Selling advertising space in your school or club newsletters not only helps local businesses attract more customers and support, but it is a simple passive fundraiser to earn money throughout the year.
Most schools and sporting clubs have a regular newsletter that is sent out to all students and members. Regardless of whether it is electronic or paper, you can simply add an extra page or two to the end of the newsletter, and sell off the ‘real estate’ to local businesses and parents within the community.
Prices will depend on the size of your school/club and how often you release newsletters, but one Perth school in the northern suburbs sells business-card sized pieces of newsletter real estate for $11 per issue or $40 for the whole term. With twelve adverts on each newsletter, that would bring in around $2,000 a year.
Bulimba P&C in NSW has a school of approximately 800 students and sends weekly digital newsletters during term. They offer a number of options to local businesses including small and large banner adverts. They charge $225 for a small ad (252x125px) for one term and $300 for a large ad (600x125px). For a full year those prices become $800 and $1,000 and there are multiple spaces available.
There is obviously some work involved in managing newsletter advertising, whether you go so far as to actively seek out advertisers or whether you’re just relying on word of mouth. Depending on your newsletter system, it is relatively easy to add in extra ‘image blocks’ if you gain extra advertisers, and with the majority of newsletters being digital these days, there is no issue with space and having to conform to paper size.
For advertisers who commit to a full year of advertising, it’s wise to encourage them to provide multiple adverts. Readers tend not to notice adverts that remain static for too long, which is why you should move them around, change the images, or even ask for ‘coupons/specials’ that might attract a reader’s attention.
When promoting your newsletter to local advertisers, make sure you have basic information on hand, such as how many students/members your school or club has, the postcodes of where they live and how many issues you send out per term.
Don’t forget to offer advertising (perhaps at a discount) to families in your school or club who own businesses. Chances are they are the ones who regularly support you with donations and sponsorship, gifting prizes or providing services – it’s a good way to repay them.
Updated July 2019
