GMAIL ADS: WHAT ARE THEY & HOW DO THEY WORK?
Gmail ads, email ads, its all the same… Right? Wrong. If you’re a Gmail user and have noticed a small collapsible bar, or tab (it can look really similar to a piece of mail but isn’t) that houses a product name and a tagline, you have been subjected to one of the many ways that Google reaches an audience for adverts. Whereas traditional email ads are simply marketing material wrapped up in an email and sent to recipients, Gmail can actually be used by marketers as a platform in itself. Taking advantage of Gmail ads can come as part of using what is called the Google Display Network. Google’s AdWords service makes use of what is called the Search Network and the Display Network. In layman’s terms, the Search Network relies on matching a user’s search query to a relevant ad based on the keyword assigned to that ad. The Display Network, however, works on the basis that ads appear on other websites depending on their relevance in terms of context and topic. When Gmail ads are interacted with, they morph into a bigger version that presents the viewer with a full-size ad that is about the same size as an open email – ad creators can also make use of fancy code to enrich the ad further. This style of ad has increased power compared with others due to the ability for it to be saved by viewers or shared to others as a forwarded email. Clickety click – as with all types of AdWords campaign, Gmail ads run on a PPC (pay-per-click) model but there is a slight twist. If you click to expand an ad, the advertiser indeed has to pay. A benefit though for the advertiser, is that all other clicks that user makes are free – so no extra cost for users saving the ad or even forwarding it to others Viewers don’t respond well to boring content. Blah blah blah: chances are, reams of text will just be ignored and no action will be taken upon glancing at ads that have no graphical elements. Users will likely have loads of boring work junk in their inbox to read but Gmail ads can be an asset to the procrastinator by being able to show pictures, video and other interactive elements that can amplify a call-to-action. Just in case you’re not sure, this is the action that marketers want viewers to perform when looking at ads or websites, for example: filling out a form to enquire – hint hint. Thanks for reading our ‘Gmail Ads: What are they & how do they work?’ article. Be sure to visit the rest of ourDigital Marketing Blog for all the latest happenings in Digital Marketing. We’re Digital Clicks, SEO specialists working in Cambridge with clients across the whole country. We specialise in SEO campaigns, especially when one wants to optimise for a local SEO campaign in Cambridge. For more information, any help or advice for your campaign or to know more about how we work, don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of the team. Error: Contact form not found.