Could Your Emails Pay For Themselves?
Posted by Dave McCue on March 2nd, 2009
In light of today’s economic struggles, not too many marketing departments are being given carte blanche when it comes to investing in new initiatives. But by turning email communications into a source of revenue through the sale of advertising space, not only can an email marketing program pay for itself, but additional revenue can be used to supplement an expanded marketing reach.
Before you start carving up your email newsletter template to designate ad space, however, make sure to keep a few things in mind:
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Be selective
Just because an advertiser is willing to pay for ad space on your email newsletters does not mean their ads will have any relevance to your subscribers. Recipients will be much more tolerant of advertising that holds some value to them, and it might even increase the value of your email communications in their eyes if you point them in the direction of a brand with whom they go on to have a positive experience.
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Mix, but separate
It’s important that a clear distinction is made between your own content and any advertising on your emails. Your advertisers will want their messaging to stand on its own, and it’s in your best interest to accommodate them. This helps avoid the possibility of recipients clicking on an advertiser’s link or reading their copy and mistakenly thinking it belongs to your business.
That being said, avoid the “neon lights” approach to your ad space and try to present ads in a way that is unobtrusive. Your content is the reason you have a subscriber list—don’t bury it. Your audience wants to see your content, and it’s important to stress to potential advertisers that the performance of their ads hinges largely on the willingness of your subscribers to engage with your emails.
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Monitor reasons for unsubscribes
Periodically checking the reasons your recipients give when they unsubscribe is a good habit to get into regardless, but it takes on an added importance in light of any recent changes you have made to your emails—such as the addition of advertising. If enough subscribers indicate that the presence of advertising was enough for them to remove themselves from your mailing list, it should at least bear a second look at whether or not the added revenue of advertising is worth putting a dent in your audience.
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Ease into it
Even if you sell your first ad space in no time, resist the temptation to add a banner ad to your email from anyone willing to pay for it. Start out with a single ad to gauge audience response and build from there, ready to pull back if ad performance suffers or unsubscribes increase.
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