I have a targeted newsletter as well with about 8000 unique opens per week (out of a total active list of 30k) which I am using to boost sales on a Shopify store, and I also re-purpose the content as blog posts. I have also been thinking about sponsorships but do not know where to start. What are the requirements of the sponsors in terms of graphics, text, placement, links, tracking, and analytics? Do they demand email addresses of your readers?
My newsletter is making $2k per month with 7k subscribers – AMA
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Re: My newsletter is making $2k per month with 7k subscribers – AMA
#62What's your process for securing sponsors for the newsletter? How is the sponsor slot integrated into the email?
Re: My newsletter is making $2k per month with 7k subscribers – AMA
#63I am suspicious of this project: the real goal is clearly to get people to clean their desks. And it is effective!
Re: My newsletter is making $2k per month with 7k subscribers – AMA
#64Have you looked at any of the email newsletter sponsor marketplaces? I'm asking as your sponsor prices seem a bit low (I would guess you could probably get nearly double what you are).
I did awhile ago and found that many of them charged on the publisher side (and a hefty % at that) so I was instantly turned off.
I have enjoyed working with sponsors who read the newsletter themselves too. It hasn't been too much work (only publishing twice per week).
My main concern when raising prices is always if that will create a gap in sponsors. I'd rather have every slot booked at a lower price than have gaps at a higher price. This is less about the actual money hitting my bank account and more about how potential sponsors would view this. If they see gaps they may conclude that the price isn't worth it...
Re: My newsletter is making $2k per month with 7k subscribers – AMA
#65What's your process for securing sponsors for the newsletter? How is the sponsor slot integrated into the email?
Every month or so I add a short blurb at the beginning of a newsletter asking for sponsors and laying out my current metrics. This always leads to multiple readers replying with interest.
The typical sponsor has gone on to book 4 slots at a time (I do not offer a bulk discount - this is just what they tend to do).
The slot is integrated right after the intro blurb and before the guest's content. I offer them a headline, some text (not too strict on character count as long as it isn't crazy) and a CTA button.
Re: My newsletter is making $2k per month with 7k subscribers – AMA
#66Some years ago in a startup we had a 10k subscriber newsletter for event locations and made much much more per month than $2000. You might be too cheap. [Edit] Especially with that backlog.
Been thinking it might be time to up prices! The slots have been sold out months in advance so it's hard to factor in growth when booking. I do pause new sponsors from time to time when I book out too far to give myself a chance to reevaluate.
Did these sponsors just start contacting you inbound or did you do cold outreach?
Re: My newsletter is making $2k per month with 7k subscribers – AMA
#67I am suspicious of this project: the real goal is clearly to get people to clean their desks. And it is effective!
Haha some people have actually said no because previous guests had too clean of desks!
I promise that I welcome all workspaces - clean and dirty!
Re: My newsletter is making $2k per month with 7k subscribers – AMA
#68It looks like you are up to 175 posts of various workspaces. I didn't look at each one, but all the ones I saw were nicely staged, organized workspaces. Did you get any submissions for 'real workspaces' with stacks of books, papers all over the place, and sticky-notes all around the monitors? If you did, did you reject them?
I too, have a newsletter that I started last year about data management. I only have about a hundred subscribers so far, but I am trying to grow it with interesting articles about how computers organize, process, and analyze all kinds of data. https://didgets.substack.com/
If I get a few thousand subscribers like you, I might look for sponsors too.
Re: My newsletter is making $2k per month with 7k subscribers – AMA
#69> I think it’s important to note that this was not an immediate cash cow… Is it a cash cow? Sorry I really should have something better to contribute!
$2,000 with $0 in expenses... maybe "cash cow" isn't the correct term but it's definitely not too shabby for something that was set up in 5 minutes ;)
How much time do you put in into each edition (or during a month) on average?
Re: My newsletter is making $2k per month with 7k subscribers – AMA
#70I have a targeted newsletter as well with about 8000 unique opens per week (out of a total active list of 30k) which I am using to boost sales on a Shopify store, and I also re-purpose the content as blog posts. I have also been thinking about sponsorships but do not know where to start. What are the requirements of the sponsors in terms of graphics, text, placement, links, tracking, and analytics? Do they demand ema…
I start all of the sponsor slot with "A Message From sponsor name".
After that they provide me with ~250 or so characters of text (not too strict on this) as well as text + link for a CTA button.
Outside of that, there are no demands from their end. Some ask for the Click Rate after the fact and some don't. If they ask I give it to them.
The main back and forth with sponsors is that when they book multiple slots they often want to test multiple versions of copy and/or CTA button.