Google Ad Manager now supports Ads in Email Newsletters

Google Ad Manager last week announced a new open beta feature: newsletter ads. This feature allows publishers to serve reservation and programmatic guaranteed ads directly within their email newsletter inventory.

How Newsletter Ads work in Google Ad Manager

Here's a breakdown of the key steps involved in using newsletter ads:

Setting Up Ad Units and Line Items: Publishers can leverage existing ad units and line items in Google Ad Manager or create new ones specifically for newsletter placements.

Targeting: Targeting options are available within line items, but it's important to note that due to factors like Apple's Mail Privacy Protection and caching by email clients, targeting by device and location may be less accurate for newsletter ads.

Creatives: Currently, only image creatives are supported for newsletter ads. Google recommends having a backup line item to prevent empty ad spaces if no ads are available to fill the placements.

Generating Newsletter Tags: Once the ad unit and line item are set up, a newsletter tag needs to be generated. This tag is retrieved from the "Tags" tab within the ad unit and contains parameters for various functionalities like ad size, "view in browser" URL, ad position, unique string per email, and optional targeting information.

Implementing Newsletter Tags: The generated newsletter tag is then copied and pasted directly into the email newsletter where the ad should appear. Publishers typically collaborate with their email service provider (ESP) to integrate the tag seamlessly.

Key Considerations for Newsletter Ads

Unique String per Email: A unique identifier per email recipient is required within the newsletter tag. This ensures proper ad tracking and reporting. Publishers can achieve this by leveraging merge tags, which are dynamic variables offered by most ESPs.

Privacy Compliance: Google emphasizes the importance of not including personally identifiable information (PII) within the newsletter tag, including IP addresses.

"About This Ad" Disclosure: Publishers are required to include an "About this ad" link below their newsletter ad creatives. Google Ad Manager automatically incorporates this element within the generated newsletter tag.

Benefits of Newsletter Ads

For publishers, newsletter ads offer a new avenue to generate revenue from their email audience. This can be particularly valuable for publishers with large and engaged email subscriber bases.

The introduction of newsletter ads in Google Ad Manager reflects the growing importance of email marketing for advertisers. It allows advertisers to reach targeted audiences within publisher newsletters, potentially increasing campaign reach and effectiveness. As this feature is still in beta, it will be interesting to see how it evolves and what additional functionalities Google Ad Manager might introduce in the future, such as support for different creative formats or more granular targeting options.