Sales 101

• Raising awareness of their business/organization
• Grow their customer base and conversions
• Promote new and existing products
• Promote events
• Advertisers will also be able to show their commitment to independent journalism within their community.

Having clearly differentiated products is critical. Potential sponsors need to easily understand what you’re offering and how much it will cost. When it comes to advertising, this means clearly laying out what the ad will look like, where it will be placed, and what kind of recognition the advertiser will receive.

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One of the most common ways to do this is with a content underwriting proposal. You can bundle exclusive newsletter sponsorship, website display ads, and social media mentions into the content underwriting recognition. This provides your sponsor extra recognition value while providing you a more stable revenue stream.

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The majority of your sponsorship sales will involve recognition on digital platforms (aka digital advertising). Recognition can also be done through print media, videos, and at events. Event sponsorship typically includes recognition on digital platforms, as well as in the event program, and occasionally with printed signage.

Remember, you can always change what you’re offering, the recognition sponsors are getting, and the prices. Experiment, find what works for you. As your audience grows, you can add in different types of sponsorships.

Advertising Policy & Sponsor Criteria

Having a formal advertising policy and sponsor criteria should be one of the first things you develop. Having this in place will help you build out the rest of your sales assets, and it will keep you on track when you start to sell sponsorship opportunities.

An established advertising policy will also help you when potential sponsors are asking for things that don’t align with your mission or would push you past your capacity. Being able to point to the policy and tell sponsors that you aren’t able to accommodate their request due to policy makes saying no a bit easier.

Advertising Resources

NOTE: the below policy is an example only. It is your responsibility to tailor your advertising policy to the needs of your business.

[PUBLISHER] ADVERTISING POLICY

[PUBLISHER] is committed to unbiased, independent journalism. Funds from advertising and sponsored content allow [PUBLISHER] to cover operating costs and expand coverage. The following policy explains how [PUBLISHER] protects our journalistic integrity and the trust of our readers while working with advertisers and sponsors.

1. Policy

All advertising policies are independent of editorial decisions. [PUBLISHER] does not endorse any product or service marked as an advertisement or promoted by a sponsor in [PUBLISHER] publications. Editorial content is not compromised by commercial or financial interests, or by any specific arrangements with advertising clients or sponsors. Advertisements may not be deceptive or misleading and must be verifiable. Advertisements should clearly identify the advertiser and product or service being offered.

2. Scope

This policy covers all functions within [PUBLISHER] and any affiliates that involve advertising operations.

3. Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of [NAME and/or POSITION] to ensure compliance with this policy.

4. Procedure

• All native/content advertisements/sponsorships are labeled with “Sponsored” text., i.e. sponsored by, made possible by, in partnership with, together with.
• Ads that contain a URL or domain in the body must link to that same URL or domain.
• Ads must send users to the same landing page when the ad is clicked.

• Landing pages cannot use “fake” close behavior or any of the spam behavior which is recognized as malware.

• Ads must directly relate to the content on the landing page.

• Ads must clearly represent the company, product, or service that is being advertised.

5. Prohibited Actions

Advertising for the following categories is prohibited:

• Ads must not be false, misleading, fraudulent, or deceptive.

• Ads cannot insult, harass, or threaten a user.

• Ads cannot contain, facilitate, promote or reference the following:

  • [INCLUDE EVERYTHING YOU WILL NOT ADVERTISE - this can include things like inappropriate language, libelous content, tobacco, firearms, gambling, contents, fundraising for other organizations, adult content, etc].

6. Violations

Violations of this policy may lead to consequences up to and including the removal of the ad being served on [PUBLICATION] sites and related material.

7. Reservation of Rights

[PUBLISHER] reserves the right to modify or terminate this Policy with or without notice.

ADVERTISING COMPLAINTS POLICY

Please send any complaints about advertising/sponsorship to [EMAIL ADDRESS].

