Once you build an audience there are so many ways to earn a living
Marmalade can help you run a paid newsletter and set up membership subscriptions. But these ways of monetising your audience actually only represent about 25% of how creators are earning a living online.
One avenue many creators earn a living through are sponsorships and brand deals—but they then find themselves becoming sales and operations managers needing to source deals, negotiate with brands, send invoices, write copy, report on the results, and chase down payments. That’s a lot of work.
You became a creator to focus on creating
That’s where the Collective Network comes in: you create consistently, we partner you with brands who love your work and want to reach your audience. All the sales, reporting, payments, negotiations, and logistics are handled by our team.
How it works
- We help you find and manage relationships with premium advertisers
- You continue creating like you always have been
- We help you earn a living by placing sponsorships in your newsletter for you
For this service we charge 20% of total sponsorship revenue for selling and placing the sponsorship + 3.5% for payment processing.
Join incredible creators already in the network
The pilot program is already running with more than 10 remarkable creators. We're systematically expanding with creators who have a strong brand.
Are you eligible to apply?
The Collective Network is for creators who:
- Have at least 10,000 email subscribers
- Publish consistently (at least once a week)
Brands: Work with us and our creators
Do you represent a brand that wants to partner with creators? Click here to apply to advertise via the network.
Ready to transform your earnings as a creator?
Apply below to get early access to the Collective Network
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I am eligible?
In its initial phase, the Collective Network has three eligibility requirements.
- Have approximately 10,000 engaged subscribers or more.
- Have a habit of sending consistently —typically at least once per week.
- Have Afrocentric content.
There are also three things to consider.
Marmalade prefers exclusive relationships, meaning that we sell for you exclusively. (You can stop at any time with 30 days’ notice). We are open to non-exclusive relationships in some cases. So let’s talk!
The sponsorship ads include an image, a couple of paragraphs of copy, and a call to action, so you will want to make sure this makes sense in the context of your newsletter.
Marmalade will ask you to place a “Sponsor Me” form on your website. This form will go directly to the Collective Network team, so once the form is up, you won’t have to worry about it.
How do I sign up?
- Click the "Apply for access" button on this page
- Fill out a short questionnaire.
- Someone from our team will get back to you within a couple of business days.
How soon can I start earning money?
Don’t be surprised if it takes up to 90 days for sales to begin after you have been accepted.
This will give us time to establish the Collective Network agreement, add your newsletter to sales documentation, and start offering the sponsorship to brands that make sense for your audience.
What does exclusivity mean?
During the Collective Network’s pilot program, we learned that when only one representative is selling a given sponsorship more revenue is produced and less energy is spent.
Exclusivity simply means that only The Collective Network will be selling your sponsorships in a given month.
How long does exclusivity last?
You will be able to end exclusivity at any time with 30 days' notice.
Any sponsorships currently sold but extending past the notice will still be managed via the Collective Network.
What if I don’t like a sponsor?
You will always have the opportunity to approve sponsors in advance. You don’t have to accept any sponsor you don’t want.
Are there other requirements?
If you are approved for the Collective Network, you will be asked to review and approve the Collective Network agreement, which outlines what everyone is expected to do.
There are three things to consider.
- Marmalade prefers exclusive relationships, meaning that we sell for you exclusively. (You can stop at any time with 30 days’ notice). We are open to non-exclusive relationships in some cases. So let’s talk.
- The sponsorship ads include an image, a couple of paragraphs of copy, and a call to action, so you will want to make sure this makes sense in the context of your newsletter.
- Marmalade will ask you to place a “Sponsor Me” form on your website. This form will go directly to the Collective Network team, so once the form is up, you won’t have to worry about it.
Will Marmalade sell my other sponsorships too?
The short answer is yes.
In its initial phase, the Collective Network will focus on your newsletter. But we will soon help you sell any form of sponsorship.
How much will I earn?
How much you will earn depends on four factors:
- Who your audience is (think topic or industry).
- The total number of subscribers you have.
- What your newsletter’s typical open rate is.
- How many subscribers usually click a sponsor’s ad.
Once you are approved, our team will help you figure out how to set prices, but as a rule of thumb, take your total number of subscribers, multiple by your open rate, and divide the product by 1,000 then multiply by £45 for the high-end and £25 for the low-end.
((Subscriber Count × Open Rate) ÷ 1,000) × £45
Here is an example of a creator with 30,000 subscribers and a 35% open rate.
High End:
- 30,000 × 35% = 10,500
- 10,500 ÷ 1,000 = 10.5
- 10.5 × £45 = £472.5
So this creator would have net sponsorship sales of about £470 per insertion or about £24,000 per year.
Don’t forget that this is before fees and processing.
When will I get paid?
We ask sponsors to pay 30 days net, meaning they have a month to pay. Once they pay, you should have the funds in a few business days.
How will I get paid?
Payments will be transferred directly to your bank account.
How much does Marmalade take?
For exclusive sales relationships, Marmalade will take a 20% commission. There is also a 3.5% payment processing fee for a total of 23.5%.
For non-exclusive sales relationships, Marmalade will take a 30% commission, plus the payment processing fee.
I still have questions.
No problem. Feel free to email hello@marmaladecollective.com with the subject line 'Collective Network Enquiry'