The Performance Marketer’s Guide
The
toPerformance
Navigating Native
Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 1
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

The PerformanceMarketer’s Guide to
Navigating Native

|2
The Performance
The PerformanceMarketer’sMarketer’s
Guide
Guide
to Navigating
to Navigating
NativeNativeThe Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Introduction....................................................................................................................3
Why Native?.....................................................................................................................4
Campaign Creation.................................................................................................5
Strategy + Set-Up......................................................................................................................6
Headline Best Practices...............................................................................................7
Image Best Practices.....................................................................................................8
Content Best Practices.................................................................................................9
Executing Your First Campaign...........................................................................................10
Post-Launch Optimization....................................................................................................11

Industry Insights........................................................................................................12
Imagery.........................................................................................................................................13
Keywords.....................................................................................................................................14
Length of Time...........................................................................................................................15
Performance Metrics..............................................................................................................16
Engagement by Content Category....................................................................................17

Case Studies.....................................................................................................................18
Thank You! .......................................................................................................................19
Index | Outbrain Toolkit........................................................................ 20
Insight Solutions........................................................................................................................21
Targeting Solutions..................................................................................................................22
Workflow Solutions..................................................................................................................23

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 3
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Introduction:

Why should I read The PerformanceMarketer’s Guide to Navigating Native?
Because you’re a juggler who wears many hats within the marketing
mix, but you understand digital advertising isn’t a one-trick pony.
At Outbrain, we’re your partner on this storytelling journey— providing exceptional performance marketers like you with
data-driven tactics to accelerate your conversion optimization.
The accompanying pages break down everything you need tocontent-conquer, from successfully launching your first campaign
to exclusive native industry insights.

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 4
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Why Native?
Content is king, and it’s not going to be dethroned anytime soon.
In recent years, brands have uncovered how to utilize content to better serve
the needs of their target audiences, igniting the future of native advertising.
Native fights ad fatigue by exposing brands within editorial content, engaging theaudience with relevant and refreshed discoveries. In fact, consumers trust content
on publisher sites 24.4% more1 than content they see on social platforms, and lookat native ads 53% more2 than display ads.
With Outbrain, it’s easy to cultivate a personalized reader experience with infinite
access to top publishers, and continuous, conversion-driven product enhancements.

1
2

Digital Content Next, 2018
Outbrain, 2018

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 5
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Campaign Creation
We’re kicking this content-filled guide off with our secret weapon— the go-to breakdown for creating and optimizing the mostsuccessful campaigns.
Keep your eyes peeled for some handy tips ‘n’ tricks inside, too!

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 6
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Campaign Creation | Strategy + Set-Up

First things first…

Next…

Before jumping into your first campaign, set your strategy toensure a strong foundation.

UTM tracking is imperative, as it allows you to review your performanceand optimize** accordingly. Don’t fret! It can be changed at any time
before or after campaign creation.

Perhaps you’re looking to mimic a Facebook campaign, or scale uncharted
territory with something completely new and original to your brand?

You can begin building your UTM string here.

Regardless of your overall objectives, creating a successful campaign
starts with a secret ingredient: the Outbrain Pixel* — the key to unlocking
our advanced targeting and optimization tools.

Finally...
Become a content creator! Be original and captivating, creating a variety of

Install the Outbrain Pixel

content shapes and sizes, from the ad basics to blog posts or landing pages.

Our lightweight, robust pixel can track multiple conversion
points and build audience pools for retargeting efforts.

Pixel Perks
Syncs seamlessly with Google Tag Manager and Shopify, andunlocks access to advanced features such as Lookalikes Audiences.

* The Outbrain Pixel helps to ensure site clicks are heading toward conversions. Retarget users who’ve shown

interest and reach new, ready-to-convert audiences straight from the Conversions section of the dashboard.
** Ensure your campaigns are maximized for cost-savings and clicks with the Bid Strategy workflow solution.

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 7
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Campaign Creation | Headline Best Practices
Ads have 8 seconds3 to capture the attention of the typical reader. Make that time count!

Chemicals That Might Be in Your Food

3

The Best Home Remedies For Your
Living Room Furniture

Coffee Cup’s Summer Drinks Are Finally
Here. Which One Will You Order to Make

Keep Your Hair Smooth and FreshThis Summer

Include your target
audience in the headline.

Keep to 70 characters orless to reduce the risk ofbeing cut off.

Learn to love lists!
Odd numbers performbetter than even.

Negative keywords performbetter than positive ones.

Questions entice the reader
to want an answer.

Pregnant Mothers: 9 Chemicals That
May Be in Your Food

Coffee Cup’s Summer Drinks Are Here.
Order Them Today.

