Hecto

Overview

Hecto is a newsletter advertising marketplace that connects independent newsletter creators with brands looking to sponsor or advertise in newsletters. Founded by Simon, a non-developer entrepreneur who built the platform using Bubble.io during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hecto launched in July 2020 as a dedicated solution for the creator economy. The platform focuses specifically on independent newsletter creators, freelancers, startups, and side projects rather than large media organizations, positioning itself as a marketplace where both parties can find each other without intermediary agencies or complex negotiations.

What differentiates Hecto from other newsletter advertising platforms is its emphasis on privacy, transparency, and simplicity for both creators and advertisers. Unlike platforms that require exchanging contact details before seeing pricing, Hecto displays ad package prices upfront before any contact is made, and all communication happens directly within the platform rather than through email or phone. The platform rigorously vets newsletters based on engagement metrics before listing them, providing quality control that protects advertisers from fraudulent or low-quality inventory. For newsletter creators looking to monetize through sponsorships, Hecto provides a free marketplace to list their newsletters and connect with brands actively searching for advertising opportunities, while brands benefit from transparent pricing and direct access to niche audiences without dealing with ad agencies or complicated media buying processes.

Best For

Hecto is ideal for independent newsletter creators who want to monetize through sponsorships and advertising without the complexity of managing sales outreach themselves. The platform works particularly well for creators with tight-knit, well-managed, and engaged subscriber communities in specific niches, as brands increasingly seek these concentrated audiences over massive but less engaged lists. Newsletter creators who are severely under-monetized or who lack the time and sales skills to proactively pitch sponsors will benefit from Hecto's marketplace approach where brands discover and contact them. The platform also serves independent businesses, freelancers, startups, and side projects looking for newsletter advertising opportunities without the high minimums and complex processes typical of traditional media buying, making it accessible for smaller brands testing newsletter sponsorships for the first time.

Key Features

• Transparent Pricing Display: Hecto shows ad package prices before advertisers contact newsletter creators, eliminating the inefficiency of back-and-forth negotiations to discover basic pricing information. This upfront transparency allows brands to quickly evaluate whether a newsletter fits their budget and compare options across multiple newsletters without requesting quotes from each one individually, dramatically accelerating the discovery and decision process.

• Platform-Based Messaging: All communication between advertisers and newsletter creators happens directly within the Hecto platform, protecting both parties' privacy by eliminating the need to exchange email addresses or phone numbers. This built-in messaging system keeps negotiations organized, creates a record of agreements, and prevents spam or unwanted contact outside the platform, giving creators control over who can reach them and how.

• Quality-Controlled Newsletter Vetting: Hecto manually vets newsletters based on engagement metrics before listing them on the marketplace, ensuring advertisers have access to legitimate opportunities with genuine audiences. This quality control protects brands from wasting budget on newsletters with inflated subscriber counts, bot traffic, or disengaged audiences, building trust in the marketplace and differentiating Hecto from platforms where anyone can list without verification.

• Fast Ad Submission Process: The platform includes standardized ad submission forms with character limits that ensure advertisements fit properly within newsletter formats, streamlining the production process. These guided forms reduce the time required to finalize campaigns by eliminating technical back-and-forth about ad specifications, file formats, or content requirements, allowing brands to launch campaigns quickly once agreements are reached.

• Free Listing for Newsletter Creators: Newsletter creators can list their publications on Hecto at no cost, with the platform charging only brands a transparent 10 percent platform fee on completed sponsorship transactions. This free listing model removes barriers for creators to access potential sponsors and aligns Hecto's incentives with successful matches, as the platform only earns revenue when deals close rather than charging upfront listing fees.

• Searchable Newsletter Directory: Brands can browse and search Hecto's collection of newsletters by niche, audience size, engagement metrics, and other criteria to find publications that match their target demographics. This searchable directory saves brands countless hours that would otherwise be spent manually researching newsletters across the internet, reaching out cold to creators, and piecing together information about audience size and pricing.

• Inventory Management for Creators: Newsletter creators can manage their advertising inventory through the Hecto dashboard, controlling pricing, availability, and booking calendars down to specific dates. This inventory management ensures creators never oversell their ad slots, can adjust pricing based on demand or seasonal factors, and maintain control over which sponsors appear in their newsletters and when.

• Privacy-First Approach: Hecto prioritizes privacy protection by keeping contact details private until both parties mutually agree to share them, preventing unwanted solicitation and spam. This privacy protection is particularly valuable for newsletter creators who may otherwise be overwhelmed with cold pitches from brands or agencies if their contact information becomes widely available on sponsor-seeking platforms.

• Focus on Independent Creators: Unlike platforms dominated by large publishers or media companies, Hecto specifically caters to independent newsletter creators, freelancers, and side projects, recognizing that smaller audiences with high engagement often deliver better results than massive but passive lists. This focus creates a marketplace where independent creators can compete without being overshadowed by big media brands and where smaller advertisers can find affordable opportunities.

• Direct Brand Relationships: Hecto facilitates direct relationships between newsletter creators and brands without intermediary agencies taking large cuts or controlling the relationship. This direct connection allows creators to build long-term partnerships with brands that understand their audience, negotiate terms that work for both parties, and potentially develop ongoing sponsorship arrangements that provide stable recurring revenue.

Pricing

Hecto is completely free for newsletter creators to list their publications and manage their advertising inventory on the platform. The platform operates on a commission-based model where brands pay a transparent 10 percent platform fee on successful sponsorship transactions, meaning Hecto only earns revenue when deals close through the marketplace. This fee structure aligns with standard marketplace commission rates and is charged to the advertiser side rather than the creator side, allowing newsletter creators to keep 100 percent of the sponsorship fees they charge brands. The specific pricing for individual newsletter sponsorships varies widely based on factors like subscriber list size, engagement rates, niche audience value, and placement type, with creators setting their own prices through the platform's inventory management system. Newsletter creators determine their ad package pricing independently, with packages typically structured as one-time placements, multi-issue campaigns, or ongoing sponsorship arrangements depending on what the creator offers and what brands negotiate.