Overview of Native Article advertising on the SmartAds system

I. Introduction to Native Article advertising

Native Article advertising is a content-driven ad format designed and displayed as editorial-style articles on premium publisher websites. Instead of appearing as traditional banners, Native Articles blend seamlessly into the content feed, enabling brands to deliver in-depth storytelling, communicate key messages, and enhance user engagement without disrupting the reading experience. Each ad unit is linked to a specific destination URL—such as PR articles, advertorials, landing pages, or campaign-specific content—while supporting accurate performance tracking and user interaction measurement.

On the SmartAds platform, Native Article ads are powered by AI to automatically adapt to each publisher’s layout and content structure. Ads are displayed as native content cards, including headline, description, featured image, brand identity, and a clear call-to-action (CTA). This format is particularly effective for campaigns focused on brand awareness, trust-building, and guiding users through the upper and mid-funnel stages of the marketing funnel.

1.1. Native Article supports multiple marketing objectives

SmartAds Native Article format is suitable for a wide range of industries and marketing goals, from large enterprises to SMEs. Specifically, Native Article can be leveraged to:

• Enhance contextual brand awareness: Ads appear within relevant news feeds, categories, or editorial content, helping brands reach audiences already interested in related topics.

• Deliver in-depth messaging: Unlike short-form banners, Native Articles allow brands to drive users to long-form, information-rich content that clearly communicates product value, services, or brand storytelling.

• Drive high-quality traffic to landing pages: Native Articles typically achieve higher CTR and longer on-site time due to strong contextual relevance and natural user intent.

• Support PR, branding, and content marketing campaigns: This format is especially effective for product launches, brand storytelling, thought leadership, and building industry authority.

1.2. Placement and display of native article ads

SmartAds Native Article ads are distributed across premium publisher networks and can appear in various placements, including:

• Homepage news feed

• Category article listings

• Related content recommendation sections

• Mid-article or end-of-article placements (depending on publisher layout)

The ad content is presented as a native content card, including a featured image, headline, short description, and advertising disclosure label in compliance with platform regulations.

II. How to set up Native Article ads on SmartAds

Businesses can easily launch Native Article Ads on SmartAds by following these steps:

Step 1: Click the “Add Campaign” button

Step 2: Select “Native Article” format and click “Apply” to configure creatives

Step 3: Name your campaign and select the appropriate objective

Step 4: In the Ads* section, click “Add Ad”. To change the ad format, click “Change”

Step 5: Enter destination URL, headline, and description; upload featured image and select CTA

Step 6: Configure targeting options based on your target audience

Step 7: Set budget and bidding strategy

Step 8: Configure UTM tracking (if needed) before submitting the campaign

Note: Ensure your account has sufficient balance and valid advertising permissions before launching the campaign.

III. Content and design specifications for native article

On SmartAds, Native Article ads are displayed as standardized content cards to ensure consistent rendering across multiple publishers.

Native article content components:

• Destination URL: Required

• Headline: Maximum 65 characters

• Description: Maximum 95 characters

• Supported display ratios: 448 x 252, 415 x 249, 416 x 312, 414 x 414

• Brand name & logo

• Call to Action (CTA)

• Tracking links: Impression & click tracker URL

Content and display guidelines:

• Headlines should be natural, informative, and avoid excessive clickbait

• Descriptions should focus on value and spark curiosity

• Images must be high-quality and directly relevant to the content

• Limit excessive text overlay on images

• Ensure consistent brand identity across creatives

>>> Explore more advertising guidelines here.

IV. How to track Native Article ad performance on SmartAds

Once your campaign is live, you can monitor performance through impression and engagement metrics on the Campaign Management or Dashboard.

Here, you can filter by Native Article Ads format and scroll horizontally to view reports. To access detailed insights by campaign or creative, click the icon in the action bar.

V. How to optimize Native Article ad campaigns

To maximize the effectiveness of Native Article campaigns on SmartAds, advertisers should consider:

• Define clear objectives & KPIs: Each campaign should align with specific goals such as brand awareness, lead generation, or conversions, supported by measurable KPIs.

• Understand target audience insights: Analyze demographics, online behavior, and interests to ensure message relevance.

• Leverage multi-layer targeting strategies: Combine interests, keywords, custom audiences, and remarketing to expand reach while maintaining precision.

• Focus on content value: High-value content increases CTR and engagement depth, especially when aligned with publisher context.

• Optimize headlines with editorial style: Write like news headlines rather than ads; incorporate data and verified insights. Conduct A/B testing to improve CTR and reduce ad fatigue.

• Optimize creatives with consistent branding: Maintain consistency in colors, logos, typography, and tone of voice.

• Personalize messaging: Utilize behavioral data (if available) to tailor content for different audience segments.

• Continuously monitor and analyze performance: Track metrics such as impressions, clicks, CTR, and conversions to optimize campaigns in real time.

• Ensure compliance with platform policies: Ad content and data practices must meet privacy regulations and platform standards.

VI. Native article pricing, effective from April 2026

Pricing table for Native Article format (VAT included):

Minimum CPC bid (VAT included)	Minimum CPM bid (VAT included)	Site/ Group
3,300	20,000	All websites
3,300	20,000	All websites (Overseas targeting only)
5,500	25,000	Premium websites (VnExpress, Dan Tri, Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre...)
5,500	25,000	English premium websites (English publishers)
6,600	30,000	VnExpress sites (Including VnExpress.net & Ngoisao.VnExpress.net)
5,500	30,000	e.VnExpress site (English site: e.vnexpress.net)
4,400	20,000	Ngoi Sao (Ngoisao.VnExpress.net section)

*Note:

SmartAds applies a fixed bidding mechanism. The listed pricing serves as a reference and represents the minimum bid floor on the SmartAds platform. Actual campaign costs may vary depending on ad format, placement, booking duration, and specific publisher inventory.