9 Ways to Keep Your Hair Smooth andFresh This Summer

9 Things You Should Never Do to Your
Furniture at HomeIs Your Dog Getting Enough Exercise?
5 Ways to Keep Your Dog Active

American Marketing Association, 2017

5 Ways to Keep Your Dog Active

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 8
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Campaign Creation | Image Best Practices

Example Text

Photographs work better
than image text overlay.*

Use an image of yourtarget audience thatmatches the content.

Be relatable!
Pertinent lifestyle pictures
work better than ClipArt.

Close-up photographs work
better than action shots.

The recommended size
is 1200 x 800 pixels.

* Is the same image or keyword converting the most?

Capitalize on creatives with high CTRs by adding moreof the same (and getting more of these great results!).

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 9
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Campaign Creation | Content Best Practices

Provide a clear CTA on the landing
page that is easy to navigate.

Don’t direct straight to productpages – build a narrative!

Address the reader as “you”
to add a personal touch.

Short ‘n’ sweet! Big fonts andshort paragraphs perform well.

Innovate! Videos and quizzes are
new ways to ignite interest.

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 10
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Campaign Creation | Executing Your First Campaign
First, start with one URL per campaign and at least six creatives.
Next, break your campaigns out by device and use a combo of two images and three headlines.
Then, focus on these three key areas to create powerhouse campaigns:

Who?
The Outbrain Pixel is just what you need to unlock access to advanced, conversion-friendly
features. With this tracking tool, you can create cookie pools that track everything from site
visits to product purchases. Simply head to the Conversions tab to take part in the action.

Budget Bingo
If you know exactly how long you’d like to run your campaign,
as well as the amount you’d like to spend during that period**,choose a campaign budget.
Conversely, if you have a fluid budget that you plan to increase or
decrease in a timely manner, a daily budget is for you. Daily budgets
represent the amount you wish to spend per day, whereas campaign
budgets work to retroactively fill from the day prior.
Recommended Non-Targeting CPCs

Where?

Desktop Campaigns': $0.85

Create both a wide and a more targeted audience to see how well each scenario performs,
and determine the sweet spot that isn’t too broad or too niche. Target your campaign based on
country, state/region, U.S. DMA, or postal code, or the system will default to all locations globally.
Our algorithms will help you determine the actual targets' locations.

Tablet Campaigns': $0.75

How Much?

Mobile Campaigns': $0.65
These CPCs have historically shown to boost a campaigns
CTR and conversion rate within the first three days of launch.
Starting strong gives you more flexibility to optimize
later on and scale down as you go.

The smaller your audience, the more you’ll pay for exposure. To help
gauge the size of your reach, be sure to check the Reach Estimator*.

* The Reach Estimator is useful when determining whether to broaden or limit your target

audience — easily accessible on the right sidebar of your Add or Edit campaign pages.
** Improve the contextual relevance of your campaign by selecting specific times

and days of the week your message is shown with Campaign Scheduling.

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 11
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Campaign Creation | Post-Launch-Optimization
Cast a Wide Net
Hyper-targeted campaigns can suffer fromsmaller audience pools. Boost traffic flow at
any time with a one-two punch of new creative
additions and higher CPCs.
The Outbrain dashboard is dynamic
and constantly updating to maximize
overall performance. Therefore, in orderto create gold star campaigns, you must
log in often and test constantly.

Additionally, try your hand at customizing CPC by
Section adjustments to maximize exposure andallow greater control over your campaigns.

Take the time to…
A/B Test
Duplicate campaigns and make one small tweak.
Trim or expand locations, try a different device,or pop in a new audience segment. The world isyour oyster, and the rewards are endless!

Spend Your Cash Wisely
If a campaign is underperforming, pause it andallocate the budget* to the best in the bunch.
You can even duplicate it to give it another chance.

Re-Engage Your Audience
Statistics show it takes seven times for customers
to convert.** So the more you strut your stuff, thecloser you can get to a conversion.
Use Custom Audiences to build retargeting
campaigns and re-engage interested consumers.

… you’ll be glad you did!

* Your daily budget should be set at a minimum of $100 to stay competitive

and avoid delays in collecting meaningful campaign insights.
** With Audience Retargeting, you have the ability to create a pool ofconsumers who meet a certain pattern, helping to secure conversions.

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 12
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Industry Insights
The proof is in the pudding data.
We’re walking on air because we get to share some compelling
customer patterns that were shaped throughout 2018.
Be sure to keep these knowledge nuggets top ofmind when building out your own campaigns!
The content on the following pages is from a 2018 Outbrain network data analysis.

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 13
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Industry Insights | Imagery
They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so we’ve identified the top performing images for you, based on CTR.

