A newsletter sponsorship page with numbers sponsors can check
Sponsors buy two things from a newsletter: the attention of a particular audience, and confidence that the numbers are real. Your sponsorship page should describe the reader precisely, give figures you can back up with a screenshot, list the placements with what each includes, and make enquiring easy. Payment comes later, through a link, once you've agreed a date.
Audience facts, and how to make them believable
Every sponsorship page claims an engaged audience. What sets yours apart is specificity and evidence.
- Who reads it, described as a sponsor would: "product managers at software companies in Europe", not "curious, smart people".
- Subscriber count, with the date you last updated it.
- Typical open rate and clicks per issue, as a range over recent issues. Note that some email apps inflate opens, so many sponsors care more about clicks.
- How readers subscribed: organic sign-ups, a giveaway, a list you bought. Sponsors ask; tell them first.
- Reader survey results, if you have them: job titles, company size, location.
- A screenshot offer: "we'll share a dashboard screenshot from our email platform on request".
Update the numbers on a schedule, monthly or quarterly, and show the date beside them. Stale figures are the fastest way to lose a sponsor's trust.
Placements and what each includes
| Placement | What the sponsor gets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primary sponsor | Top slot, logo, up to 100 words, one link | One per issue; usually the most valuable |
| Classified | A short text listing lower down | Cheaper; good for small companies testing you |
| Dedicated send | A whole issue about their product | Use rarely; readers notice |
| Bundle | Several issues at a discount | Agree dates up front |
Whether to publish rates is a choice. Published rates save time and attract smaller sponsors who would never ask; "rates on request" leaves room to negotiate with larger ones. Many writers publish a starting price and negotiate bundles. Either way, state what's included, your rules (no crypto, no gambling, whatever yours are), how sponsored content is labelled, and how far ahead you book.
From enquiry to payment
- The sponsor sends the enquiry form with their company, product, preferred placement and dates.
- You check fit and availability and reply with dates and terms.
- Once agreed, you send a payment link for the exact amount, created in your payment provider.
- They send copy and a link by your deadline; you send a proof.
- After the issue, send results: clicks on their link at minimum.
Taking payment before the issue goes out is common for small newsletters and avoids chasing invoices.
How Anticode builds it
Describe the newsletter and the placements, for example "an advertise in my newsletter page for a weekly product management newsletter, with audience, numbers, three placements and an enquiry form". The Architect plans the sections before building. The contact form asks for a name, email and message, which suits a simple enquiry; for structured fields such as company, placement and preferred dates, use a custom form tied to a site function with up to 30 plain-text fields. Enquiries are saved in your dashboard, sealed at rest, and can be emailed to you or sent to Slack, a Google Sheet or Airtable to track who's booked when.
For payment, create a link in Stripe Payment Links, PayPal, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy, Shopify or Whop and send it by email, or add a buy button on the page for a fixed-price classified slot. Change the numbers in the visual editor whenever you update them. The creator media kit workflow covers a similar page for brand deals, and the newsletter signup page covers growing the list itself.
Limits
- No live subscriber numbers: figures from your email platform are typed in by you, not pulled in.
- No booking calendar for issue dates beyond the built-in booking calendar, which books time slots rather than newsletter issues; most writers agree dates by email.
- No invoicing: use your payment provider or accounting tool.
- No sponsor click tracking: report results from your email platform.
Questions people ask
How many subscribers do I need before selling sponsorships?
There's no fixed number. A small, precisely defined audience can sell well to the right sponsor; what matters is who they are and whether they click.
Should the page show past sponsors?
Only with their permission. A short list of named past sponsors, with consent, reassures new ones.
Can sponsors pay on the page?
A buy button can go to your checkout link for fixed-price slots. Everything else is paid by a link you send once dates are agreed.