When it comes to marketing, email has continuously proven itself as one of the most effective channels for reaching customers directly. However, some marketers are still split on the best way to leverage email for business: email marketing or newsletter advertising.
Email marketing is about sending messages to your own list, while newsletter advertising means placing ads with another publisher. Both methods uniquely boost your business.
Let’s talk about email marketing and newsletter advertising, including the difference between the two strategies and how each can fit into your marketing plan.
What is email marketing?
Email marketing is the practice of sending out brand-related announcements and promotional emails to a subscriber base who has signed up to receive your marketing messages. Just to emphasize, making sure your recipients opt-in is key, as objectionable practices like buying an email list can hurt your business and set you further back from where you started.
Many companies launch their own email marketing to accomplish a variety of goals, including:
- •Educating new or prospective customers about their product
- •Announcing upcoming events or releases
- •Keeping customers engaged between purchases
- •Conducting user research through feedback and surveys
It’s no secret why many industry experts recommend building out an email marketing strategy before advertising on any other platform. Email marketing is a low-cost solution that allows companies to personalize their messages, build brand awareness, and connect with customers at every stage of the buyer journey.
However, email marketing can also be a significant investment for some brands. While it may not involve much ad spend, you’ll still need to dedicate time and resources to launching your plan, from choosing an ESP to growing your email list. While most companies find that it’s well worth the effort, you’ll want to consider the time it takes to set up beforehand.
What is newsletter advertising?
Newsletter advertising, or sponsorship, means paying to feature your ad in a popular newsletter. It’s a smart move for connecting with new people who value the newsletter’s creator.
At Paved, we support 3 main types of newsletter ads:
- •Sponsored emails
- •Dedicated emails
- •Programmatic ads
Sponsored email
A sponsored email is a type of ad that runs alongside organic newsletter content. Depending on the publisher, a sponsored email may appear in a variety of formats, from native ads to classified placements.
Dedicated email
A dedicated email is a full newsletter issue devoted to a sponsor’s placement. Sponsors will typically run a dedicated email when promoting a specific event or announcement, or when focusing on direct conversions from their campaign. Because they garner higher engagement, sponsored emails are generally a more costly option.
To learn more about the difference between sponsored and dedicated emails, check out: Sponsored vs. Dedicated Emails: A Complete Guide
Programmatic ads
In addition to newsletter sponsorships, we also run the Paved Ad Network, where advertisers can book programmatic ad campaigns. Through our Ad Network, marketers can launch targeted, scalable ad campaigns without coordinating directly with publishers. Similar to social media ads, you can launch your campaign in three steps:
- Define your audience
- Upload your creative
- Set your budget
Based on your specifications, your ad will get delivered to targeted readers across a range of email newsletters.
To learn more about how to run programmatic ads with the Paved Ad Network, check out: Ad Network Case Study
Newsletter advertising vs email marketing
To sum it up, advertising and email marketing are both strategies to reach audiences via email, but they differ in approach and execution:
- •Newsletter Advertising: You pay to place your ad in a newsletter published by someone else. It allows you to reach a new audience that already trusts the newsletter’s content.
- •Email Marketing: This is when you send emails to your own list of subscribers. The goal is to build and nurture relationships with your existing customers or leads who have shown interest in your brand or products.
Newsletter advertising is about leveraging another brand’s audience and credibility, while email marketing is about growing and engaging your own subscriber base.
By leveraging a platform with over 4 billion users worldwide, email marketing and newsletter advertising both allow significant advantages, including:
- •Bypassing ad blockers
- •Reaching audiences directly
- •Sending timely campaigns
However, despite their shared benefits, email marketing and newsletter advertising each play a different role in business marketing plans.
Email marketing is typically best for initiatives including:
- •Delivering personalized communications
- •Continuously providing value to your audience
- •Connecting with existing leads and customers
- •Building a channel where you own your contact lists
On the other hand, marketers typically leverage newsletter advertising to pursue strategies including:
- •Tapping into an established community to build brand awareness
- •Reaching new audiences outside of your existing leads
- •Increasing share of voice in the email inbox without building your own newsletter
Incorporate email into your marketing strategy
So which is better: email marketing or newsletter advertising?
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to choose. In fact, running your own email marketing can give you the skills and experience you need to launch a successful newsletter advertising campaign, and vice versa.
One thing is for sure: email isn’t going anywhere, and becoming an expert can only help you in your future marketing efforts. Sign up with Paved to launch your newsletter advertising campaign today.
