Finding consistent, high-value and good-fit sponsors for your content can be one of the more holistic ways to live and work as a creator. Not beholden only to the algorithms and big tech platform's ad rates, as a maker, you have a lot more control over:

• The types of products you promote;
• The terms of payment for promoting those products; and
• How often and in what capacity you do so.

In many ways, when done well, the sponsorship model is closer to a true partnership or collaboration between two entities than it is a strictly transactional relationship.

As you (the creator, maker or community-builder) succeed at what you do best, your sponsors (typically) also succeed.

One key element of deploying a sponsorship model effectively is to price it well, and to structure your offerings not only clearly, but in a way that makes sense for your target audience.

To help you do this, I'll walk through a sponsorship packages template in Notion, to help you plan out, adjust and track these packages in more detail.

We'll cover:

• Sponsorship packages;
• Fixed-rate sponsor deals;
• CPM-based sponsorship deals;
• Commission-based or affiliate sponsorships; and
• How to track it all in this Notion template.
  

What should be included in a sponsorship package?

A sponsorship package typically includes some mix of the following:

• Your sponsorship rates;
• The type of sponsorship (e.g. one-time, monthly, quarterly);
• An outline or explanation of what's included in the sponsorship (e.g. logo placement on website, social media mentions, blog post sponsorship); and
• Any additional benefits or perks (e.g. early access to content, free products, etc.).
  

Creating sponsorship tiers

One way to add structure and clarity to your sponsorship offerings is to create sponsorship tiers. This involves breaking down your sponsorship packages into different price points, each with its own set of benefits.

The number of sponsorship tiers you create is up to you, but I generally recommend starting with three:

• A low-priced entry-level sponsorship;
• A mid-range sponsorship; and
• A high-priced "premium" sponsorship.

The benefits you include in each tier should be different enough that there's a clear incentive for your audience members to move up the ladder, but not so different that the lower-priced tiers feel worthless.

Here's an example of what sponsorship tiers might look like:

Entry-level sponsorship: $250/month

Includes:

• Logo placement on website sidebar;
• One social media mention per week;
• One blog post sponsorship per month
  

Mid-range sponsorship: $500/month

Includes:

• Logo placement in website header;
• Two social media mentions per week;
• One blog post sponsorship per week;
• Mention in monthly newsletter
  

Premium sponsorship: $1,000/month

Includes:

• Logo placement on website homepage;
• Four social media mentions per week;
• Two blog post sponsorships per week;
• Mention in monthly newsletter;
• Banner ad on website homepage;
• Product review or mention in weekly podcast episode
  

Pricing your sponsorship packages

There are a few different ways you can price your sponsorship packages. The method you choose will likely depend on a number of factors, including:

• The type of sponsorship you're offering;
• The format or medium in which your sponsorship will be delivered (e.g. blog posts, social media, podcasts);
• How much work is involved in fulfilling the sponsorship;
• The size of your audience; and
• The number of sponsors you're hoping to secure.
  

Some common pricing models for sponsorship packages include:

Fixed-rate sponsorship: In this model, you charge a set price for each sponsorship slot (e.g. $250 for a sponsorship mention in your monthly newsletter). The benefit of this pricing model is that it's simple and easy to understand. The downside is that it can be inflexible, and may not accurately reflect the value you're providing to your sponsors.

CPM-based sponsorship: CPM stands for "cost per mille (thousand)," and in this pricing model, you charge your sponsors based on the number of views or downloads an episode/content piece receieves. To give an example, in the podcasting world, the average CPM is $18 for a 30-second ad read, and $25 for a 60-second read.

This model is often used for sponsorships delivered through blog posts, social media, podcasts and other online channels.

Commission-based sponsorship: In this model, you act as an affiliate for the sponsor, and earn a commission on any sales or leads generated through your sponsorship. This model is often used for sponsorships delivered through podcasts, webinars or other lead-generation formats.

How to track it all in this Notion template

This Notion template is a simple table to help you plan and sort the details of your various sponsorship offerings and packages.

To get started, simply duplicate the template from the link on this page, then edit it to include your own packages.

For the Notion-savvy, you can also turn the empty 'Contacts' property into a relational property and link it to your own contacts database--then link the respective packages to any active sponsors you already have.

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