Internet users distrust native advertising
Only a few Internet users trust native advertising. Ads disguised as editorial content are often not well received, according to a survey by the marketing platform Outbrain.
"Companies do not define themselves, but are defined by what consumers tell each other about them. Users on the Internet are more likely to trust other users than companies. Many companies still don't understand this and want to buy trust. One of the ways they do this is by buying editorial content," says Bernd Pfeiffer from LimeSoda in an interview with Pressetext.
Outbrain conducted the survey online with around 1,000 adult users. 28 percent of respondents have clicked on a native ad in the past six months, but only 22 percent trusted what they read. Content on Facebook is considered particularly suspicious, with only 17 percent of respondents trusting it. The content of native ads is not always comprehensible. 57 percent understand what such advertisements on the Internet are trying to tell them, but only 51 percent understand the content of native ads on Facebook.
Despite the mistrust, native ads can also have positive effects. Recommendations about products through native advertising can be quite enriching for users. Around 40 percent of respondents repeatedly find interesting content through these recommendations. Almost half (46%) believe that they have already learned something from the recommendations.
Pfeiffer advises against trying to gain the trust of users with seemingly editorial content: "Companies should be honest in their advertising. They shouldn't use mixed forms and shouldn't pretend something to users. People are now very good at recognizing hidden advertising on the Internet and revealing it online. As users talk negatively about a company to each other in this case, it only damages its reputation," says Pfeiffer. (pte)
