Are you monetizing your email newsletters effectively?
This was one of the questions posed during our recent webinar with AdMonsters on how publishers can increase revenue while delivering premium ad experiences. Your readers are looking for content that speaks to them. At the same time, advertisers want to get their message in front of the right audience. So how do you make sure you’re putting the same care into your clients’ campaigns as you are your owned content? According to Jessica Munoz, LiveIntent’s SVP of product marketing & GTM strategy, and Bobby Bonett, Sandow’s VP of digital, the solution lies with native ads in email.
Publishers have invested heavily in email newsletters in recent years — but don’t call it a comeback. Newsletters have long delivered value for publishers and brands alike; what’s changed, however, is that newsletters have evolved to unlock and drive revenue. So, not only are newsletters an effective channel for delivering highly relevant content that brings subscribers back to your owned and operated properties, but when paired with native programmatic advertising, newsletters transform from a content distribution channel to a revenue source.
With the help of programmatic advertising, native ads can perform 10x better than traditional banner ads. That’s according to Bonett, who’s a proponent of LiveIntent’s Native Ad Blueprints. For Sandow’s publication, Metropolis, for example, Bonett needed to promote sponsored content in Metropolis’ newsletter. The Metropolis team created a blog post with their advertiser partner, and — with the help of Native Ad Blueprints — trafficked their assets (image, headline, body copy, and CTA) directly into Metropolis’ native ad slot without having to edit the email template manually. Selling such sponsored content units has resulted in 15x the click-through rate compared to display inventory. What’s more, native ads in email elevate the client’s message and provide the endorsement advertisers are looking for from partnerships with premium publishers.
“Native advertising on the web has long been table stakes for marketers,” says Jessica Munoz. In fact, native display ad spend in the US topped $52 billion in 2020. Generally, native ads in email newsletters are hardcoded into email templates, presenting limitations and operational hurdles for publisher teams. And then there’s the issue of ad experience. A native ad experience that’s subpar can both jeopardize revenue and negatively impact brand perception.
The solution? “Flip the script on native ads and emails,” Munoz says. That’s precisely what LiveIntent has done with its Native Ad Blueprints.
LiveIntent’s native email affords publishers the ability to manage inventory more efficiently across multiple campaigns, make quick edits without the need for a developer resource, deploy campaigns on time, and operate in a more seamless fashion overall. “There are more breakage points when you have to do everything manually” versus via a dashboard, Bonett says, adding that Native Ad Blueprints provides a full-touch experience.
Getting started with native ad emails is an easy three-step process:
- Decide how you want your native ads to look
- Turn that custom look and layout into your Native Ad Blueprints (font, headline, size points, color, etc. can all be customized)
- Enable real-time ad serving with a one-time placement of LiveIntent’s ad tag
A single Blueprint can be used across multiple ad slots and extended to other newsletters, and ad placements automatically resize based on the user’s device. Ads can be segmented and targeted, and here’s where programmatic comes into play: unlike traditional static ad units, Native Ad Blueprints can run simultaneous ad campaigns to fill impressions and boost yield.
This advertising method helps streamline current workflows, but its true value is in enabling high-performance native ads in email for the first time. It allows publishers to create custom ad experiences and monetize newsletters more effectively.
“Protecting the sanctity and quality of native placement is important,” Bonett explains. We couldn’t agree more. For more information on how to automate and elevate your native ads, connect with LiveIntent today.
