• Taboola is also reasonably priced, making it ideal for small and large businesses.

User Experience

Taboola’s easy-to-use interface makes it the perfect choice for business owners who don’t have much experience with native advertising. Taboola allows users to access an extensive network of websites and apps to reach more people than ever. It also offers various ad formats to get creative with your campaigns.

Pricing

Taboola’s pricing structure is simple: it works on a pay-per-click model and offers exceptional discounts for specific campaigns. Businesses can save even more money when running their advertisements.

Advertising

• $0.003 – $1.50 per click

What I Like/Dislike About Taboola

Like:

• Taboola can reach a wide range of audiences, with targeted campaigns tailored to each user’s needs.
• Taboola also offers detailed tracking and analytics tools that allow users to monitor the success of their campaigns.
• Taboola’s pricing is relatively affordable compared to other advertising networks.

Dislike:

• Taboola is generally limiting when customising campaigns.
• There needs to be more support for certain types of advertising, such as retargeting.
• Taboola also has a minimum spend requirement when using their platform, which can be restrictive for some businesses.

Bottom Line

Native advertising effectively reaches more customers, and Taboola is one of the best native advertising networks. Taboola offers access to an extensive network of websites and apps, detailed analytics, and competitive prices.

Taboola’s range of ad formats allows businesses to get creative with their campaigns. Taboola is the perfect choice for any business looking to take its marketing efforts to the next level.

Get started with Taboola.

2. Outbrain

Overview

With over 340 billion content recommendations delivered annually, Outbrain is trusted by some of the world’s most prominent media outlets, such as Hearst, CNN and MSN.

Outbrain stands out amongst the other native advertising networks thanks to its integration of AI and machine learning capabilities. Outbrain’s Smartlogic AI technology offers users personalised suggestions based on their individual interests, resulting in an impressive 25% increase in potential click-through rates (CTRs).

Leveraging this revolutionary technology enables businesses to maximise their ROI and engage more effectively with customers.

Outbrain’s Smartlogic technology is remarkable, allowing for customising content recommendations. It can modify size and structure to suit individual users’ needs best, creating a more tailored experience.

Outbrain makes payments to publishers within 60 or 90-day intervals, but only once the minimum amount of $50 has been reached. Native ad revenue for each publisher is based on a contractual agreement between parties.

Key Features

AI and Machine Learning Technology

• Outbrain leverages AI and machine learning capabilities to provide personalised, intelligent content recommendations that result in higher click-through rates.

Flexible Campaigns

• Outbrain offers complete customisation of your campaigns, allowing you to modify size and structure to suit individual user needs best.

Robust Targeting Capabilities

• Outbrain offers powerful targeting options that enable you to target the ideal audience for your product or service.

Competitive Pricing

• Outbrain has competitive pricing and offers publishers a minimum payment of $50.

High-quality Content

• Outbrain ensures high-quality content, ensuring that your message is compelling and classy in its integration with the main content.

Reliable Advertising Network

• Outbrain boasts a reputable advertising network, with over 340 billion content recommendations delivered annually to some of the world’s biggest media outlets.

User Experience

The user experience of Outbrain is tailored to each user’s needs, from customising the look of each ad to A/B testing different approaches. The pricing of Outbrain depends on the customer’s budget and can range from free for small businesses to high-end packages for large companies.

Pricing

Advertising

• Minimal $10 per day

Publishing

• Minimum payment of $50

What I Like/Dislike About Outbrain

Like:

• Unparalleled reach at an affordable cost—fast and reliable results.
• It’s an intuitive interface and easy to use.
• Utilising Outbrain, website owners and brands can generate more recognition on a global scale with the help of big-name brand advertisements across the internet.
• This platform has all the features I need to make my life easier. CPC is low, so it’s more affordable than competitors and easy to use.

Dislike:

• I found that the targeting can be inconsistent, which Impacts conversion rates.
• It does not offer ad previews or screenshots to show how the ad is displayed online.

