Gmail Sponsored Promotions (GSP) Explained
Users of Google’s email service Gmail may have noticed adverts when checking their emails using a web browser, these adverts normally appear under the Promotions tab and are known as Gmail Sponsored Promotions (GSP). Currently GSP is not available within Gmail business apps.
Gmail Sponsored Promotions is an ad format that has been available for some time in beta and is expected to be made widely available to AdWords advertisers in the near future. A GSP advert is similar to the current Lightbox ad format available in Google AdWords. The displayed ad teaser will appear in a static position until the user clicks on the ad, at this stage the ad will expand to display more details about the promotion.
This is how Gmail Sponsored Promotions appear in a Gmail desktop inbox:
Once a user clicks on a GSP, the ad will expand to display more information:
How Do Google Sponsored Promotions Work?
Google Sponsored Promotions are similar to current ad formats available with the Google Display Network. With GSP advertisers are charged on a CPC basis when a user interacts with a static ad, there are no additional charges for clicking on the expanded ad or for clicks through to the advertisers website. All main targeting options associated with the Google Display Network are also available:
- Contextual targeting
- Interest targeting
- Demographic targeting
- Device and location targeting
Gmail Sponsored Promotions provide the advertiser with unique targeting capabilities, such as User Attributes where the attributes are defined by the content of the last 300 emails in the users inbox. Additional targeting options available for GSP that are not available for advertisers on the Google Display Network include:
- Domain targeting
- Purchase history targeting
- Job title targeting
Unlike search, users are not exposed to ads by entering keywords that would trigger an ad to appear. Advertisers use advanced targeting options to reach users that are most likely to find their ad relevant and interesting. Detailed reporting features available with GSP help advertisers identify new opportunities and view the performance of individual metrics. For example, the Auction Summary Report provides data as to how your ad has performed with your chosen target audience.
What We Think
Gmail Sponsored Promotions provide an excellent platform for advertisers to reach a relevant audience that may not already be aware of their product offering or that would have searched directly for their products. We are looking forward to this ad format being made widely available. Note that GSP can be activated within eligible AdWords accounts by contacting Google directly.
If you would like to know more about Gmail Sponsored Promotions and how this ad format could benefit your search marketing campaign, please do comment below or send us an email info@searchscientist.co.uk.
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