PARTNERSHIP CLAUSE

[PUBLISHER] retains editorial control of our content in all circumstances. Funding partners do not have input into the stories that will be produced, are not aware of specific stories we are working on, do not review them before publication, and do not have special access to reporters. We will always disclose who our funding partners are to our readers. Partners must sign a clause agreeing to editorial independence before entering into a partnership agreement with [PUBLISHER].

Set Up a Dedicated Sales Email

Building Your Value Proposition

• Access to an audience not available through traditional media
  • Allows advertisers to target their ideal customers
• Help advertisers drive business growth with high quality ad placements
  • Grow awareness of and advertisers company
  • Adds credibility to an advertisers message & brand
• Putting money back into the community, supporting underserved areas
• Keeps local news free for readers (if there is no paywall)

Sales Assets

Media Kits

• Who are you and what is your purpose
  • Value proposition
• Talk about your audience
• How can you help solve the potential sponsors problem
  • Include testimonials
• What sponsorship opportunities do you have
• Call to action and contact information

Rate Card

Proposals

Emails

• For the initial pitch email, do not include any attachments. This will reduce the chances that your email will be sent to a spam folder. This includes images and/or logos you have in your signature.
• Personalize the pitch as much as possible. If you know the name of the person you’re contacting, use it. Include the name of the business.
• Try to connect with the person you’re contacting, show them that you value what they do. The only way you can do this is by researching the people you’re reaching out to.
• Don’t be afraid to self-promote, show off your work!
• Be direct, give them a simple action.
• Email subject lines are important. Keep it short and actionable.

Sample Initial Pitch Email (Cold)

Hi [FIRST NAME IF KNOWN]/Hi there,

My name is [NAME] with [PUBLICATION]. We are a local, independent, digital media publisher in [LOCATION].

Have you ever heard of newsletter sponsorship? It’s a great way to advertise your [BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION/EVENT] directly to the right people. Newsletter ads have a higher impact and stronger engagement than traditional display advertising on websites. Why?

Because we offer exclusivity and ads that include 50 words of copy, an 18-word headline, a link, and a large image. Advertising with us is low-risk and high-reward.

I would love to take 15 minutes to chat with you about [PUBLISHER] can help you grow your business. I’m confident that advertising with us is a great option for you.  Let's schedule something for next week, what is your availability?

Don’t miss out on our limited advertising inventory.

[NAME]

[EMAIL SIGNATURE]

Finding Sponsors

The best place to start looking for potential sponsors is in your current audience! What businesses and organizations are already subscribed to your newsletter or following you on social media? Do you have any contacts within your own network? It’s always easier to bring a sponsor onboard if they are already educated about what your publication is doing.

You can look for potential sponsors in a variety of places:

• Check out industry websites, magazines, newsletters, etc. to find who is advertising with similar publications.

• Look at local events, see who their sponsors are.

• Research local businesses

• Check who is following you on social media

• Go to local networking events

When sending out sponsorship asks, research your potential sponsor to find out what they need. Do they support specific community causes? Adapt your ask specific to their needs. Don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach.

Website Sponsorship Page

• The different sponsorship types (i.e., newsletter, event, content)
• Option to download the media kit (behind registration wall)
• Examples of advertisements
• Who to contact
• Links to your advertising policy/sponsor criteria
• Links to a page disclosing your sponsors/partners (can be used as recognition)
• Optional: the base prices
  
  

Newsletter Sponsorship

What It Is

• RECOMMENDED: Based on the number of recipients who received the email (does not include hard/soft bounces)
  • If you charge $500 to send an email to a subscriber list of 10,000 your CPM is $500/10 = $50 per 1,000 emails sent ($0.05/email)
• OTHER: Based on the number of recipients who opened the email (vCPM).
  • If you take the above scenario, but your open rate is 35% or 3,500, then your CPM is $500/3.5 = $142.86 per 1,000 emails opened ($0.14/opened email).
• We don’t recommend selling ads based on click-through rates unless you have a large audience with exceptional click rates. Focus on your audience, exclusivity, and quality journalism.

