Email ads, otherwise known as email marketing or email advertising, are promotional messages sent to a targeted audience via email. These messages can take various forms, such as newsletters, promotional offers, product announcements, or event invitations.
Email ads are typically sent to a list of subscribers who have opted-in to receive marketing messages from the sender. Any email that isn’t a direct response to a question or order confirmation is considered to be an email ad. This includes:
- Newsletter ads
- Promotional ads
- Product announcement ads
- Event invitation ads
- Abandoned cart ads
- Retargeting ads
- Cross-selling ads
How to Use Ads in Your Emails
Email ads can be an effective marketing tool, because they allow businesses to reach a large audience at a relatively low cost. How you use ads in your email marketing campaigns will depend on the kind of promotion you want to conduct and the type of email ad you intend on sending to subscribers.
There are three ways to include ads in your emails:
- Display ads: Display ads in emails are visual ads that are placed within the body of an email message. These ads are similar to traditional display ads that are shown on websites, but they are designed specifically for email marketing campaigns.
- Native ads: Native email ads are those designed to look and feel like a natural part of the email. They are often crafted to match the appearance and tone of the email content, blending seamlessly with the surrounding text and images.
Sponsored ads: These are ads included in an email message and paid for by a third-party advertiser. These ads are similar to sponsored content on other platforms, like with social media or search engines.
Display Ads in Emails
Display ads in emails can take many forms, such as banners, pop-ups, videos, or interactive ads. They are often designed to be eye-catching and attention-grabbing, using bold colors, striking imagery, and clear calls-to-action to encourage the recipient to take action.
Display ads in emails can be an effective way to promote services or products to a targeted audience – but it’s important to use them carefully. This will help you avoid overwhelming or annoying the recipient. The artistic direction of display ads shouldn’t be too visually overwhelming. Not only does the message get lost in the visuals, but the recipient may have trouble loading the email if the size is too heavy.
Native Ads in Emails
Native email ads generally appear as product reviews or promotional offers. They are often written in a conversational tone and provide value to the recipient by offering useful information, educational content, or special deals.
Unlike traditional email ads, which may feel intrusive or spammy, native email ads are designed to feel like a natural part of the email content. This can help build trust and credibility with the subscriber, increasing the likelihood of their engaging with the ad content and taking action. To avoid misleading or deceiving the recipient, you should always disclose any sponsored or promotional content.
Sponsored Ads in Emails
Sponsored ads are often targeted to specific audiences based on demographics, interests, behavior, or other factors. This helps to guarantee that the ads are seen by people who are likely to be interested in the product or service being promoted. Sponsored ads can be an effective way for brands to reach a targeted audience and promote their offerings.
Whether you partner with a third party to promote your own services or you allow a third party to promote their services to your email list, you should think carefully about who you partner with.
You and your partner will ideally share a highly similar target audience, so that you can both benefit from an email list that is interested in what you’re promoting. You should also look into your partner’s metrics to make sure that their engagement rates are acceptable and that you can benefit from a partnership with them.
Including Ads in Emails - Tips and Tricks
With that advice in mind, be sure to remember these tips and tricks:
- Clearly disclose any sponsored or promotional content.
- Make sure the ad is relevant and valuable to the recipient.
- Use appropriate placement and frequency to avoid overwhelming the recipient.
- Use clear calls-to-action to encourage the recipient to take action.
- Test different ad formats, designs, and messaging to optimize the effectiveness of your ads.
- Negotiate the terms and pricing with your chosen partner. Be clear about your expectations, goals, and metrics for the sponsored email campaign.
