Can I sell the same newsletter ad slot to two advertisers?

One ad position. Two advertisers. More money. It only works if you know who your readers are.

"You could sell two ad slots for the same slot. One goes in for pet owners, which is 62% of people, and advertises pet daycare. The other segment gets something about dry cleaning. Now you can sell two ads to the same slot, and instead of 500 you charge 300 and 300, and you made more money."

How does a segmented ad slot work?

1. Survey new subscribers. Ask questions that matter to advertisers: do you own a pet, own or rent, kids at home, run a business.
2. Sync answers into your email platform as segments. Pet owners, renters, business owners.
3. Split the ad position by segment. Same spot in the issue, different ad depending on who's reading.
4. Price each version below a full-list ad. Each advertiser pays less but reaches people who actually care.

The math in the example: one $500 ad becomes two $300 ads. That's $600 from the same space.

How many people do I need surveyed?

Fewer than you'd think. On one brand I'd already had 2,000 people fill out the survey within a few months of launching in January. Those answers go straight into segments in my email platform.

What else can I do with segments?

• A dedicated send. Email only the pet owners a pet newsletter, or put pet ads in their version.
• Offers without backlash. The share of people who say they're not interested in deals is always under 1%. I treat a yes as a subtle sales pitch: you told us you're interested in deals, so you won't be mad when we send them.
• Proof for advertisers. Real numbers about who reads you. See how to prove your audience.

Has this been proven?

Not by me. I've heard of somebody doing it, and I share it as an idea of what's possible. The setup is simple if your survey data is already in your email platform. It's worth testing once you have more advertiser demand than you have slots.