Newsletters are making big money through sponsorships. Here’s how five successful ones do it:
- Morning Brew: Targets business professionals with integrated sponsorships and detailed performance metrics.
- The Hustle: Focuses on tech-savvy entrepreneurs using native ads and exclusive placements.
- Finimize: Attracts younger finance enthusiasts with short, digestible content tailored for financial brands.
- The Skimm: Engages millennial women with multi-channel sponsorships like email ads and social media collaborations.
- NextDraft: Uses a single-sponsor model for exclusive partnerships that align with its witty, curated content.
Key takeaways for success: Engage a niche audience, balance editorial and sponsored content, and offer clear performance metrics to sponsors.
Quick Comparison
| Newsletter | Audience | Sponsorship Strategy | Revenue Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Brew | Business professionals | Integrated ads, performance metrics | High-value partnerships |
| The Hustle | Tech entrepreneurs | Native ads, exclusive placements | Multi-strategy deals |
| Finimize | Younger finance readers | Tailored for financial brands | Steady ad revenue |
| The Skimm | Millennial women | Multi-channel sponsorships | Diverse ad options |
| NextDraft | Professionals, decision-makers | Single-sponsor model | Exclusive partnerships |
These newsletters prove that niche focus and reader engagement drive sponsorship revenue.
How We Grew Morning Brew From $0 to $400K in 1 Year
Morning Brew: Business Newsletter Success
Morning Brew has become a standout in the business newsletter space, leveraging focused content and a highly engaged audience to land lucrative sponsorships. Let’s break down its journey, approach to sponsorships, and the financial outcomes.
Newsletter History and Readers
Launched in 2015 by Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief, Morning Brew quickly gained a dedicated following among business professionals. This specific and engaged audience has been crucial in attracting top-tier sponsors, leading to sponsorship deals worth six figures.
Sponsorship Methods
Morning Brew employs a diverse sponsorship strategy tailored to its professional readership. It seamlessly integrates sponsorships into its content while offering sponsors detailed performance metrics. This allows sponsors to measure their campaigns' success while maintaining alignment with the newsletter’s tone and style.
Income Numbers
This approach has enabled Morning Brew to achieve consistent growth, thanks to strong sponsor retention and high-value partnerships.
The Hustle: Tech News Monetization
Target Audience and Subscriber Growth
The Hustle caters to young professionals and entrepreneurs who are deeply interested in tech and business. By delivering concise, insightful updates, they’ve created a loyal audience that’s highly appealing to tech-focused sponsors. Before being acquired by HubSpot in February 2021, their subscriber base saw impressive growth, making them a go-to platform for brands aiming to connect with influential decision-makers in the tech space.
How They Attract Sponsors
The Hustle leverages its engaged audience to secure sponsorship deals. They use a mix of strategies, including native ads, exclusive email placements, and tailored content partnerships. This multi-faceted approach ensures advertisers see strong results while effectively reaching their tech-savvy readers.
Revenue Before and After HubSpot
Before joining HubSpot, The Hustle had already built a strong revenue stream through sponsorships. Post-acquisition, they’ve expanded their monetization efforts while maintaining editorial independence. This growth highlights how niche newsletters can thrive financially in the tech world.
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Finimize: Finance Newsletter Revenue
Finimize uses focused content to draw in sponsors, ensuring a steady stream of ad revenue.
Audience Insights
Finimize provides short, easy-to-digest financial news tailored for younger readers. This strategy helps it stand out in a crowded financial news space.
Sponsorship Strategy
The newsletter appeals to financial brands aiming to connect with a younger, highly engaged audience. Its dedication to delivering top-notch content makes it a go-to choice for advertisers.
Revenue Highlights
While exact figures aren’t shared, Finimize pulls in six-figure revenue annually. This shows how specialized financial newsletters can be a profitable venture.
The Skimm: Multi-Channel Sponsorships
Growth and Audience
The Skimm has carved out a niche in the newsletter space by focusing on millennial women and delivering news in a conversational, straightforward style. This approach has built a loyal and engaged readership, creating a solid foundation for their advertising efforts.
Advertising Options
With a dedicated audience, The Skimm offers a range of advertising opportunities through its multi-channel sponsorship model. These include ad placements in their daily newsletter, standalone promotional emails, collaborations on social media, and tailored content series. This strategy ensures that sponsored content aligns smoothly with their editorial tone.
Income Data
By maintaining a balance between editorial standards and diverse sponsorship options, The Skimm generates six-figure sponsorship revenue while keeping the trust of its readers intact.
NextDraft: Single-Sponsor Model
Content Style and Readers
NextDraft sets itself apart by curating the day's most important stories with a sharp, witty tone. This unique editorial style appeals to professionals and decision-makers, creating a loyal and engaged audience. It's this distinctive voice that forms the foundation of its sponsorship strategy.
Single-Sponsor Approach
NextDraft uses a simple yet effective sponsorship model: working with only one sponsor at a time. This exclusive partnership allows the sponsor's message to be seamlessly integrated into the newsletter without overshadowing its editorial content. By offering sponsors exclusive access to its audience, NextDraft simplifies its sales process and increases the value of each sponsorship slot. This approach ensures that the newsletter maintains its personality while delivering value to both readers and sponsors.
Sponsorship Income
The single-sponsor strategy has been a financial success for NextDraft, generating six-figure annual revenues. By carefully balancing sponsored content with its editorial tone, the newsletter retains reader trust while offering sponsors meaningful exposure. This model has helped build strong, long-term sponsor relationships and keeps the audience engaged.
Success Factors and Best Practices
Reader Engagement Methods
To keep readers engaged, newsletters must deliver consistent and worthwhile content. Personalizing content and timing emails strategically can make a big difference. For instance, choosing the right time to send a newsletter can increase open rates. Adding interactive features like polls or surveys not only engages readers but also provides valuable feedback to improve future content.
Market Specialization
Focusing on a specific niche can attract high-value sponsors. When a newsletter caters to a well-defined audience, it establishes itself as an authority in that area, making it more appealing to sponsors.
Here’s how some newsletters align their niche with sponsor interests:
| Newsletter | Niche Focus | Sponsor Appeal |
|---|---|---|
| Morning Brew | Business professionals | B2B software and financial services |
| Finimize | Personal finance | Investment platforms and fintech products |
| The Skimm | Millennial professionals | Lifestyle brands and career services |
A clear niche not only attracts the right sponsors but also simplifies the sponsorship process by setting clear expectations.
Sponsorship Guidelines
Strong sponsorship programs strike a balance between maintaining editorial integrity and delivering value to sponsors. Transparent pricing based on engagement metrics ensures fairness and trust.
Key steps include:
- Placing sponsored content where it gets noticed without disrupting the flow.
- Tracking clear metrics for engagement and conversions.
- Carefully selecting sponsors that align with the audience’s interests.
Balancing editorial and sponsored content is essential. It keeps readers’ trust intact while ensuring the newsletter generates reliable revenue.