Suggested Recognition

• Sponsor recognition at the top of the email
• Content block featuring an ad mid-way down the email
  • Above the ad include a small heading identifying the content as an ad, “A MESSAGE FROM [SPONSOR NAME]”
  • Image (970 x 550)
  • Headline with link (w/ character limit)
  • Copy with second link placement (w/ character limit)

Examples of newsletter sponsorship ads from The Palm Springs Post (left) and The Ridge (right).

Know the Benefits

• Email newsletters are a marketing channel to an engaged audience. Unlike social media and display advertising, newsletter sponsorship won't get lost in a busy feed.
• Your audience trusts your publication, if you work with value aligned partners, your readers will trust the advertiser.
• According to Campaign Monitor, email drives the highest ROI for marketers, beating out any other channel.

Pricing

The below pricing is based on audience size.

Digital Display Advertising

What It Is

Display advertising is the use of text, video, and image advertising to encourage users to click-through to another website and complete an action. Common types of display ads are website banner ads and side-bar ads, they can also include retargeting ads to get users who already viewed a specific website to return and take action. There are two main types of display advertising, direct and programmatic advertising.

Display advertising of either type is typically sold based on cost per mille (CPM) which is how much it will cost an advertiser to get 1,000 impressions. An impression is when a user opens an app or website and they see an ad.

Direct Sales Display Ads

Direct sales display ads are when the advertiser works directly with a publisher to purchase ad space on a specific website. Direct ads compared to programmatic are associated with higher CPMs because the advertiser is picking their ideal audience. The drawback is that direct ad buying can take more time and costs more than programmatic.

Indiegraf publishers have the ability to sell and place display ads on their website directly, without using ad-buy platforms like Google Ads/Google Ad Manager. For instructions on how to fulfill direct sale display ads using the Advanced Ads Wordpress plugin, click here.

Suggested Recognition

Know the Benefits

• High-quality ad inventory in a variety of formats
• Higher CPMs because the advertiser is picking their ideal environment/audience
• Advertisers know when and where their ads will appear
• Advertisers are working directly with a real person

Direct Sale Ad Pricing

Indiegraf recommends publishers charge a higher than average CPM for the following reason:

• Direct sale ads guarantee that the advertiser is reaching their ideal audience.

• Few ad placements and clean site designs mean that ads will not get lost.

• The advertisers are investing in community journalism.

*NOTE: Pricing through Google Ads is based on the Google Display Network

Google Ads & Google Display Network

Publishers can include Google Ads on their website by linking a Google Ad Manager account to the Advanced Ads widget on their site. Unlike direct sale display ads, using Google Ads makes it possible for publishers to run ads on their website without having to interact directly with advertisers. The Google Display Network (GDN) serves Google Ads to websites, YouTube, and apps. It is an automated ad network for display advertising.

Publishers can sign up for a Google Ad Manager account by clicking HERE. There is a short questionnaire required. Answers should be as follows:

• What best describes your business? Web or video publisher
• Approximately how many monthly pageviews does your website get? 0-1M
• Are you looking for any of the following features?
  • A central place to monetize different channels or devices
  • A platform to manage your direct deals
  • A platform to manage third party network competition
• Do you have an existing AdSense account? Yes
  • If the publisher does not have an AdSense account, they will need to make one.
• What industry does your business fall into? News & publishing
• Where is your business based? North America

Creating an AdSense Account

1. Navigate to AdSense and click “Get Started” in the upper right-hand corner.
2. Select your Google account you want tied to your AdSense account.
3. Under Home there are three steps for getting set up:
   • Update your payment profile
   • Connect your site
4. Connecting your site involves posting some HTML code in your website. The Indiegraf development team can help with this if needed. The code is generated automatically by AdSense.
5. Request a review of the site.

