AOL Inserting Promotional Text Ads in Emails
AOL has started promoting its services through small text ads that appear at the bottom of emails sent from some AOL.com addresses.
According to the Associated Press, the ads started appearing on Tuesday within accounts tied to version 9 of AOL’s software, which is available to both paid and unpaid users. Ads have long been associated with emails sent through AOL’s web-based email accounts.
Each 34-word text ad urges readers to check out other free services on the AOL website. The ads are there to remind paid AOL subscribers that many of the premium services offered by AOL are now available for free, said AOL spokesperson Anne Bentley according to the AP.
In August 2006, AOL announced that it would be moving to an ad-supported business model, replacing the subscription-based business that began when it was primarily a BBS system and dial-up ISP. AOL previously opened up a number of its services including web-based AOL email, following in the footsteps of web portals like Yahoo and Google.
According to Bently, AOL has received a few complaints about the ads, but intends to keep using them
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