Just like pageviews on a website, email impressions can be monetized in a number of different ways. Though most sites that collect email addresses use them primarily for non-commercial purposes, it is possible to also introduce some revenue-generating activities as well.
Email monetization is attractive to many publishers because it typically represents an opportunity to generate purely incremental revenue. In other words, revenue opportunities related to email don’t require any audience growth and won’t cannibalize existing revenue streams.
Common Email Monetization
There are several ways to generate revenue from email addresses. These include:
- Dedicated Emails: This strategy, also known as a list rental, involves sending an email created by a third party advertiser to your subscribers.
- Co-registration: This process involves inviting visitors to opt-in to third party newsletters and memberships after they complete their registration to your email-based product.
- Email Banner Ads: It is possible to insert banner ads directly into emails, typically through either a direct sale of a CPC-based network. Whenever subscribers click on an email in an ad, the publisher generates revenue.
- “Indirect” Monetization: Many sites collecting email addresses are engaged in some form of indirect monetization. This general concept refers to using email to drive other revenue streams (for example, driving traffic to your site where display ads are served or emailing promotional offers for a paid membership).
Much like with standard display ads, the easiest way to begin monetizing email is to utilize a third party network that can fill inventory immediately. However, an ideal long term strategy involves selling directly to advertisers. With more and more advertisers are now looking for creative ways to reach potential clients, email advertising options may be appealing.
If you have a media kit, update it to highlight the opportunities available to advertisers to reach your audience through email as well.
While email can represent a major monetization opportunity, there can also be some substantial risks:
- Banned by ESP: If your emails become more commercial in nature, you will likely see unsubscribe rates and spam complaints go up (even if you meet all requirements laid out). If these rates get too high, you could be kicked off your email provider’s platform.
- Legal Requirements: Whenever you use email to communicate with your audience, there are potential legal issues that can arise. It’s important to ensure that you comply with laws surrounding email even if you aren’t making a penny off of it; failure to offer an “unsubscribe” option can end up costing you thousands in fines.
- Loss of Subs: If you use email already to communicate with your audience, turning on monetization will likely cause some subscribers to opt-out of your product (some folks are really turned off by even the slightest scent of commercial activity).
Putting monetization in place
Once you settle for your email monetization model, you should follow these steps to keep the momentum going.
- Uncover the best times to send with analytics
By measuring open rates and clicking on a daily basis, publishers can organize their emails to go out at the exact times that yield the best results.
- Segment for more precise targeting
By narrowing your focus and sending email to segmented groups, your subscribers will find your email content more relevant, delivering better results because emails target recipients truly interested in them
- Offer native ads
Native ads in newsletters are also getting easier to sell with the automated and programmatic process behind it. Native ads provide publishers with options like content recommendation blocks and custom in-feed placements for various advertisers.
- Test for best performance
Your email lists are filled with people who want to receive emails from you. To avoid the risk of alienating your subscribers, it’s critical to run A/B tests when trying out new things for your email campaigns.
FAQ
What is email monetization?
Technically, email monetization occurs whenever you use your email marketing list for any type of revenue-generating efforts.
How do you monetize emails?
There are several ways to monetize email, those include, monetize, with ads, dedicated email, co-registration, and “indirect” monetization
Why should you monetize your emails?
Monetizing email should be a critical part of any brand or publisher revenue strategy. It enables your email sends to pay for themselves, and it also provides advertiser partners with a captive, trusting audience that has raised their hands to request your content