What should you avoid when placing ads in email newsletters?
If you have built a big list of email subscribers, you have a great way to earn additional revenue by placing ads in front of many people on a regular basis. Perhaps the most effective way to do this is by creating an email newsletter that delivers valuable information to your subscribers and includes some targeted and relevant ads in each newsletter. The fact of the matter is that people don’t mind seeing ads if they are attached to something that they see as being useful, which is exactly what your newsletter should be. That said, there are some common mistakes that can be made when taking this approach. Here are a few that you should avoid at all costs.
Too many ads
There is a definite temptation to load up your newsletter with as many ads as the space will take, but that would be a big mistake. Putting too many ads means creating distractions that take away from the purpose of the newsletter. You also run the risk of upsetting your subscribers, many of whom will opt out if they begin to feel that what they are receiving is nothing more than a glossy sales brochure. Up to 2 or 3 ads and you should be fine.
Oversized ads
When creating a newsletter, you have to be aware that many people nowadays access their email on mobile devices. That means that they will be viewing your newsletter on a much smaller screen that could end up being dwarfed by a huge banner ad that you have placed within the newsletter. Keep the ads small, responsive and tasteful, and this should never be an issue.
Complex ads
Since you want the ads to stand out a little, you may be tempted to go with ads that are made with Flash, Javascript or with heavy animation. While these ads will certainly jump off the page, they likely do not work in many email viewers. Rather than limiting the number of people that see your ads, keep them as static banners or text ads, and you will ensure that everyone can see them properly.
Irrelevant ads
The ads that you place in a newsletter should be on topic so that they look and feel like an organic part of the email. Ads that have nothing to do with your niche or subject matter will stick out like a sore thumb, and for all the wrong reasons. This is another way to annoy your subscribers, which is something you should be looking to avoid at all costs.
Not using an adserver
The beauty of using an email
adserver to place ads in your newsletter is that they are able to change ads to target your specific audience. You have control over the ads being shown so that they are relevant and of interest to the people who are seeing them. Not only will this make your subscribers happy, it will also increase the likelihood of them actually clicking on those ads and earning you some money in the process.
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