Newsletter Marketplace Search

Prerequisites

• ICP definition (industry, buyer title, company size)
• Approximate budget range per placement ($100-5,000)
• Web search access or marketplace API credentials

Steps

1. Search Paved (primary marketplace). Paved is the largest newsletter advertising marketplace. Query their inventory:

   GET https://www.paved.com/explore
   

   Use their search filters:

   • Category: select the industry vertical matching your ICP (e.g., "SaaS", "Developer Tools", "Marketing", "Finance")
   • Audience size: minimum 1,000 subscribers
   • Price range: set to your per-placement budget
   • Format: "Sponsored blurb" or "Dedicated email" depending on your preference

   For each result, record: newsletter name, estimated subscribers, open rate, price per placement, audience description, and Paved listing URL.

   Paved API (if available via partnership): POST https://api.paved.com/v1/newsletters/search with body {"category": "{category}", "min_subscribers": 1000, "max_price": {budget}}. Response includes newsletter_id, name, subscribers, open_rate, cpm, price_per_send.

2. Search Swapstack / Sparkloop. Swapstack (now part of Beehiiv) and Sparkloop offer newsletter recommendation and advertising networks:

   • Swapstack: Browse at https://swapstack.co/brands — filter by category and audience size
   • Sparkloop: https://sparkloop.app/partner — focused on newsletter cross-promotion with paid options

   Record the same fields: newsletter name, subscribers, open rate, price, audience description.

3. Search Letterhead and direct outreach targets. For niche newsletters not on marketplaces:

   • Letterhead: https://letterhead.email/discover — curated newsletter directory
   • Google search: "{your_industry}" newsletter sponsorship OR "sponsor this newsletter" OR "advertise in our newsletter"
   • Substack leaderboard: https://substack.com/discover/{category} — find high-traffic Substacks, then check if they accept sponsors (look for "sponsor" link in footer or about page)
   • Beehiiv Boost network: https://app.beehiiv.com/boosts/earn — newsletters seeking paid recommendations

4. Compile the raw prospect list. For each newsletter found, capture:

   • Newsletter name
   • Publisher/company name
   • Signup URL
   • Estimated subscribers
   • Published open rate (if available)
   • Price per placement (CPM or flat rate)
   • Marketplace source (Paved, Swapstack, Sparkloop, direct)
   • Contact email or booking URL
   • Category/niche
   • Frequency (daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly)

   Store as a spreadsheet or Clay table. Aim for 30-50 candidates in the initial search.

5. Calculate effective CPM for each newsletter. Normalize pricing for comparison:

   effective_cpm = (price_per_placement / estimated_subscribers) * 1000
   

   Also calculate cost per estimated open:

   cost_per_open = price_per_placement / (estimated_subscribers * open_rate)
   

   Sort by cost_per_open ascending. Newsletters with high open rates and reasonable pricing rise to the top.

Error Handling

• If a marketplace returns no results for your category, broaden the search to adjacent categories
• If pricing is not listed, email the newsletter publisher directly: "We are interested in sponsoring an upcoming issue. Could you share your media kit or rate card?"
• If open rates are not published, assume 30% for niche B2B newsletters as a conservative estimate

Alternative Tools

• Paved: Largest marketplace, best for B2B newsletters
• Swapstack/Beehiiv: Strong for creator-led newsletters
• Sparkloop: Best for newsletter recommendation placements
• Letterhead: Curated directory, good for discovery
• Who Sponsors Stuff (whosponsorsstuff.com): Tracks which brands sponsor which newsletters — useful for competitive research
• The Sample (thesample.ai): AI-driven newsletter discovery, can surface niche options