How to Advertise in Newsletters: A Publisher's Plain Guide
To advertise in a newsletter, you pay its publisher to place your message in front of their subscribers, either as a slot inside a regular issue or as a dedicated send. Pick a newsletter your buyers already read, ask how placements are labelled and measured, send one clear offer with a tracked link, and judge it on clicks and signups, not list size.
Why newsletter ads work differently from other ads
A newsletter is something the reader asked for. That changes how an ad inside it gets read: it borrows the trust the reader has in the person writing, which a banner on a website never gets. It also means the wrong ad costs the publisher something, so good publishers turn a lot of advertisers away.
The people who read newsletters are worth knowing about before you spend anything. Pew Research Center's February 2026 report found that 3 in 10 US adults get news from email newsletters at least sometimes, and that the habit tilts towards education: 35% of college graduates get news this way, against 25% of people with a high school diploma or less. Pew also notes that Americans with higher incomes are more likely to read them. So a newsletter audience is usually a smaller, better informed slice of the market than a social feed, which is exactly who most B2B and SaaS brands want.
The ways you can advertise in a newsletter
| Format | What it is | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Featured slot in an issue | A short block of copy, usually near the top, inside the regular send | Tools and offers that explain themselves in a few lines | Issues crowded with sponsors, where nobody remembers any of them |
| Dedicated send | The whole email is about your product, sent to the full list | Launches, demos and anything that needs a story told | Publishers who send these so often that readers stop opening them |
| Classified or text line | One line and a link further down the issue | Testing a new newsletter cheaply before a bigger booking | Low click numbers that tell you little either way |
| Banner or image ad | A display unit dropped into the template | Brand awareness for well known names | Images blocked by default in some email apps |
| Review or article with a newsletter mention | A longer write-up on the publisher's site, pointed to from the email | Products that buyers research before they commit | A review that reads like an ad, which readers skip |
How to advertise in a newsletter, step by step
- Write down who buys from you in one sentence: their job, their business size and the problem your product solves for them.
- Make a shortlist of newsletters that person already reads. Ask your best customers which ones they open, because that list beats any directory.
- Read three or four back issues of each. If you wouldn't forward one to a colleague, don't advertise in it.
- Ask the publisher who reads it, how many sponsors share an issue, how placements are labelled and what they'll report back to you.
- Write one offer with one call to action. Two links compete, and the reader picks neither.
- Put a tracked link on it, so you can see clicks, signups and sales from that send alone.
- Judge the result on what came through the link, then decide whether to book again. One send rarely tells the whole story, so plan for a second before you decide.
What I look for when a brand asks to advertise in my newsletter
I run a weekly newsletter of my own. On my newsletter page I describe it as "For people obsessed with growing their business. Whether or not AI is involved." It's "Read by 15,000 entrepreneurs, marketers, founders, and business owners." The page goes on: "Every Sunday: the live experiment I ran in my own business this week, the numbers it produced, and the stuff I have learned. Marketing, AI, sales, SEO, content, the occasional rant." Plus tool reviews from someone who uses them.
On my partner page I describe the readers like this: "Readers are entrepreneurs, founders, operators, marketers, consultants, and SaaS buyers who actively try, evaluate, and recommend tools." And this is how I run placements for them: "Fewer competing calls to action. Clear framing. The same destination reinforced instead of buried." Or, as I put it there: Less salad bar. More soup.
If you're comparing this with other ways to reach the same people, my guide to reaching small business owners where they read covers blogs and roundups too, and sponsored articles that read like editorial explains the blog side. For reader numbers from independent sources, see my newsletter readership statistics.
My verdict
Newsletter advertising works when the audience is right and the issue isn't crowded. It doesn't work when you buy the biggest list you can find and hope. I'd always rather see a brand test one placement in a newsletter its buyers trust than spread the same spend across five they've never heard of.
If you want to put your product in front of my readers, start with how partnering with me works. Tell me three things: what you're promoting, what you want to achieve and your ideal timing, and I'll tell you straight whether it makes sense. If you'd like to see the newsletter for yourself first, read about the Sunday newsletter here.
Frequently asked questions
How do I advertise in a newsletter?
Contact the publisher, tell them what you're promoting and who you want to reach, and ask which placement fits. Most newsletters offer a slot inside an issue or a dedicated send.
Is newsletter advertising worth it?
It's worth it when the newsletter's readers are your buyers and each issue carries only a few sponsors. Judge it on clicks and signups from a tracked link, not on the size of the list.
What's the difference between a newsletter ad and a dedicated send?
A newsletter ad sits inside a regular issue next to the publisher's own content. A dedicated send is a whole email about your product, sent to the full list.
Who reads email newsletters?
Pew Research Center's February 2026 report found 3 in 10 US adults get news from newsletters at least sometimes, with higher shares among college graduates and higher earners.
Can I advertise in Lilach Bullock's newsletter?
Yes. See the partner with me page and tell me what you're promoting, what you want to achieve and your ideal timing, and I'll tell you whether it fits.