Native content in advertising has been around as long as advertising itself. The idea is simple - create an ad that blends into its surroundings; an ad that, at first glance, doesn’t look like an ad. But native content doesn’t exist to mislead. When used properly to promote your music, whether in paid ads or organic posts, it can be extremely valuable.

‍

Get more eyes on your message by blending in

‍

Most of us have spent a majority of our lives on the internet and in that time, we’ve developed a new set of instincts. Among those is our ability to identify standard advertising. We scroll and swipe past overt calls to action without a second thought. Native content aims to bypass that filter to get your message to your target audience.  

‍

The first step to good native content is good content.

‍

That doesn’t mean that your content needs to be the highest resolution and perfectly retouched. It means that the content you’re putting out needs to, on its own, be engaging to your target audience.  No need for big calls to action telling people to “Click Here!” or “Follow Now!” Offer up content that catches people’s eyes and makes them want to click through and learn more.

‍

Before you just post that content everywhere…

‍

Make sure you optimize it for each platform the ad is going to. That could mean just editing the dimensions & layout - one to fit Instagram stories, one to fit different newsfeeds. But it also means making sure the content fits the current style and trends of the site it’s going to. For instance, using a clip of a music video on your Facebook feed might be the best for your strategy, but if you just post that same clip on TikTok - a platform for homemade, smartphone-quality content - there’s a good chance it’s going to stick out and get ignored.

‍

So do your research, especially when it comes to new platforms. Understand what types of content are popular on each, and more importantly, what types of content your target audience engages with most. Then use that knowledge to inform what you post.