Bottom Line

Outbrain is a robust platform that provides various features and analytics to help businesses grow their online visibility. However, the cost and complexity of using Outbrain may be too much for some small businesses.

With careful budgeting and research, however, there can be significant advantages to using Outbrain for those willing to invest the time into doing so.

Get started with Outbrain.

3. RevContent

Overview

This is a personal favourite and one that I’ve used the most in the past. 

RevContent is one of the leading native advertising platforms on the market. It offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services to help businesses reach their target audiences faster and more efficiently.

RevContent’s proprietary technology allows for better ad targeting, higher engagement rates, and superior performance.

Key Features

Contextual Targeting

• RevContent’s contextual targeting helps businesses reach their target audiences more effectively by targeting ads based on the context of a website.

Real-Time Reporting & Analytics

• RevContent’s real-time reporting gives advertisers deep insights into their campaigns, allowing them to make informed decisions and optimise campaigns.

Customisable Widgets

• RevContent’s customisable widgets allow advertisers to create unique and engaging ads tailored to their target audiences.

Advanced Features

• RevContent also offers advanced features such as retargeting and dynamic pricing, allowing businesses to get the most out of their campaigns.

User Experience

The user experience of RevContent is second to none. RevContent offers a wide range of tools and services that make it easy for businesses to manage their campaigns, track performance and optimise for the best results.

RevContent also provides superior customer service and support, making it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes.

Pricing

RevContent’s pricing model is flexible and customizable to meet each advertiser’s needs. RevContent offers CPM (cost per mile) and CPC (cost per click) pricing models.

The minimum bid you can make is $0.001 per click, although you might want to increase your request if you plan on promoting in Tier 1 and Tier 2 countries. The minimum funding amount is $50, but each campaign must have a $100 daily budget.

Advertising

• $0.001 Minimum Word Bid
• Minimum Funding Amount: $50
• Daily Campaign Budget: $100

What I Like/Dislike About RevContent

Like:

• Overall, RevContent’s targeting abilities are very powerful.
• Several flexible pricing models make it suitable for users just starting to be experienced.
• Superior customer service and support.

Dislike:

• The integration with other advertising networks is limited but to be expected as a stand-alone platform.
• The access to audience data could be improved.
• Limited customisation options.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that RevContent is one of the leading native advertising networks on the market.

It offers powerful targeting capabilities, flexible pricing models, and superior customer service and support to help businesses reach their target audiences more effectively.

RevContent’s advanced features make it an excellent choice for businesses looking to take their campaigns to the next level.

Get started with RevContent.

4. MGID

Overview

MGID is the native advertising platform of choice for many savvy internet marketers. With MGID, you can take advantage of a wide range of features that make this platform stand out from its competitors.

From precise targeting to real-time optimisation capabilities and access to high-quality traffic sources worldwide, MGID is a powerful tool for driving conversions and increasing ROI.

MGID’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to start and run campaigns quickly without much technical knowledge.

Key Features

Contextual Targeting

• This feature helps you target your ads more accurately, so they appear on websites relevant to your ad content.

Real-Time Optimisation

• MGID’s real-time optimisation capabilities allow you to analyse and adjust campaigns, helping you get the most out of each campaign.

MGID’s Contextual Ads

• This helps users design and fit the look and feel of the websites they appear on, making them more appealing to viewers.

High-Quality Traffic

• MGID gives you access to high-quality traffic sources worldwide, allowing you to reach global audiences with your ads.

User Friendly

• MGID’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to start and manage campaigns without having much technical knowledge. MGID offers customer support and resources to help you get the most out of your campaigns.

Competitive Pricing

• MGID has a flexible pricing model that allows for both CPM (cost per mile) and CPC (cost per click) pricing. MGID also provides a variety of discounts for bulk purchases, giving you more bang for your buck.

User Experience

MGID offers an excellent user experience with its powerful targeting capabilities, real-time optimisation tools, and high-quality traffic sources. The competitive and user’s pricing models are flexible and customisable to meet each advertiser’s needs. MGID offers CPM (cost per mile) and CPC (cost per click) pricing models.

