Paved vs. Appeared.in: Finding Newsletter Sponsors

When we look at Paved and Appeared.in, the real question is how we want to find and secure sponsors for our newsletter. Do we want a more hands-off approach, or do we want to actively hunt down specific brands? These two tools tackle the problem from very different angles.

Quick Verdict

Choose Paved if you want to connect with advertisers through a marketplace and streamline inbound sponsorship requests. It works well if you prefer to manage campaigns once deals are initiated. Appeared.in is for us if we want to proactively identify and reach out to brand sponsors, using data to inform our sales strategy and build our own outbound pipeline.

Features that actually matter

Finding sponsors and managing those relationships takes time and effort. Paved and Appeared.in offer distinct approaches to these tasks. One helps deals come to you, the other helps you go find deals.

Paved acts like a network for sponsored content. It connects our newsletter with potential advertisers. We can list our newsletter, and advertisers can find us, or we can use its tools to manage direct outreach we initiate. The platform aims to simplify the process of running sponsored content from start to finish. It also has features for automatically placing native ads in our newsletters.

Appeared.in, on the other hand, is a sponsor intelligence platform. It helps us find brands that are already sponsoring newsletters similar to ours. It tracks real-time sponsorship data and gives us verified contact information for decision-makers. This means we can build a highly targeted list of prospects and reach out directly.

Essentially, Paved helps us manage the inbound and marketplace side of sponsorships. Appeared.in gives us the data to drive an outbound sales effort.

Pros and cons

We need to weigh what each platform offers against its potential drawbacks.

Paved

• Pros:

  • No subscription fees.
  • Payment protection.
  • Access to a large network of publishers and newsletters.
  • Performance-focused tools for tracking sponsorship effectiveness.

• Cons:

  • Limited information on specific integrations with third-party tools.
  • Managing multiple sponsorships simultaneously might present challenges.

Appeared.in

• Pros:

  • Significantly reduces manual research time for sponsor discovery.
  • Provides access to real-time, actionable data for sales strategies.
  • Improves outreach effectiveness with verified contact information.
  • Helps close brand sponsorships faster.

• Cons:

  • Pricing might be a barrier for smaller newsletter operations or individual creators.
  • Reliance on the platform's data coverage and accuracy for niche markets could be a limitation.
  • There is a potential learning curve for sales teams.
  • Limited public information is available on specific user reviews or success stories.

Who should pick what

Pick Paved if:

• We are a creator just starting out and want an easy way to get our newsletter in front of potential advertisers without a dedicated sales team. We want to streamline the process of receiving and managing sponsorship deals.
• We prioritize payment security and simplified campaign management. We want a platform that handles the administrative side once an advertiser is found.

Pick Appeared.in if:

• We have a dedicated sales person or team, or we're an individual creator ready to commit significant time to proactive, direct outreach. We need detailed data to find and qualify specific brands.
• We want to build a robust, data-driven outbound sales pipeline. We need verified contact information and real-time insights to make our pitches more effective.
• We are focused on securing high-value, direct brand sponsorships and are comfortable with a subscription fee to access premium intelligence.

Ultimately, the choice comes down to our preferred workflow. We choose the tool that best fits how we want to find and manage our newsletter sponsorships.