Why Brand Awareness Matters > Click-Through Rates in Newsletter Sponsorships

As a newsletter operators, you'll encounter two types of advertisers: those who understand the value of brand awareness, and those who only care about immediate clicks. The second group will waste your time and energy.

Here's why brand awareness is the real metric that matters—and how to set expectations upfront.

Many brands come from performance marketing backgrounds where every dollar must generate trackable ROI within 48 hours.

They want:

When they don't get 100+ clicks from a newsletter placement, they demand refunds—even when the campaign delivered exactly what was promised.

This mindset misunderstands how newsletter sponsorships work.

Newsletter sponsorships are brand awareness plays, not performance marketing channels. Here's what you're actually buying:

When a newsletter achieves a 72.6% open rate to 42,000 subscribers, that means 30,492 people actively chose to read that content. These aren't bot clicks or accidental scrolls—they're professionals who opted in and engage regularly.

It's worth noting: a 72.6% open rate is exceptional and typically results from sophisticated, well-aligned creative that resonates with the audience. Most newsletters average 15-25% open rates. A 40-55% open rate is more common for quality newsletters with engaged audiences.

Compare newsletter engagement to other channels:

When readers see your brand in a newsletter they trust, you inherit that trust. The newsletter operator has spent years building credibility—you're renting that credibility for one issue.

Marketing research shows it takes 7-12 touchpoints before someone converts. A newsletter placement is one touchpoint. If readers see your brand again later (on social media, in search results, through a colleague), they'll recognize you—and recognition drives conversions.

Newsletter subscribers are often managers, directors, and executives—people with budgets and buying authority. A click might not happen immediately, but when they need your solution in 3 months, they'll remember seeing you in their trusted newsletter.

Academic research shows that brand awareness is "essential for desired downstream communication effects such as brand attitude and purchase intention."

A study by Cahners Research involving 23,341 businesses found that brand preference rises alongside brand awareness, nearly in direct proportion. As potential customers become more aware of your brand, they are significantly more likely to choose it over competitors.

Research demonstrates that a known brand has a much better chance of being chosen by consumers over an unknown brand, and well-known brands likely perform better in the marketplace compared to lesser known brands.

Even more revealing: Only 20% of people remember an advertisement the next day and can attribute that ad to a specific brand. This means brand awareness campaigns must focus on repetition and distinctiveness, not immediate clicks.

Let's say you sponsor a newsletter with these realistic stats:

Performance marketer's calculation: $2,500 ÷ 283 clicks = $8.83 per click "Too expensive! Facebook gives me $2 clicks!"

Brand marketer's calculation: $2,500 ÷ 18,900 impressions = $0.13 per impression (CPM: $132) "Exceptional value for reaching 18,900+ engaged decision-makers in my exact target market with a 45% engagement rate."

The performance marketer ignores that Facebook's $2 clicks come from people who weren't looking for their product. The newsletter audience is pre-qualified and actively engaged—45% actively opened the email, a metric Facebook ads could never achieve.

What would it cost to reach 42,000+ creator economy professionals through Google Ads?

For B2B SaaS (the closest comparable audience), the average Google Ads CPC is $4.22, with search ads averaging $3.33 per click and display ads averaging $0.79 per click.

To reach 42,000 creator economy decision-makers on Google Ads:

Option 1: Search Ads (high intent, high cost)

Option 2: Display Ads (low cost, low engagement)

Option 3: Newsletter Sponsorship (engaged audience, predictable cost)

With a newsletter sponsorship starting at $2,500, you're getting targeted reach for 98% less than Google Search ads and more engagement than display ads at a comparable price point.

Google Ads also requires ongoing optimization, A/B testing, and management—with the average small business spending $9,000-$10,000 per month to maintain performance. A newsletter sponsorship is a one-time placement with no ongoing management required.

Here's what many advertisers miss: high click-through rates only happen when there's perfect alignment between audience and offer, plus premium ad creative that compels action.

That exceptional 72.6% open rate example? It came from sophisticated creative that perfectly matched audience needs. Most campaigns won't achieve that—and that's okay. A 40-55% open rate is still 2-3x better than industry standards and represents significant brand awareness value.

If your ad creative is generic, your offer isn't compelling, or your product doesn't resonate with the audience, you'll get low clicks regardless of placement quality. That's a creative problem, not a distribution problem.

When an advertiser receives strong brand awareness (18,900+ impressions, 45% open rate) but weak clicks, it typically means:

Subpar creative CAN drives awareness, not ALWAYS conversions. The newsletter delivered its job (putting your brand in front of engaged professionals). Whether those professionals clicked depends entirely on whether your message resonated.

This is why sophisticated advertisers test multiple creative variations and run sustained campaigns rather than judging performance on a single placement. They understand that brand awareness compounds over time, and conversion happens when awareness meets need.

To avoid disputes with advertisers who don't understand brand awareness, address this upfront:

In your sponsorship page: "Newsletter sponsorships are brand awareness placements designed to build recognition among creator economy professionals. Our newsletters average 40-55% open rates (2-3x industry standard) and 1-2% click-through rates depending on creative quality and audience-offer alignment. Success metrics: impressions, audience engagement, brand recall—not immediate conversions. Exceptional performance (70%+ open rates, 2.5%+ CTR) results from sophisticated creative with perfect audience alignment."

In your sales conversations: "Our sponsors see the most value from sustained presence. Companies that run 3-4 placements report significantly higher inbound interest than one-off campaigns. This is about being top-of-mind when your audience needs your solution, not driving immediate clicks. We'll work with you on creative to maximize both awareness and engagement."

In your contracts: Include a clause: "Advertiser acknowledges this is a brand awareness placement. Refunds are not issued based on click-through rates. Performance is measured by delivery rate, open rate, and placement as agreed. Expected performance: 40-55% open rate, 1-2% CTR based on industry benchmarks and creative quality."

Look for companies that:

These advertisers become repeat clients because they understand the value you're providing.

Red flags:

These advertisers are used to cheap CPC ads and will never be satisfied with premium newsletter placements. They'll demand refunds regardless of performance.

Newsletter sponsorships are not performance marketing channels. They're brand awareness plays that put your name in front of highly engaged, pre-qualified decision-makers.

Brand awareness research helps businesses understand how familiar their target audience is with their brand, what associations are attached to it, and whether these align with intended brand identity. This understanding takes time to build and cannot be measured by clicks alone.

If an advertiser doesn't understand this distinction, they're not your client. Save yourself the headache and focus on brands that value what you actually provide: access to an audience that trusts you.

The right advertisers will pay premium rates, invest in quality creative, and come back for more. The wrong ones will nickel-and-dime you, demand refunds, and waste your time.

Choose wisely.

Sources:

Want to sponsor CREATORVERSED and reach 42,000+ creator economy professionals with 40-73% open rates? Packages start at $2,500. View available dates.