Pricing

MGID is quite reasonable – the platform offers multiple plans tailored to different budget sizes, starting at $100 per month.

As you move up their product tiers, MGID offers additional perks such as access to more sources and better reporting.

Advertising

• Minimum bid: $0.001 per click
• Minimum Funding Amount: $100

What I Like/Dislike About MGID

Like:

• Robust targeting capabilities and real-time optimisation features.
• Access to high-quality traffic sources from around the world.

Dislike:

• Limited options for customising ads.
• Pricing may be too expensive for some budgets.
• No Direct customer support

Bottom Line

MGID is a popular and powerful native advertising platform with features designed to help you get the most out of your campaigns. With MGID, you can take advantage of precise targeting and real-time optimisation capabilities. 

MGID is a powerful native advertising platform designed to help businesses reach their target audiences more effectively. With MGID, you can take advantage of precise targeting, real-time optimisation capabilities, and access to high-quality traffic sources worldwide.

MGID also offers a user-friendly interface and flexible pricing models for businesses of all sizes.

Get started with MGID

5. Smarty Ads

Overview

Smarty Ads is a powerful platform for digital advertising that offers advertisers an effective way to reach their target audience in the most cost-effective manner.

Smarty Ads provides comprehensive targeting capabilities, allowing advertisers to target their campaigns by location, demographics, interests, and more. Smarty Ads also includes robust tracking and features.

Powerful Targeting Capabilities: Smarty Ads allow for effective targeting, including location, age, gender, behaviours and interests. Furthermore, Smarty Ads also provides detailed insights into the performance of campaigns to help advertisers optimise their campaigns for maximum ROI.

AI and Machine Learning Technology: Smarty Ads leverages AI technology to allow for intelligent content recommendations that result in higher click-through rates.

Key Features

Comprehensive Targeting

• Advertisers can target their campaigns by location, demographics, interests, and more.

Powerful Tracking

• Smarty Ads allows for effective targeting, including location, age, gender, behaviours and interests.

Detailed Insights

• Smarty Ads also provides detailed insights into the performance of campaigns to help advertisers optimise their campaigns for maximum ROI.

AI and Machine Learning Technology

• Smarty Ads leverages AI technology to allow for intelligent content recommendations that result in higher click-through rates.

User Experience

Smarty Ads include powerful analytics capabilities, providing detailed insight into the performance of your campaigns; its robust campaign creation tools, which enable you to quickly and easily create ads with multiple formats and channels; and its competitive pricing model.

Pricing

Cost-Effective Pricing: Smarty Ads offers competitive pricing with a minimum word bid of $0.05, so advertisers can reach their target audience at a minimal cost. Smarty Ads also provides a wealth of features and analytics to help maximise campaign performance.

Advertising

• $0.05 Minimum Word Bid

What I Like/Dislike About Smarty Ads

Like:

• Smarty Ads has impressive targeting capabilities, is flexible, and can be tailored to the advertiser’s budget.
• It offers a range of features that make it easy to manage campaigns efficiently.
• It has robust tracking capabilities and detailed insights into campaign performance.
• AI and Machine Learning Technology help drive more effective ad placements.
• Discounts, special packages, and promotional options are available for larger companies.

Dislike:

• Smarty Ads can be expensive for small businesses.
• It can take time to set up campaigns and track their performance effectively.
• I was disappointed to see the lack of integration, so this could be improved.

Bottom Line

Smarty Ads is a comprehensive digital advertising platform suitable for large companies or those with deeper pockets. It offers powerful targeting and a range of features that make it easy to manage campaigns efficiently.

However, Smarty Ads may be too expensive and complex for small businesses with limited budgets. With careful budgeting and research, Smarty Ads is a good choice for those looking to maximise their online visibility at an affordable rate.

Get started with Smarty Ads

6. Nativo

Overview

Nativo is a revolutionary native advertising platform that helps brands create ad campaigns that feel more like content than advertisements.

With Nativo, brands can customise their ads to fit the look and content style of any website they’re sharing them on, creating a seamless transition between content and advertisement.

