What should a local newsletter ad look like?

The best newsletter ad looks like part of the newsletter. Not a banner. A front-page story slot that someone paid for.

What's the exact format?

Here is the format:

• A 300x250 image, linked to the advertiser
• A descriptive text block under or beside it

For the primary ad in my newsletters, I use a GIF of several of the business's photos near the top with longer copy. The secondary ad sits about 75% of the way down with less text and one photo.

How long should the ad copy be?

Long enough to tell a story. On Facebook you have about a quarter of a second to stop someone scrolling, and you can't tell a story. In a newsletter, 120 words is a lot. You can tell a real story and it reads like part of the issue.

My off-the-shelf single ad is capped under 80 words.

Should AI rewrite the advertiser's copy?

No. In lightbreak there's a verbatim toggle that skips AI rewriting entirely, so ad copy goes in exactly as provided. The featured slot is a paid advertiser placement, never editorial and never AI-generated. Ads come in as JPEGs, which also avoids image format headaches.

Where should the ad go?

At the top. This is the pitch I give reps:

"A magazine can just add pages full of ads nobody will look at. Our ad space is limited, which is bad for us but good for the advertiser. It's Manhattan real estate."

In a magazine you could get a half page on page 29 and not know whether anybody looked. In a newsletter, the ad is at the top and there's no skip button.

How do I keep ads from annoying readers?

• Put them in the same spot every issue so readers expect them.
• Run ads from day one, even free ones, so the first paid ad doesn't feel like an intrusion.
• Label sponsored stories clearly as sponsored.
• Say no to advertisers who would hurt the reader experience. Short-term money can cost you long-term trust.