What a local sponsor wants to see in a one-page media kit
Build a single page with dated audience numbers, clear advertising rates and a real example of the placement, even when your subscriber list is small.
- Lead with local reach, engagement and reader fit when your total audience is small
- Give every placement its own price, contents and number of editions
- Use a real past example or a clearly labeled sample image
- Send one dated PDF with a short email and a specific next step
A new newsletter operator pitches the owner of a coffee shop, and the reply arrives: "Can you send me your media kit?" The operator has subscribers and a few placement ideas, but no document ready to send. A media kit is a single page that shows a sponsor who reads you, what you charge, and what their ad would look like.
Its job is to help a local business make a small buying decision without another meeting. The owner should be able to identify the audience, understand the offer and see the cost in a few minutes. Company history and a long list of future ambitions can stay out of the way.
What the sponsor needs to see
Start with audience numbers you can reproduce from the tools you already use. Include the current subscriber count and the date you checked it. If you publish a newsletter, add the open rate, meaning the percentage of delivered emails recorded as opened, for a clearly stated period such as your last four issues. Website visits, podcast downloads or social followers belong on the page only when you can measure them and they are relevant to the placement being sold.
A small list still gives a sponsor useful information when the audience is specific. Name the town or neighborhoods covered, explain what readers come to you for, and include reader characteristics only when your own signup questions or surveys support them. Keep the exact subscriber total visible rather than rounding it into a larger claim, and leave projections off the page.
The rates section should describe something a business can actually buy. Give each placement a plain name, state where it appears, list what the sponsor supplies and say how many issues or days the price covers. Include the price beside each offer instead of hiding every standard option behind a request for a budget.
Then show the placement. A cropped image of a previous sponsored feature works, provided you have permission to reuse the sponsor's material. Without a past campaign, make a sample image using a fictional business and label it as a sample. Finish with a contact email, the publication name and the month the numbers were last updated.
- Header Publication name, coverage area and one sentence describing what you publish.
- Audience Two or three dated measurements plus the local reader context.
- Placements and rates The position, contents, duration and price for each standard offer.
- Visual example One past placement or one clearly labeled sample.
- Footer Contact details and the date of the latest update.
Who should use one, and who should wait
This format fits a local newsletter, website, podcast or creator with a defined audience and at least one advertising placement to sell. It is especially useful for a first pitch because the sponsor can forward a single file to a partner or manager. A multi-publication operator can use the same structure while keeping each audience and price clearly separated.
Wait before pitching if you cannot yet measure the audience or explain where an advertisement will appear. Build the sample placement and check your numbers first. An operator with no advertising history can still send the page, using a labeled sample and honest audience figures.
Build and send it today
- 01Choose the placements
Write down one to three offers, including exactly where each one appears.
- 02Check the audience
Record your current subscriber total and recent open rate, with the dates and period used.
- 03Describe the local reader
Add the coverage area and reader interests supported by your own records or survey answers.
- 04Price each offer
Put a dollar amount beside every standard placement and state what that amount includes.
- 05Add one visual
Insert a past advertisement or a sample labeled clearly as an example.
- 06Export and test
Save a PDF, a file that preserves the layout, and open it on a phone before sending.
Keep the page readable at normal zoom and remove any section you cannot support with a number or an example. Send it as an attachment with a short email naming the placement you recommend, its price and two available dates. The email should ask for a decision or a reply, while the PDF supplies the details.
A real placement page to study
Local Media HQ runs 20+ local publications with 175,000+ subscribers, and its public advertising pages show how little explanation a concrete offer needs. The Henderson HQ page lists a Newsletter Feature at $250 for one edition, placed after the editorial introduction, with up to 100 words, images, a logo and one clickable link. Its top banner costs $125 for one edition and includes one clickable link, with ready-to-run artwork supplied by the advertiser or design available for an additional fee. The page also provides online checkout and a separate route for recurring campaigns, multiple newsletters or custom ideas. A small publication can borrow that structure while using only its own verified audience figures and prices.