Nativo’s list of key features includes support for multiple ad sizes, automated brand safety features to ensure compliance with advertising guidelines, and powerful analytics to measure the success of campaigns.

Key Features

Targeting

• Nativo’s contextual targeting tools enable you to target ads based on the content of websites rather than relying solely on demographic data. This allows you to create more tightly focused campaigns and relevant to viewers.

Real-Time Optimisation

• Nativo provides real-time optimisation capabilities to easily adjust your ads in response to user behaviour and reactions.

Ad Customisation

• Nativo enables brands to customise their ads to match the look and feel of any website they are placed on.

Brand Safety

• Nativo also offers automated brand safety features that help ensure compliance with advertising guidelines.

Customer Support

• Nativo offers personalised customer support to help optimise your campaigns and ensure you get the most out of Nativo’s features and tools.

User Experience

The Nativo user experience ensures both brands and publishers have a positive outcome from any ad campaign.

Nativo’s platform makes it easy for brands to quickly create and publish ads, while publishers can easily receive payments, track results, and display Nativo ads in their content.

Pricing

Nativo offers a flexible and customisable pricing model to meet each advertiser’s needs. Nativo offers both cost-per-mile (CPM) and cost-per-click (CPC).

Advertising

• Minimum bid: $0.01 per click
• Minimum Funding Amount: $500

What I Like/Dislike About Nativo

Like:

• Powerful targeting capabilities and automated brand safety features.
• Customer support.

Dislike:

• Pricing may be too expensive for some budgets.

Bottom Line

Nativo is an excellent platform for brands and publishers looking to get into native advertising. Nativo offers an easy-to-use platform with powerful features, reasonable pricing, and reliable customer support. Nativo may not be the best fit for everyone, but it’s worth considering if you want to get into native advertising.

In conclusion, Nativo is a powerful native advertising platform that provides brands and publishers with an easy-to-use system for creating and displaying ads. Nativo’s features allow both parties to develop effective campaigns, while Nativo’s pricing allows them to do so at an affordable rate.

Get started with Nativo

7. TripleLift

Overview

Say TripleLift three times, and you’ll have conjured up an innovative native advertising platform revolutionising the digital marketing world. TripleLift is a native-first programmatic platform that grants advertisers access to premium publishers across all device types, from desktop to mobile.

The TripleLift platform is highly user-friendly, with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that allows advertisers to launch campaigns quickly. TripleLift also offers flexible pricing to adjust your budget to fit any campaign, big or small.

Key Features

Contextual Targeting

• TripleLift allows advertisers to tailor their campaigns to reach different consumer segments precisely.

Add Customisation

• TripleLift enables brands to customise their ads to fit the look and content style of any website they share.

Real-Time Optimisation

• TripleLift provides real-time optimisation capabilities so that advertisers can quickly adjust their ads.

Brand Safety

• TripleLift provides automated brand safety features that help ensure compliance with advertising and publisher guidelines.

Reporting and Analytics

TripleLift provides detailed reports that give advertisers insights into the performance of their campaigns, as well as TripleLift targeting tools enable you to target ads based on the content of websites rather than relying solely on demographics.

User Experience

Overall, TripleLift is quite simple to use as a platform, offering a highly customisable pricing model that allows you to choose from cost-per-mile (CPM) or cost-per-click (CPC). TripleLift also allows advertisers to set their minimum bids and funding amounts.

Pricing

TripleLift offers cost-per-mille (CPM) and cost-per-click (CPC) TripleLift targeting tools that enable you to target ads based on the content of websites rather than just demographic data.

Advertising

• Minimum bid: $0.01 per click
• Minimum Funding Amount: $500

What I Like/Dislike About TriplelIft

Like:

• The platform is incredibly intuitive and easy to use.
• TripleLift provides detailed metrics, insights, and reporting tools to help optimise campaigns.
• The platform offers a wide range of premium publishers across all device types.

