What's the difference between native content and content marketing?

Content marketing is owned media you create for your own channels. Native content is paid placement on someone else's platform, designed to look like their organic content. Both aim to provide value rather than hard-sell, but native content has a distribution cost.

Does native content work?

Yes, when done well. Native ads receive 53% more views than traditional display ads and have higher engagement rates. The key is genuinely useful content that happens to be sponsored, not a thinly disguised sales pitch.

Is native content ethical?

It's ethical when properly disclosed. FTC guidelines require clear labeling ('Sponsored,' 'Paid Partnership,' 'Ad'). The controversy comes when disclosure is hidden or absent, making readers think they're reading unbiased editorial content.

How do authors use native content?

Authors can use native content through sponsored BookBub emails, Facebook in-feed ads, Amazon Sponsored Products, and paid placements on book review blogs. The most effective native content for authors tells a story related to the book rather than just promoting it.

What is “native content” and how do you do it? (an example from M&Ms)

Q: What is native content?

Native content is paid media that looks and feels like the editorial content surrounding it. Instead of a banner ad that screams 'advertisement,' native content matches the platform's format — a sponsored article on a news site, a branded post on Instagram, or an in-feed ad on Facebook.

Derek Murphy native content 133

Quick Answer

Native content is advertising that matches the form and function of the platform it appears on — think sponsored articles, branded posts, and in-feed ads.

Advertising doesn’t work that well anymore. People resent it. Or, maybe that’s not exactly true, but let’s say conversion is down. For many businesses, advertising doesn’t work as well as it used to. People want truer, more authentic experiences. So the best way to reach customers is to put a piece of content into the platforms they’re already using, without trying to make it into promotional copy or advertising. Just something fun and cool – something that fits in and belongs on that platform. A piece of content that “gets it” and knows the rules, so it doesn’t seem like a dad just trying to be hip. At the movie theater tonight I saw a pretty good example from M&Ms. Ok, it’s not exactly native content but I think it’s still a good example. There were a bunch of advertisements and movie premieres, but there was also that video they play to remind you to turn off your mobile phone. Only that whole video was made by M&Ms. And it was actually an entertaining little script, with those M&M characters. It was a story. The story ended with a reminder to turn off your cell phone. It was an expected, normal part of the movie going experience. Totally within the rules. If it wasn’t M&M, something much lamer would have been there. But it was also providing value (retelling the boring rules in a fresh way and making it interesting). Of course it was covered in branding, the whole thing was a big ad, but it wasn’t selling or suggesting you go buy some. Instead it increases brand trust and loyalty, and makes people think good things about the company. They might think of M&Ms when they want to have a fun, family party. Because they associate M&Ms with color, entertainment, happiness. M&Ms could have just taken out an ad. I don’t know how much they had to pay to get featured like that (maybe nothing? The movie theater has to play something there. If M&Ms provides a really cool clip that movie goers enjoy, why not play it? M&Ms created something useful and essential, that theaters could actually use. Maybe they distributed it for free and are getting free advertising out of it. I don’t know). You should be looking for things like that. Things that are out there, being done, necessary, common, but boring… redo them. Make them better. For example, sometimes when I see a blogger I follow say something cool or post a great manifesto, I’ll turn it into an image quote or infographic. They’ll share the shit out of it, and usually credit me. All I’m doing is making them look good. Win win. If someone is looking for a logo or header or seal or something, maybe I can spend 10 minutes and make something. Maybe they’ll use it and link back to me in the credits. My point is, don’t make advertising, make value. Make lots of value for people with big platforms, or something that will be liked, enjoyed, shared. Give value to make your brand stronger and get people aware of who you are and what you do. It works better than advertising (in some cases… advertising has a role too and can be very successful. Advertising belongs where advertising is… but native content, cool stuff that doesn’t look like advertising, can often reach far more people on a much smaller budget.

How Authors Can Use Native Content

For most indie authors, native content means one thing: Facebook and Amazon ads that look like organic posts rather than advertisements. The principle is the same whether you’re M&M’s or a debut novelist — the ad should provide value, not just scream “buy my thing.” A Facebook ad that tells a story about why you wrote the book will outperform one that just shows the cover and says “Available Now.”

BookBub featured deals are the purest form of native content in the book world — readers signed up to receive book recommendations, and your book shows up as one of those recommendations. It feels organic because it IS what the reader wanted to see. That’s why BookBub converts at 10-20x the rate of display ads.

For a deeper look at book advertising strategies (including native approaches), read our book advertising guide. And for free alternatives that work just as well for most authors, the free promotion guide covers organic strategies that cost nothing except your time and creativity.

Derek Murphy

Derek Murphy has a PhD in Literature, is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and has spent over a decade helping authors write, publish, and sell books through Creativindie. When he’s not critiquing manuscripts or building writing tools, he’s probably in a castle somewhere with cats.