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Native Ads vs. Display Ads: The Difference



Digital advertising has changed. In the past, display ads were the best way to promote products online. Now, in addition to banner ads, marketers are adding budgets for native ads. So what’s the difference between the two formats?


Display ads are designed to help drive brand awareness and boost engagement through increasing traffic/sales. The most popular form of display ads is retargeting campaigns which means the ads are only shown to audiences that have previously visited the business site. That is crucial in display campaigns since we want to make sure your ad spend has a return on investment by reaching audiences that are more likely to engage with the ad. Display ads can be found on any online channel such as a website, social site, app, newsletter, etc. they come in a variety of formats and sizes you can find listed below:

  • Banner ad

    • An image or video, no text.

  • Interstitial ad

    • Ads that are full-screen and cover the entire screen.

  • Rich Media ad

    • Ads that incorporate a video or audio that interactivity with the content

  • Leaderboard: 728x90

  • Skyscraper: 300x250

  • Medium Rectangle: 160x600

  • Mobile Banner: 300x50

  • Billboard: 970x250

  • Portrait: 300x600


Native ads have the purpose of matching the environment and surroundings, appearing less like an ad and more like another piece of content on a website, email blast, newsletter, or in-app experience. As a result, people are more likely to engage with a native ad compared to a display ad. There are three main types of native:

  • Branded content native ad

  • In-feed native ad

  • Content recommendation native ad

Aside from the differences listed above, there are a few more differences to note.


Display ads:

  • Placement within their environment

  • Ideal for dynamic creative

  • Lower click-through rate

  • Lower cost per click


Native ads:

  • Higher click-through rate than display ads

  • Higher cost per click than display ads


One of the biggest differences between display and native ads is their look and feel. While both are designed to look like banners, display ads are typically placed on a website to "pop out" at the user. On the other hand, native ads are designed to seamlessly blend in with the site's content. Adomotive runs both types of ads and if you are interested in working with us please contact us at info@adomotive.com.

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