How to monetize what you already run
Sponsorship works differently depending on what you own. A newsletter sells placements per send; a directory sells position at the moment of choice; an open-source project sells a block in its README. Pick the one you have.
Newsletter
The most established creator-side ad format there is: how newsletter placements work, what to charge per send, and what sponsors ask for before they book.
Read the guide →Blog
Selling blog ad space directly, without a network: which placements are worth selling, what they earn against programmatic, and how to price them.
Read the guide →Podcast
Podcast advertising from the host's side: pre-roll, mid-roll and host-read spots, what each is worth per thousand downloads, and what sponsors ask for.
Read the guide →SaaS app
Turning a software product into ad inventory: in-app placements, changelog and docs sponsorships, and what a logged-in audience is worth to other vendors.
Read the guide →AI tool
AI products attract the best-funded advertisers on the market right now. Where to put placements in an AI tool, who buys them, and what the audience is worth.
Read the guide →YouTube channel
Direct brand deals for YouTube creators: integration formats, what to charge per video against AdSense, and what brands ask for before they book.
Read the guide →Community
Sponsorship for community owners: which placements members tolerate, why small communities price well, and how to sell access without wrecking it.
Read the guide →Directory
Directories sell intent, the most valuable inventory there is. Featured placements, category sponsorship, and how to price position at the moment of choice.
Read the guide →Open-source project
README, docs and release sponsorship for maintainers: what developer attention is worth, how to price it, and how to take money without changing the project.
Read the guide →Mobile app
Direct brand deals for app developers: where placements belong in an app, why they beat ad networks on the same users, and what to prepare before pitching.
Read the guide →Social media account
Brand deals on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok: why engagement sets the price, why packages beat single posts, and what to have ready before pitching.
Read the guide →What every format has in common
However different the inventory looks, sponsors are buying the same three things every time: a defined audience, a placement they can picture, and evidence that the last person who bought it got something out of it. Creators who can supply all three sell at their asking price. Creators who supply the first two negotiate. Creators who supply only a follower count get ignored.
The other constant is that direct deals pay several times what an ad network pays for the same audience, because the sponsor is buying access to your specific readers rather than bidding into an auction against everyone else's. That gap is the entire reason to do the work of selling placements yourself.
If you already know your format and just want a number, the calculator gives you benchmark CPM, CPC, CPA and flat rates across 23 subject areas. If you want to see what other people are charging right now, the rates page is built from live listings.
Ready to be found by sponsors?
Adsly lists 380 platforms that brands browse by category, audience and budget. Publishing is free with the Adsly badge, and there is 0% commission on anything you close.
List your platform