Advertorials vs. Native Advertising: Which Drives More Sales in 2026?

Have you ever read an article that felt genuine and informative, only to realize later it was promoting a product? That’s the fine line between advertorials and native advertising, two formats that blend content and marketing in very different ways.

In this article, we’ll explain the real difference between advertorials and native ads, help you decide which one fits your brand goals, and show how you can create effective, high-converting advertorial pages effortlessly with GemPages.

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What is an advertorial?

An advertorial is a type of paid content that looks and reads like an article but is designed to promote a product or service. It combines the informative tone of editorial writing with the persuasive intent of advertising. The result is content that feels genuine and engaging, yet still drives readers toward action.

Unlike a banner ad or sales page, an advertorial focuses on storytelling. It educates readers about a problem, offers valuable insights, and naturally introduces your product as the solution. Done well, it doesn’t feel like marketing, it feels like helpful advice from a trusted source.

Brands use advertorials to build trust, explain complex products, or warm up audiences before sending them to a sales or checkout page. Because the content feels useful, readers are more likely to stay longer, click through, and convert.

Use Advertorials when you want to…

Advertorials are best for campaigns where you want to educate and convert at the same time. They work particularly well for eCommerce brands that need to build interest before the sale.

Here are the most common situations where advertorials deliver strong results:

• Launching a new product: Use an advertorial to tell the story behind your product, explain its benefits, and help readers understand why it’s different.

• Running paid ads: Direct ad traffic to an advertorial page to build trust before showing your product offer. This approach often lowers acquisition costs and increases conversion rates.

• Selling complex products: If your item needs explanation or comparison, an advertorial gives you the space to educate your audience and address doubts.

• Building SEO and organic reach: Well-written advertorials can also attract organic traffic, as they are long-form, keyword-rich, and valuable to readers.

• Promoting seasonal offers: Combine storytelling with urgency to create compelling holiday or campaign-specific advertorials.

What is native advertising?

Native advertising is a paid marketing format that matches the look, feel, and function of the platform where it appears. Instead of standing out like a traditional banner ad, it blends in naturally with surrounding content, creating a smoother experience for the audience.

You’ll often see native ads on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, or news websites. They may appear as sponsored posts, recommended articles, or video ads that look like regular content but they are paid placements designed to attract attention and clicks.

The main goal of native advertising is awareness and engagement rather than direct conversion. It helps brands reach new audiences, boost visibility, and drive traffic to external pages like product sites or advertorials.

Use Native Advertising when you want to

Here are the best scenarios for using native advertising:

• Brand awareness campaigns: Reach potential customers who haven’t heard of your brand before.

• Top-of-funnel traffic generation: Use native ads to attract visitors who might later engage with your product through an advertorial or email campaign.

• Content amplification: Promote blog posts, guides, or videos to increase visibility and shareability.

• Retargeting and remarketing: Reintroduce your brand to users who interacted with your ads or website but didn’t convert.

• Testing audience response: Try different headlines or content styles to see what resonates best before launching larger campaigns.

Learn more: Advertorial — Everything You Need to Know

Advertorials vs. Native Advertising: Key Differences

Advertorials and native ads often look similar at first glance, but their goals, placement, and impact on the customer journey are quite different. Understanding these differences helps you use each one more strategically in your marketing campaigns.

While both aim to deliver a natural, non-disruptive experience, advertorials focus on converting, while native ads focus on attracting. One pulls readers in; the other moves them to act.

Here’s a quick comparison to help you see how they differ:

Which Performs Better for Sales and Brand Growth?

Both advertorials and native ads have their place in a marketing strategy, but when the goal is to drive measurable sales and long-term brand growth, advertorials outperform almost every other content format.

Native advertising is great for getting attention. It introduces your brand to new audiences and generates traffic by blending into the reader’s online experience. However, its strength often stops at awareness. Once a user clicks, they still need to be guided toward understanding why your product matters and that’s exactly where advertorials shine.

An advertorial does what native ads can’t. It gives your audience context, education, and emotion before asking them to act. Through storytelling, customer proof, and clear product positioning, it builds a sense of trust that simple ads rarely achieve. Readers who arrive at an advertorial already interested become buyers because the content gives them everything they need to decide with confidence.

Why Advertorials drive better results:

• They nurture the customer journey instead of interrupting it.

• They provide depth - explaining why your product is worth buying, not just what it is.

• They increase engagement and time on page, signaling higher user intent.

• They convert ad traffic into qualified leads or direct sales.

• They strengthen your brand identity through consistent voice and storytelling.

Many high-performing eCommerce brands use both together:

• Native advertising brings the audience in.

• Advertorials convert them into customers.

How to Create a High-Converting Advertorial Page with GemPages

Before jumping into the steps, it’s important to understand why GemPages is the ideal platform for creating advertorial pages that convert.

Why you should choose GemPages

If you’re serious about turning storytelling into sales, GemPages Landing Page Buidler gives you everything you need to build high-converting advertorials directly inside Shopify. Unlike standard page builders or ad templates, GemPages is designed for flexibility, speed, and performance, everything that makes an advertorial successful.

GemPages vs. Shopify Theme Editor

Unlike the standard Shopify Theme Editor, GemPages gives you complete creative freedom. Instead of being locked into rigid templates, you can easily build your own layouts, adjust designs, and experiment with different visual elements.

This means you can craft every section of your advertorial exactly as you envision it, making your page feel more authentic and aligned with your brand story.

GemPages vs. Custom Code

With GemPages, you get the power of custom-coded design but without the complexity or cost. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface lets you create dynamic, professional pages quickly, so you can focus on crafting content that converts instead of writing lines of code.

