Native Advertising: Share Expertise Through Art of Storytelling

By Marie Pompili, Owner
Gorman Pompili Communications, LLC

In the old days, before the Internet, social media and other digital marketing options, the advertorial was the most effective method of advertising to give audiences a detailed narrative describing how a machine tool builder’s technology could help customers solve challenging machining problems. Now called Native Advertising, this type of promotional tool deep dives into the technology, providing the quality content decision makers crave when clicking a link for more information when researching equipment. Realizing that most manufacturers are asked to stretch a marketing budget as thinly as possible, it’s important to note that Native Advertising is an investment, however, when implemented with a specific plan in mind and working with a reputable and knowledgeable media company, a successful Native Advertising campaign can provide a worthwhile return. Here’s how to prepare the content for a Native campaign.

1. Think of a unique application or project a customer has used to meet a challenge. What aspect of your technology was used to solve this problem? For example, when machining tough materials, a machine tool’s ability to maintain volumetric accuracy during the process is imperative. Not all machines can do this. If yours can, it’s worth talking about.
    
2. Identify your target market or readership. Who do you want to reach?
    
3. Collaborate with the editors who will be writing the Native story. They know their audience, their concerns, and at which angle the piece should be written. You determine the topic and the points to be discussed, and they will use their expertise to convey your message through real world applications.
    
4. Don’t skimp on the details. Decision makers want to know that they will receive an ROI on their hefty investments. They are tuning in to find out exactly how your machine has helped with a production challenge. It’s not enough to say it can cut beryllium. They want to know how. Tight tolerances? Tell them. Complex geometries? Tell them. Unusual technology? Tell them (don’t make them Google it). Challenge met? You bet!
    
5. Make your product experts available for interviews. Editors approach Native Ads much like they do any other feature story. They want to talk to the people who know the technology and machines best.
    
6. Include photos and graphics. Copy-heavy technical stories are best broken up with artwork that is compelling, helps illustrate the topic, and shows your machine/technology at its best.
    
7. Include Video. The Native Ad isn’t just printed in a magazine, it’s published online and then pushed out via social media channels. Video is a great way to demonstrate the technology’s power and feature experts’ in-depth knowledge of the way in which it can solve complex problems.
    
8. Include additional ads. The Native ad editorial can be flanked by mini versions of advertisements you’ve already run or you can create new ones. Unlike traditional editorial, publications are not bound by the ethics that separate editor-written stories from ads. You’re paying for the whole package.
    
9. Push it out through your own social media channels.

As an example, a recent Native Advertising campaign with Modern Machine Shop undertaken by one of our clients generated 8,695 page views during a three-month period. A total of 4:43 minutes was spent on the page indicating they read the entire story. The topic was compelling, and the story was chock full of details. There were 232 page clicks. And, by the way, all of this data was provided to us each month so we could track the progression.

The data also showed that most of the traffic to this ad was driven through social media posts. Whether it was by the media company’s posts, our client’s posts, or our own, people clicked, read and learned. We also reached the decision makers with 26 percent of all visitors/readers identifying as Manufacturing Engineers and 25 percent working in Manufacturing Production. Company Management followed at 23 percent of visitors. We received a snapshot of the different job functions represented and a listing of their companies. All in all, the data gives us an accurate confirmation of who our audience is and the type of information they desire.

A Native Advertising campaign makes use of all available visual marketing tools possible to tell your story. When implemented by the pros, the immediate ROI is in the rich data and interest generated by an invested audience and, if you are lucky, you might just move some product!

Need more information?
Marie Pompili, Owner
Gorman Pompili Communications, LLC
216-401-9830
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About the Author

Marie Pompili

Marie Pompili is the owner of Gorman Pompili Communications, LLC, an evolution of Lynn Gorman Communications which, for more than 30 years, has provided marketing communications services to business-to-business clients in the manufacturing sector. Marie has deep roots in the manufacturing communications field having worked as a trade press editor and as a public relations account executive for paints and coatings and manufacturing clients. As the owner of a public relations and marketing communications firm, she leads a team with a concentrated expertise in writing for and promoting various software programs used in manufacturing, including CAD/CAM, Quality, ERP, Simulation, Data Monitoring and FMS; machine tools of all types, advanced automation technologies, precision measuring systems; testing and instrumentation; equipment controllers; and training certifications.