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Business model · Ads, sponsorships & affiliate
Businesses that make money from ads, sponsorships & affiliate
The 1M.chat dataset has 261 businesses built on ads, sponsorships & affiliate. 153 of them have a revenue figure the founder reported in an interview. Their median is $8.6K a month, and 14% were at $1M a year or more when interviewed, with a median team of 1 employee. The growth channels founders credited most often were SEO & organic search (68%), organic social media (63%), email & newsletters (40%).
Revenue at interview
| Under $1K/mo | 13 | |
| $1K–$10K/mo | 66 | |
| $10K–$50K/mo | 43 | |
| $50K–$83K/mo | 10 | |
| $1M+ a year | 16 | |
| $1M+ a month | 5 |
Growth channels credited
| SEO & organic search | 68% | |
| Organic social media | 63% | |
| Email & newsletters | 40% | |
| Content marketing | 36% | |
| Communities (Reddit, forums, Slack groups) | 23% |
Share of 121 businesses with channel information; founders often name several.
Industries in this group
| Newsletters, blogs & media | 208 | |
| Marketplaces & platforms | 18 | |
| Mobile apps & games | 9 | |
| Software & SaaS | 7 | |
| Courses & education | 7 | |
| Home, lifestyle & gifts | 3 |
Tools named most: Twitter (44%), Instagram (38%), Ahrefs (25%), Google Drive (22%), PayPal (19%) — of 32 that listed tools.
Case studies
Read how they did it
- Man of Many: how a men's lifestyle publisher built a $4M a year businessmen's lifestyle publication covering products and culture$4M/yrfounder-reported 2023
- Tooltester: a website-builder review site that makes $1.4M a year from SEO trafficTooltester helps freelancers and small businesses create websites and market them using the best web tools.$1.4M/yrfounder-reported 2023
- Subscrible: a mobile game catalog app with few or no ads at $85K a monthSubscrible offers gamers an ad-free mobile game catalog app and helps game developers grow revenue.$85K/mofounder-reported 2024
- Dilly Dally Games: a free online dominoes game that earns $16K a monthFree online Mexican Train Dominoes game for casual players, especially women aged 65+$16K/mofounder-reported 2023
- Financial Samurai: a personal finance blog at $120K a year that started with a $1,000 adFinancial Samurai is a personal finance site that helps people achieve financial independence.$120K/yrfounder-reported 2021
- The Holistic Enchilada: a curly hair blog that earns $96K a yearBlogs about curly hair and clean beauty, helping people transition to natural texture.$96K/yrfounder-reported 2022
Examples
Highest founder-reported revenues in this group
| Business | What it sells | Revenue / month | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote ToolsMarketplaces & platforms | directory of remote-first products and community | $71.6Mfounder interview | India |
| Xero ShoesFashion, apparel & accessories | minimalist shoes and sandals | $6.2Mfounder interview 2018 | United States |
| LensaMarketplaces & platforms | AI-powered job search platform | $1.5Mfounder interview 2023 | United States |
| Franchise DirectMarketplaces & platforms | Franchise and business opportunity listings portal | $1.1Mfounder interview 2022 | Ireland |
| WorkologyNewsletters, blogs & media | HR resources, podcast and workplace tools | $1Mfounder interview 2021 | United States |
| Casino GuruNewsletters, blogs & media | Online casino reviews and information | $773Kfounder interview | Slovakia |
| Prime Publishing LLCNewsletters, blogs & media | cooking and crafting websites and newsletters | $600Kfounder interview 2022 | United States |
| Man of ManyNewsletters, blogs & media | men's lifestyle publication covering products and culture | $4M/yrfounder interview 2023 | Australia |
| Lingoci(Now known...Marketplaces & platforms | online language tutoring marketplace connecting students and tutors | $292Kfounder interview | Singapore |
| Confidently MomNewsletters, blogs & media | Lifestyle blog and consulting services | $250Kfounder interview 2020 | United States |
| DollarSproutNewsletters, blogs & media | Personal finance blog about earning and side hustles | $200Kfounder interview | United States |
| AchievableCourses & education | Online exam preparation courses | $150Kfounder interview | United States |
| Enotes NepalCourses & education | digital learning platform for Nepali students | $150Kfounder interview 2026 | Nepal |
| Millennial Money ManNewsletters, blogs & media | personal finance blog and make-money content | $150Kfounder interview | United States |
| I Know The PilotNewsletters, blogs & media | Travel deals newsletter and flight comparison | $140Kfounder interview | Australia |
| TooltesterNewsletters, blogs & media | Reviews and tutorials of website builders, hosting and marketing tools | $1.4M/yrfounder interview 2023 | Spain |
| Glimp LtdMarketplaces & platforms | Utilities, financial products and insurance comparison website | $104Kfounder interview 2023 | New Zealand |
| SoFlo TutorsCourses & education | online SAT and ACT tutoring | $100Kfounder interview | United States |
| Free To UseNewsletters, blogs & media | Free music downloads for content creators | $85Kfounder interview 2025 | Denmark |
| SubscribleMobile apps & games | Ad-free mobile gaming catalog app | $85K/mofounder interview 2024 | Cyprus |
Revenue as the founder reported it in a Starter Story interview, at the interview date; not current revenue. “What it sells” is a 1M.chat summary. Business model is the main way the business charges, as listed on Starter Story or classified by 1M.chat. How this data is built
Questions
How much do businesses built on ads, sponsorships & affiliate typically make?
Among 153 businesses built on ads, sponsorships & affiliate with founder-reported revenue, the median was $8.6K a month at the time of the interview. The sample is founders who chose to be interviewed, so it leans toward businesses that were already working; treat it as a range of real outcomes, not an average for everyone who tries.
How many businesses built on ads, sponsorships & affiliate reached $1M a year?
21 of 153 (14%) reported at least $83K a month, the run-rate for $1M a year.
How did businesses built on ads, sponsorships & affiliate find customers?
Of 121 with growth-channel information, founders most often credited SEO & organic search (68%), organic social media (63%), email & newsletters (40%), content marketing (36%), communities (Reddit, forums, Slack groups) (23%). Channels are grouped by 1M.chat from what founders said worked.
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