When you start growing your email list, the hardest part can be getting your name out there. You have to show what you know and prove your value to people who haven’t heard of you to find readers and subscribers to join your email newsletter.
When you decide to run email advertisements, it can feel like the same thing all over again. Once again, you have to show your value, this time to potential advertisers.
As intimidating as it can be to generate interest and find advertisers to work with, it is not impossible. With a few steps, you can stand out among the crowd and secure great advertising partners for your newsletter.
4 easy steps to find advertisers
1. Create a standout media kit
One of the best ways to generate advertiser interest is to have great metrics to show off. While advertisers certainly want to know what you write about and may want to hear the story behind your brand, ultimately, they’re interested in ROI.
That’s why your media kit is so important—it’s your opportunity to provide the information advertisers need to make an informed decision about whether your brand is a good fit for theirs.
How can you create a standout media kit? The key is to provide the numbers that advertisers need. That means being upfront about your list size, open rates, and click rates.
If those numbers aren’t quite what you’d like them to be, it might be time for a list pruning campaign.
Your media kit can also include information about your brand, your writing style, and your target reader.
Help advertisers get to know your readers by sharing any demographic information you know about them. If you don’t have any demographics on your readers, you can try running a simple survey, or you could sign up for Paved.
When you sign up for Paved and connect your email service provider, we create a demographic deep-dive media kit right on your Paved profile. This includes information about your readers’ interests, employment and household makeup.
Your media kit should also include your advertising rates. It can be hard to know where you should start and how much value you’re really bringing to advertisers—especially if you’re just getting started.
When in doubt, start with your rates a bit lower than you’d like to see them. This will give you a chance to prove your value with a few advertisers, and you can always raise your rates at a later date.
2. Build a newsletter sponsorship page
Once you start making a name for yourself, your newsletter, and your blog or website, a great “work with me” page will become essential. That way, if an advertiser stumbles across your site, or someone is looking to share your site with a potential advertiser, they’ll find the information they need.
Your work with me page should essentially be a version of your media kit, with information about your readership, your topic areas, and some metrics.
But the most important part of your work with me page is the part where a potential advertising partner can learn more and figure out how to contact you.
Making it easy for advertisers to contact you is the most important thing—most of them won’t waste much time if they don’t see a way to get in touch easily.
That’s why we encourage all of our Paved publishers to include a link to their sponsorship booking page on their website, whether it's your “about” or “work with me” page.
This makes it easy for advertisers to get the information they need, including up-to-date metrics and demographic information in your Paved profile. Plus, once they decide to work with you, advertisers can easily request a date.
3. Reach out to sponsors
Once you have a killer media kit and sponsorship booking page, you can start to reach out to potential advertisers to see if they would be interested in working with you. While pitching advertisers can feel tedious, it’s one of the best ways to get your name out there and find advertisers, especially when you’re getting started.
Wondering who to reach out to? The best bet is to start with any brands you already have a relationship with. Any brands you’ve mentioned before, or have included affiliate links to, will be more likely to be open to a partnership.
Another area to start with is other brands within your niche. Be sure to find advertisers that align with the interests of your target reader, so that you can easily show your value to them.
In your pitch email, begin by stating what you know about the brand and why you want to work with them. Then, let them know the crucial details about your list, like the subject area and how many subscribers you have. Include a link to your Paved profile or media kit for additional information.
Then, you can make the ask. Be clear and direct about what you’re looking for, but remember that this is a great opportunity for the advertiser as well, so your tone should reflect that.
It may take a few pitch emails before you see results, but if you have a large, engaged list, eventually someone will bite.
4. Find advertisers with Paved
By creating a killer media kit, a great pitch email, and a standout work with me page, you’ll be setting yourself up for success when you’re looking for advertising partners. While it can be a tedious process to begin with, once you get started, you’ll be able to show your brand’s value and watch your strategy take off.
Now that you have the tools to find advertisers for your email newsletter, have advertisers come to you by signing up for Paved. Create a profile in the Paved marketplace, get your free sponsorship page with Booker, and watch the sponsorship opportunities roll in.