Business andFinance

Close-up images of faces andproducts, such as electronics
and credit cards.

HealthImagery encompassing
the color white, andproduct hero shots.

Electronics/Techand Internet

Close-up imagery of people,
products, rooms, and foodin earth tones.

Home and
Lifestyle

Grey, blue, and pink color
pallets, and POV shots.

Entertainment

Bright and colorful
imagery focusing on
human movement.

Recreation

Close-up anduncluttered imagery.

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 14
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Industry Insights | Keywords
Here at Outbrain, we believe words create worlds. Here’s a snapshot of what campaign keywords perform best:

Bonkers For
Buzzwords

Words that incite excitement
and astonishment such as“...unbelievable…” and“...the secret to…”

The Power of
Punctuation

Question marks andsentence fragments tend
to peak reader interest.

One, Two,Three, Go!

Numbered lists see
a lot of viewer traction.

I’ve Gota Feeling

Performance is strong for words that
express a feeling or emotion such as:
genius | obsessed | breathtaking

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 15
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Industry Insights | Length of Time

Good things take time, and that’s especially true in the world of commendable campaigns.
In fact, we put our noggins together and discovered campaigns running longer than six
months have an average CPC 36.4% lower than campaigns running six months or less.
What’s the moral of this timely story?
Always-on campaigns drive more bang for your campaign buck, and greater lifetime value.

Length of Time

Average of CPC

6 Months or Less

$0.83

6+ Months$0.52

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 16
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Industry Insights | Performance Metrics
Need some inspiration in determining that coveted CPC sweet spot*?
Check out the below CPC and CTR averages by ad category and vertical!

Ad Category

CPC

CTR

Ad Vertical

CPC

CTR

Auto

$0.54

0.097%

Beauty$1.49

0.163%

Business and Finance$0.87

0.072%

CPG$0.77

0.104%

Electronics / Tech and Internet$0.68

0.057%

Education$0.42

0.065%

Entertainment$0.64

0.063%

Entertainment$1.04

0.062%

Health$0.76

0.083%

Finance$0.91

0.074%

Home and Lifestyle$0.76

0.071%

Health$0.83

0.064%

Recreation$0.54

0.117%

Home

$0.80

0.060%

Sports$0.55

0.066%

Retail/Fashion Apparel$0.77

0.069%

Travel$1.08

0.075%

Technology$0.49

0.103%* Achieve greater access and control over your campaigns and maximize

your exposure on publisher sites by utilizing CPC by Section.

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 17
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Industry Insights | Engagement by Content Category
Check out the top content categories which over-index for top ad category-related clicks!

Top Categories

Auto· Home & Lifestyle· Health· NewsTop Categories

Entertainment· Travel· Health· AutoTop Categories

Recreation· Electronics· Health· News9.2%
Higher CTR
Than Average

Top Categories

Business &Finance

4xHigher CTR
Than Average

Top Categories

Health4xHigher CTR
Than Average· Auto· News· Health· Electronics· Business & Finance· NewsTop Categories

Sports· News· Health· Auto41%

Higher CTR
Than Average

5xHigher CTR
Than Average

Top Categories

Electronics/Tech& Internet

Top Categories

Home &
Lifestyle

4.5xHigher CTR
Than Average· Business & Finance· News· Health· Health· News· Home & Lifestyle

Top Categories

Travel· Business & Finance· Sports· Electronics

46.4%
Higher CTR
Than Average

53.7%
Higher CTR
Than Average

3xHigher CTR
Than Average

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 18
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Case Studies
Outbrain brought home the gold with rave results for dynamic performance marketers.

The home essentials retailer had a goal of increasingawareness and reaching new consumers.

Driving conversion goals was an essential stepfor this online insurance matchmaker.

Solution

The home decor retailer sought to increase its
ad spend efficiency while reaching its CPA.
Solution

Solution

Utilized Story Sequencing to interact again with users who initiallyengaged with the brand but ultimately didn’t purchase.

Adopted Lookalike Audiences to reach new clients modeled
after consumption characteristics of its site visitors.

Exercised Custom Audiences when targeting consumers* who
previously expressed interest in the brand, and refreshedpromoted content to highlight various product offerings.

Results

Results

Results

15%

more users converted
within one day

50%
lower CPA
(desktop)

Read more

3xlower CPCs vs. similarsocial campaigns

23%
lower CPA
(mobile)52%higher CVR

Read more

19%
lower CPA
(desktop)50%
decreasein CPA4x

increase inconversion rate

1.5xincreasein CTR

Read more* Interest Targeting allows you to select your target audience segment based on the topics that they’re mostinterested in, giving you a higher level of granularity when choosing where your campaign should appear.