The Advertorial Library

GemPages goes beyond being just a page builder. It offers a complete Advertorial Toolkit, developed through extensive research into what makes content persuasive and effective.

You’ll gain access to:

• 200+ pre-designed templates and 400+ drag-and-drop sections, all crafted for Shopify stores across multiple industries.

• Professionally built, conversion-tested layouts that highlight storytelling, social proof, and strong calls to action.

• A flexible structure that works for every goal from product promotions and customer stories to detailed listicles or campaign pages.

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Top Advertorial GemPages template tailored to your Niche

One of the biggest advantages of using GemPages is the variety of professionally designed advertorial templates available for every type of business. Each layout is built to blend storytelling, product showcasing, and conversion elements, helping you launch effective campaigns faster.

Below are some of the most popular advertorial templates tailored to different niches:

Beauty & Skincare Advertorial Template

Perfect for brands that rely on emotional storytelling and visual appeal. This layout focuses on before-and-after visuals, customer testimonials, and educational product sections that highlight ingredients or results.

Use it to create compelling narratives around transformations, routines, or expert advice that lead naturally to purchase.

Health & Wellness Template

Designed for supplement brands and lifestyle products that need space to educate before selling. This template includes problem-solution storytelling, benefit blocks, and FAQ sections to address customer concerns while maintaining trust and authority.

Tech & Gadgets Template

Created for innovative brands that want to showcase features clearly. It combines comparison charts, demo videos, and review snippets to simplify complex information and highlight real-world applications.

Pet Care Template

A warm, friendly layout that uses storytelling to build trust. Highlight pet-owner experiences, before-and-after stories, and clear product instructions to show care and reliability.

Home & Living Template

Built for brands that sell comfort and style through storytelling. It features hero images, testimonial sliders, and benefit-focused sections to connect with shoppers emotionally and help them visualize the product in their space.

Pro tips: Build your first high-converting advertorial today with GemPages. Choose your template, craft your story, and turn readers into customers faster than ever.

Lean more: Top Advertorial GemPages Template tailored your Niches

How to Create High-converting Advertorials with GemPages

Once you’ve chosen your template, it’s time to build your advertorial page. With GemPages, you don’t need any coding or design experience. The platform gives you everything you need to craft a conversion-ready page in just a few steps.

Follow this step-by-step guide to create conversion store:

Step 1: Install GemPages and Create a New Page

Start by installing GemPages from the Shopify App Store. Once you’re in the dashboard, click “Create New Page”.

Step 2: Choose an Advertorial Template

Browse through the GemPages Template Library and select an advertorial layout that fits your product category or campaign. Each template is optimized for storytelling, visual flow, and conversions, giving you a professional structure from the start.

After choosing one, click “Select” and start customizing it to reflect your brand identity. You can change images, headlines, colors, and fonts instantly.

Step 3: Structure Your Page for Engagement

Use the Row element to organize your layout and create clear sections for each part of your story. A high-converting advertorial typically includes:

• A compelling headline that draws curiosity

• A relatable introduction to connect with readers

• A story or product explanation that educates

• Social proof such as reviews or testimonials

• A clear call-to-action inviting readers to buy or learn more

Good structure helps readers follow your narrative naturally from the first scroll to the final click.

Step 4: Add Visual and Persuasive Elements

GemPages’ drag-and-drop editor lets you insert engaging widgets easily. Combine visuals and persuasive tools to build trust and encourage action.

You can include:

• Images or demo videos that illustrate benefits clearly

• Customer testimonials or ratings for credibility

• Countdown timers or stock alerts to create urgency

• Comparison tables or product highlights for quick decision-making

Each element can be styled to match your brand aesthetic and campaign tone.

Step 5: Publish and Test with GemX

Once your page is ready, publish it and connect it with your ad or email campaign. Then you can try GemX, to test different headlines, CTAs, or layouts. Track performance data and refine your design for even better conversion results.

With these steps, you can go from concept to a fully optimized advertorial in just a few hours with no coding, no extra apps, and no designer required.

Learn more: How to Write & Create High converting Advertorial Landing Page

Conclusion: Advertorials vs. Native Advertising - Which is Better?

So, which one is better: advertorials or native advertising? The honest answer depends on what you want to achieve. 

If your goal is to build awareness, reach new audiences, and introduce your brand in a subtle way, native advertising works perfectly. It helps people discover your business without feeling like they’re being sold to.

But if your goal is to convert, to guide readers from interest to action, then advertorials are the stronger choice. They allow you to explain, persuade, and connect emotionally, all within a single page that feels authentic and trustworthy.

In reality, the best marketing strategies often combine both. Native ads attract attention; advertorials turn that attention into sales.

With GemPages, you can create advertorial pages that look professional, read naturally, and perform like your best sales tool all inside Shopify, no coding needed.

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What’s the main difference between advertorials and native advertising?

Advertorials are long-form storytelling pages hosted on your own website that promote products while offering valuable information&period Native advertising refers to paid placements on third-party platforms that blend in with other content to attract clicks or views.

Can I use both advertorial and native advertising in the same campaign?

Yes&period A common approach is to use native ads to capture attention and send traffic to an advertorial page that warms up visitors and converts them.

Does GemPages offer templates for advertorials?

Yes&period GemPages provides many professionally designed advertorial and listicle templates optimized for storytelling, mobile performance, and conversions.

Do I need coding skills to create an advertorial in GemPages?

No&period GemPages uses a drag-and-drop editor that lets anyone design, customize, and publish advertorials directly in Shopify without coding.

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