Dislike:

• Campaigns can be expensive.
• Unfortunately, the platform does not offer traditional display ads, such as banners and pop-ups.
• TripleLift’s real-time insights can be overwhelming for some users.

Bottom Line

It’s safe to say TripleLift is an innovative native advertising platform that could yield great success in digital marketing.

With TripleLift, you can create and launch effective campaigns in no time with their user-friendly platform and budgeting options.

Get started with TripleLift.

How To Create Native Ads that Get Results

When creating effective native ads, if you want results, adopt the approach of WYSIWYG – What You See Is What You Get!

Don’t get bogged down with complex technical strategies with a “big data” name, like buying algorithms and customisation. That’s not what successful native ads look like.

As much as big names from Silicon Valley will try and entice you with their technological framework, the best way is to keep things simple – and achieve the results you’re after.

Focus on the basics: eye-catching visuals, catchy headlines, concise copy, and a well-defined target audience. It may not be rocket science, but when done right, native advertising can sure pack a punch.

How To Write Native Advertising Content

• Craft compelling and meaningful content that resonates with your audience for maximum impact.
• Despite an affiliation with a certain brand, let’s be mindful of not being excessively promotional.
• To grab the attention of our envisioned audience, we must understand who they are and what will resonate with them.
• Captivate your audience with concise, compelling articles that keep them engaged.
• Try your hand at crafting the most irresistible clickbait headlines ever.
• Make sure your CTA is crystal clear and outlines the exact next steps for readers.

My Take On Native Advertising

Using native ad networks to raise awareness and promote your product or service can be an invaluable form of digital advertising – when used correctly. 

Numerous case studies and validation across the web prove this method’s effectiveness. And it can be an effective vehicle to help brands reach wider, more engaged audiences quickly and efficiently for a relatively reasonable budget.

Targeting The Audience Is Key

Native advertising is subtly reaching out to your target audience and understanding their demographics. Apart from the obvious parameters of age, gender, income etc, you should also focus on other traits the audience might share. 

Create a target profile of your ideal audience and understand everything you can about them; where they shop, the foods they eat, the films they watch, the social channels they hang out on etc. This way, you’ll be able to speak directly to your target audience and help improve your conversions. 

Plan Your Budget

Native advertising involves a lot of testing! From images, headlines, and copy published across multiple channels, be prepared to budget accordingly. It takes time and money to optimise the perfect campaign. Once done, you’ll have a passive revenue stream that you’ll be able to turn on and off like a tap! 

Beware The Guru

There are plenty of “Gurus” out there selling courses on making $1million+ with their techniques. Some are genuine, but many of these Gurus make a quick buck and jump onto something else because their model isn’t sustainable as a business. Ask yourself why these gurus are selling courses on the subject but devoting their time to the next big thing!

Set Your Goals

Create a solid plan from start to finish. Think about who you’re communicating with and how you want the audience to feel when they see your ad. Track your campaign metrics diligently and even set yourself some Key Performance Indicators (KPI). 

Choose your Model

There are essentially six types of native advertising you can use:

1. Content Recommendation Engine Widgets
2. Promoted Listings
3. Paid Search Ads
4. In-Feed Units
5. In-Ad With Native Elements
6. Custom Ads

Each one offers specific variants, so ensure you choose the right channels for your promoting message. 

Create A Plan

At the end of the day, when creating your native ad campaign, stick to one simple rule; plan your work – and work your plan. 

FAQs – Native Advertising

What Is Native Advertising?

Native advertising is designed to blend seamlessly into the context of a media platform. 

What Are The Six Types Of Native Advertising

1. Content Recommendation Engine Widgets
2. Promoted Listings
3. Paid Search Ads
4. In-Feed Units
5. In-Ad With Native Elements
6. Custom Ads

What Is Native Advertising With Example?

An example of mobile native advertising would be paid video content on the Youtube app.

Is Native Advertising Ethical?

Regulators and publishers agree that native ads are acceptable as long as they are clearly labelled.

Did I overlook any of your favourites on this list? Which tools are you now looking to incorporate into your workflows? Let me know in the comment section below.