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 19
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native

Thank You! Thank You!
As you consider the journey that your customer takes, native advertisingshould be an integral part of your overall marketing strategy.
As the leading native advertising platform, Outbrain is guiding thedigital discoveries of consumers around the globe — serving morethan 290 billion4 monthly recommendations.
Take the plunge and get started on creating your own native narrative
today (or take your campaigns a step further if you’re already amplifying!).
Questions? Get in touch — we’re here to help every step of the way.
Until then, check out the following pages for our best and brightest dashboard tools.
Happy Amplifying!

4

Outbrain, 2018

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 20
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating NativeIndex | Outbrain Toolkit
You can leave the nails and hammer in the shed,because this toolkit utilizes dashboard featuresdesigned to help you build rock solid campaigns.

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 21
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating NativeIndex | Outbrain Toolkit | Insight Solutions
Take a peek at the insights needed to get closer to conversions.

Outbrain Pixel

Audience Insights

Reach Estimator

What?

What?

What?

Track multiple conversion points and build
audience pools for retargeting efforts.

Leverage Outbrain's unique data assets to gain a deeper understandingof your customers and prospects, as well as their true interests.

Understand the estimated audience your new or existing
campaigns could reach.

Why?

Why?

Why?

Understand the actions your customers take after landingon your site, and serve perfectly tailored content.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find new audiences you didn’t realize
were interested in your brand. After you determine audience interests,
uncover which metrics are delivering the best performance andsharpen your strategy.

Determine if you should broaden or limit your target audience,and understand just how much money to budget.

How?

How?

How?

Select Pixels on the dashboard and click through to theConversions page. Next, simply click View Outbrain Pixel toview your tracking code, and begin implementing on your site.

Log in to your account and select the Audience Insights button on
the left side of your dashboard. This screen will show you the datacollected across all of your campaigns.

Your estimated reach changes based on the targeting
criteria you select. View this gadget in the right sidebarof your Add or Edit campaign pages.

Learn more

Learn more

Learn more

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 22
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating NativeIndex | Outbrain Toolkit | Targeting Solutions
Bullseye! Capturing the attention of your audience has never been easier.

Lookalike Audiences

Interest Targeting

Audience Retargeting

What?

What?

What?

Reach new potential customers who sharecommon attributes with your current customers.

Select your target consumers based on
key topics that captivate their attention.

Interact again with consumers who’ve
already shown interest in your brand.

Why?

Why?

These potential customers look like customers
who already converted, so the chances of
conversion are much higher.

You have the unparalleled ability toincrease conversion rates, lower CPAs,
and heighten retention.

Highlighting brand awareness and conversions,retargeting is great for reigniting interest in and returnsof both visitors and previous customers. You can also
exclude previous customers to spearhead new business.

How?

How?

How?

Simply start by clicking Pixels, then Audiences,followed by Create Lookalike. Once built, be sure
to target in your Add or Edit campaign pages.

While editing an existing or creating a new campaign,
click Include under Advanced Audience Targeting, andbe sure to select the interests most relevant to your target.

Visit the Audiences section of the dashboard throughthe Pixels tab, and click Add Segment and Audience
Retargeting under Collection Type.

Learn more

Learn more

Learn more

Why?

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 23
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating NativeIndex | Outbrain Toolkit | Workflow Solutions
Low on time and looking to streamline the dashboard experience? Look no further!

Bid Strategy

CPC by Section

Campaign Scheduling

What?

What?

What?

Maximize your campaigns for clicks andconversions within your budget.

Maximize your exposure on specific publisher
sections with custom CPC adjustments.

Improve the relevance of your campaign by selecting specifictimes and days of the week your message is shown.

Why?

Why?

Why?

Reach engaged customers with increased
CPCs and a laser-focused campaign budget.

A useful tactic during holidays, campaign launches,or optimizations once you notice a specific time yourcontent tends to convert.

How?

How?

In the right sidebar of your Add or Edit campaign pages,
select either Conversions or Clicks as your bid strategy.
Then, you can select your base CPC and the conversions
or clicks you would like to optimize toward.

Head to the By Section tab under By Publisher, then in the
CPC column, you have the option to either set a specific CPC ora percentage range with the option to make bulk adjustments.

It’s best to test! In the right sidebar of your Add or Edit
campaign pages, click Set Schedule. Then, test youraudience and content topics to find the ideal target.

Learn more

Learn more

Learn more

Ensure your campaigns are superbly cost-efficient andhave the power to adjust your CPCs based on yourcampaigns’ current performance.

How?

The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native | 24
The Performance Marketer’s Guide to Navigating Native