What is native advertising?

Native advertising is a paid media format where ads blend into the look and feel of the surrounding content or platform. Instead of traditional banners, native units appear as recommended articles, in‑feed posts, or sponsored listings that follow the same design as editorial content. Effective native ads clearly disclose sponsorship while delivering real value through education or entertainment. Marketers often use native placements for upper‑funnel awareness, storytelling, and soft conversion paths, supported by robust tracking and optimization.