Gmail ads rolled out recently (ok, 1st September, 3 months is quite some time in Digital Marketing), and Blue Shark Digital have just ran their first campaign using this medium. The effectiveness of Gmail ads is still open to interpretation, however with the growth of Gmail in popularity it may become increasingly more effective.
First off, Gmail Ads are not entirely new. Their previous incarnation was "Google Sponsored Promotions" (GSP), however much has changed since then. It is fully-integrated into your Adwords account, allowing for easy management of all your paid search, display, re-targeting and gmail advertising, in one portal, sharing common features such as reports, analysis, bid management and the ad gallery.
There are several new reporting features available on Gmail Ads that are quite interesting, such as Gmail saves and Gmail forwards, giving some insight into the engagement of your ad(s).
Gmail ad types
There are 4 ad types within Gmail that you need to be aware of.
Single Promotion Template
Using the ad editor, one large image can be inserted, complemented with engaging text and a call-to-action button.
Image Template
This is essentially a large banner advert template, to be used for maximum visual impact. We would envisage that these would be most useful for branding purposes.
Multi-Product Template
As the name suggests, this promotes multiple-products and each component can link to a specific URL, allowing you to make informed adjustments to the products displayed, based not only on CTR, but also conversion to sale.
Custom HTML upload
As usual, Google offers scope for the more-creative digital marketers to stand-apart. As with GSP, you can upload a file incorporating video, animation, click to call functionality and even forms. Well-designed custom ads usually have the best engagement due to their uniqueness as well as the extra range of options available.
In conclusion, at Blue Shark Digital we are certainly going to promote Gmail ads as part of the overall online advertising package offered to clients. Used alongside the tried and tested media of Paid Search and Display, they can certainly have an impact. The costs are low, however time will tell when the conversion results start flowing through.
To find out more about using Gmail advertising and our other services that could help your business, schedule a free 1 hour consultation with Blue Shark Digital now.