Consumers’ perception of native advertising on social media – A systematic literature review

This study systematically reviews how native advertising (NA) is defined, operationalized, and evaluated within social networking sites (SNS), focusing on transparency, trust, and advertising effectiveness. As SNS feeds blur the line between organic and commercial content, understanding consumer responses to native ads is both timely and conceptually urgent. A semi-systematic literature review of 30 peer-reviewed studies published between 2011 and June 2024 was conducted. The review scope was defined at the intersection of NA formats, SNS contexts (e.g. in-feed posts, influencer content), and psychological and communicative mechanisms. Eligibility criteria and thematic synthesis followed established systematic review protocols. The review identifies four thematic clusters: (1) consumer perception and trust, (2) advertising effectiveness, (3) ethical concerns and regulatory gaps, and (4) consumer behavior outcomes. While the Persuasion Knowledge Model, Schema Theory, and Psychological Reactance Theory are frequently referenced, their operationalization remains inconsistent. This is the first synthesis focused exclusively on NA within SNS environments. It offers a context-specific research agenda and actionable guidance for advertisers (e.g. fixed-position disclosures, ad-slot sequencing) and policymakers (e.g. standardizing disclosure formats and machine-readable labeling) to improve transparency, protect user agency, and enhance the ethical implementation of native advertising in digital feeds.