Put your product in front of 20,000 Excel professionals, in one email.
To SUM It Up is my weekly Excel newsletter. It goes out to 55,000+ subscribers, and about a third of them open it. One sponsor per issue, at the top, written in my voice.
People open To SUM It Up. Then they click.
Average of the last 10 issues, measured in Kit, August 2026. Updated as the list changes.
Open and click rates are Kit’s tracked numbers, so Apple Mail privacy opens are included, the same way every other newsletter reports them. Ask and I’ll share screenshots from the Kit dashboard.
People who live in spreadsheets
They signed up to get better at Excel, and they read at work with a real problem open in the next tab.
Analysts, accountants, finance and operations folks, consultants, and managers. The kind of people who build the reports everyone else looks at.
That makes them a good audience for anything that helps a business team work faster, and a poor audience for anything that doesn’t. Here’s how I decide.
Good fit
- Excel add-ins and templates
- Data, BI, and reporting tools
- Finance, FP&A, and accounting software
- Productivity and automation tools
- SaaS for business teams
- Training, certification, and career products
Not a fit
- Consumer products unrelated to work
- Anything I wouldn’t recommend to a reader myself
Not sure where your product sits? Ask. I’ll tell you straight, and I’d rather say no than run something that doesn’t land.
Top of the email, before the Excel content
Your sponsorship sits right after the greeting in To SUM It Up, so it’s the first thing a reader sees after the subject line. I write or polish the copy so it reads like the rest of the newsletter, and you approve it before it goes out.
- PositionFirst block in the email, above the tutorial
- CopyA headline and 100 to 120 words
- LinkOne link to a page of your choice, tracked
- ImageOptional. 600px wide, PNG or JPG
- LabelMarked “Sponsored” so readers know, and trust stays intact
Hi there, here’s this week’s Excel tip. Quick word from our sponsor first.
Illustration of the layout. The real email uses the newsletter’s own design.
Two options, one rate card
Same rate for everyone, with nothing added on top. Pick a single issue, or book three and save.
Single issue
$600 per issue, exclusive sponsor- Top placement in one weekly issue
- Copy written or polished by me, approved by you
- Tracked link and a post-send report
Three issues Save $300
$1,500 $500 per issue, three consecutive issues- Everything in the single issue, three times
- Same or refreshed copy each week, your call
- Three reports, so you can see what repetition does
Once we’ve agreed the fit and the date, you book and pay through Passionfroot. It handles the agreement, payment, and receipt, so neither of us chases invoices.
Four steps, most of them on my side
From first message to report, the whole thing usually takes two to three weeks.
Tell me about your product
Fill in the short form below, or email me. Include the product URL and what you’d like readers to do.
I confirm the fit and the date
You hear back within two business days with the open dates. Pick one, book it on Passionfroot, and the slot is yours.
We lock the copy
I draft the sponsored block in the newsletter’s voice and send it over. You approve it or send edits. Final copy is due five business days before the send.
It goes out, and you get the numbers
Your link carries UTM parameters so you can see the traffic on your side too. Within a week of the send you get the issue’s recipients, opens, and clicks on your link.
What sponsors usually ask
If yours isn’t here, ask in the form and I’ll answer it directly.
How far ahead do I need to book?
At least two weeks. That leaves room to get the copy right. Popular months fill earlier, so if you have a launch date in mind, tell me early.
Who writes the copy?
I do, or I polish what you send. Sponsored blocks work better when they sound like the rest of the email. You always approve the final version.
How is the link tracked?
Kit tracks clicks on every link in the email, and I add UTM parameters to yours so the visits show up in your own analytics. If you want to use your own tracking link, that’s fine too.
What does the report include?
Recipients, opens, open rate, and the clicks on your link, pulled from Kit a few days after the send so the numbers have settled.
What do you need from me?
Your product URL, the key message, and the landing page you want people on. An image if you want one (600px wide, PNG or JPG). Final copy and assets are due five business days before the send.
How does payment work?
Through Passionfroot, once we’ve confirmed the fit and the date. You pay by card there, upfront, and get the receipt and agreement in one place. I don’t take payment directly.
What if I need to move or cancel?
Move the date once for free with at least seven days’ notice. Cancel with seven or more days’ notice for a full refund through Passionfroot. Inside seven days the slot is committed, but I’ll do my best to reschedule you.
Do you accept every sponsor?
No. I only run products I’d be comfortable recommending to a reader. If it’s not a fit I’ll say so quickly, and you won’t be charged.
Tell me what you’re promoting
Takes a minute. I read every request myself and reply within two business days with available dates.
Prefer email? Write to sumitbansal@trumpexcel.com.
Got it, thanks.
Your request is in my inbox. I’ll reply within two business days with the fit check and the open dates.
If you don’t hear back, check your spam folder or email sumitbansal@trumpexcel.com directly.
A note from me
I’ve spent 15+ years teaching Excel, and the people on this list have trusted me with their inbox for a long time. I’m careful about what goes in it. If your product genuinely helps someone get their spreadsheet work done faster, I’d like to hear about it, and I’ll write about it the way I’d tell a friend.
Sumit Bansal
13x Microsoft Excel MVP, founder of TrumpExcel