Event Sponsorship

What It Is

• A presenting sponsor can cover the cost of all major expenses related to the event. For example, the presenting sponsor could cover the cost of the venue, rentals, entertainment, and any food and drink. In turn, they would receive mentions in the program, on social media, on the website, and any time the event is mentioned.
• Hiring a photographer for an event can be expensive! But many photographers are happy to provide their services at a discounted rate (or even for free) in order to get some recognition as a photography sponsor. Include the photographer’s name in your program, on social media before the event, your website, and give them credit when you post the event pictures.
  
  

Suggested Recognition

• “Presented by” with name/logo on all promotional materials and website
• Tickets to the event for the presenter (if appropriate)
• Option to speak at the event (if appropriate)
• Signage at the event
• Social media and website recognition
• Mentions in the event script
  
  

Know the Benefits

• You can provide tailor-made proposals to prospective sponsors that clearly outlines why your event is the perfect fit.
• Depending on the size of the event, you can find a sponsor for almost every single budget line, i.e. Photography Sponsor, Dinner Sponsor, Cocktail Sponsor, Decor Sponsor, etc.
• Your event is unique and so is the audience.
• Sponsorship is about visibility. How much visibility can you offer to your sponsors? Clearly outline what you can and cannot offer, keep expectations grounded and don’t over promise. 
  
  

Pricing

At the end of the day, you need to cover your expenses and sponsors are looking for a return on their investment. This means that along with their commitment to the community, they want access to new customers.

When determining how to price event sponsorship, you’ll first need to understand your expected costs. Do you want all costs covered, or just a portion? Are you planning on having a single sponsor or multiple sponsors? Break your event budget down into one or more categories that you want the sponsor cover.

How you price your event sponsorship opportunities needs to reflect your expenses and an understanding of your sponsors expectations. 

Underwritten & Subsidized Content

What It Is

Underwriting is when an organization covers the cost of or financially supports another organization. Subsidized content is a type of underwriting (and can be called underwritten content). It is when a business or organization supports a type of content being put out by a publisher. This could be a broad subject, such as Arts & Culture, or coverage of a specific topic, such as an election. 

When content is subsidized, the sponsor has no control over, involvement in, or advanced knowledge of the content. Subsidized content should always be clearly identified as part of their recognition. A partnership clause should be posted as well stating that the sponsor has no influence over any aspect of the content.

Other types of underwriting can include a sponsor covering the marketing costs of a fundraising/revenue campaign, or when a sponsor covers the cost of merchandise/swag that can be sold for profit.

READ MORE: Indiegraf article “How to use swag to meet your audience goals”

Recommendation: Try to get sponsors to subsidize content not directly related to their area of business. This can help ensure you are never going to be writing an article about that business/organization under their sponsorship.
 

Suggested Recognition

• Bundle your underwriting recognition with other sponsorship opportunities. For example, you can offer exclusive newsletter sponsorships and website display ads along with underwriting recognition. You aren’t giving this recognition away for free, you’re just bundling the pricing
• Have a page on your website for partnerships/sponsors/advertisers. Include brief bios w/ link to the company website of any larger supporters and link back to your own sponsorship/advertising page for anyone who wants more information on the different opportunities
• Have a headline on the underwritten content stating that the content is supported by the sponsor, i.e. “Arts & Culture made possible by [SPONSOR]”
• Cross-channel social media recognition
• Offer the sponsor use of your logo with specific wording to announce their sponsorship on their website and social channels
• If merchandise is being underwritten, consider co-branding opportunities
• If the sponsor is underwriting a specific revenue campaign, consider a co-branded landing page with dual messaging

Know the Benefits

• Underwritten and subsidized content provides an alternative stream of revenue that can be more secure than individual newsletter ad sales
• These sponsorship opportunities are typically higher priced and will cover months at a time, possibly even a year or more
• Your sponsors get access to a unique audience
• The sponsor enjoys lasting recognition while also providing lasting impact