Platform Overview

adly.news is a marketplace that connects newsletter creators with businesses looking to advertise to engaged audiences. This guide explains how the platform works and the core concepts you'll encounter.

The Two-Sided Marketplace

adly.news brings together two types of users:

Newsletter Owners

Newsletter owners are creators who publish email newsletters and want to monetize their audience through advertising. They:

• Connect their newsletters from platforms like Beehiiv, Kit, or Mailchimp

• Create ad slots with pricing and specifications

• Review and respond to bids from businesses

• Manage bookings and receive payments

Businesses (Advertisers)

Businesses are companies or individuals who want to reach targeted audiences through newsletter advertising. They:

• Browse and discover newsletters that match their target audience

• Book ad slots or submit bids

• Create campaigns for newsletters to apply to

• Provide creative assets and pay for placements

Core Concepts

Newsletters

A newsletter is an email publication connected to adly.news. Newsletter owners link their newsletters from supported platforms (Beehiiv, Kit, Mailchimp, The Newsletter Plugin, GetResponse) to display subscriber counts, open rates, and other metrics.

Ad Slots

An ad slot is an advertising opportunity within a newsletter. Newsletter owners create ad slots with:

• Name — A descriptive name for the placement

• Format — The type of ad (Featured Top Post, Newsletter Post, Banner, etc.)

• Price — The cost for a single placement

• Specifications — Image dimensions, character limits, and CTA requirements

• Publishing Days — Which days of the week the newsletter publishes

Bookings

A booking is a confirmed ad placement. When a business books an ad slot, they:

1. Select an available date

2. Provide their business information

3. Upload creative assets (image, copy, CTA)

4. Complete payment

Bookings have the following statuses:

Status	Description
Pending Payment	Booking created, awaiting payment
Confirmed	Payment received, ad scheduled
Completed	Ad has been published
Cancelled	Booking was cancelled

Bids

A bid is a price negotiation for an ad slot. Instead of booking at the listed price, businesses can submit a lower offer. The newsletter owner can:

• Accept — Agree to the bid price (business has 48 hours to complete booking)

• Reject — Decline the bid

• Counter-offer — Propose a different price

Campaigns

A campaign is an advertising opportunity created by a business. Instead of reaching out to newsletters individually, businesses can create a campaign describing their advertising needs, and newsletter owners can apply to participate.

Campaigns include:

• Title and description — What the campaign is about

• Date range — When ads should run

• Payment type — Fixed price or negotiable

• Ideal newsletter description — What type of newsletters they're looking for

The Booking Flow

Here's how a typical booking works:

Business discovers newsletter
         ↓
Business books ad slot or submits bid
         ↓
Newsletter owner accepts (if bid)
         ↓
Business provides creative assets
         ↓
Business completes payment
         ↓
Booking is confirmed
         ↓
Newsletter owner publishes ad
         ↓
Booking automatically marked complete
         ↓
Newsletter owner can withdraw payout

The Bidding Flow

Here's how the bidding process works:

Business submits bid
         ↓
Newsletter owner reviews bid
         ↓
    ┌────┴────┐
    ↓         ↓
 Accept    Counter-offer
    ↓         ↓
    ↓    Business reviews
    ↓         ↓
    ↓    Accept/Decline
    ↓         ↓
    └────┬────┘
         ↓
Business has 48 hours to complete booking
         ↓
Booking confirmed or bid expires

The Campaign Flow

Here's how campaigns work:

Business creates campaign
         ↓
Newsletter owners browse campaigns
         ↓
Newsletter owner applies with proposed rate
         ↓
Business reviews applications
         ↓
Business approves application
         ↓
Booking is created
         ↓
Standard booking flow continues

Payments

For Newsletter Owners

Newsletter owners receive payments through Stripe Connect:

1. Connect Stripe — One-time setup to link your bank account

2. Pending Balance — Earnings from confirmed bookings (awaiting completion)

3. Available Balance — Funds ready to withdraw

4. Withdraw — Transfer funds to your bank (2-5 business days)

The platform takes a 10% fee on each booking.

For Businesses

Businesses pay for bookings through Stripe:

1. Card Payment — Pay securely with credit/debit card

2. Invoicing — Receive invoices for your records

Messaging

Both newsletter owners and businesses can communicate through the built-in messaging system. Conversations are linked to specific bookings and provide a secure way to:

• Discuss creative requirements

• Share feedback on ad copy

• Coordinate scheduling changes

• Ask questions about the newsletter or business

Notifications

The platform sends notifications for important events:

• New bids received

• Bids accepted or rejected

• Counter-offers received

• Bookings confirmed

• Messages received

• Payments processed

You can customize which notifications you receive in your settings.

Next Steps

Ready to get started?

• Newsletter Owners: Continue to Newsletter Owner Quick Start

• Businesses: Continue to Business Quick Start

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Get started on adly.news →