How One Publisher Manages 30+ Ad Partners Using Just a Google Sheet

You’d think someone running four newsletters a week with multiple ad slots would have a custom CRM, color-coded calendar, and six automation tools, right?

Nope. Landon from Wichita Life keeps it all together with a Google Sheet, a few habits, and the occasional phone reminder. And honestly—it works.

The Low-Tech System That Gets the Job Done

Landon's process for managing sponsors is surprisingly simple:

• He uses a Google Sheet with columns for each newsletter date, along with fields for Primary, Secondary, and Baseline ad slots.

• For long-term clients (like the City of Wichita), he blocks out their slots in advance—labeling them "Period 1" and "Period 2" for each month.

• For newer deals, he drops names in as the sales come in and color codes or adds notes as needed.

This allows him to see, at a glance, which slots are booked and which are still available.

No integrations. No dashboards. Just a spreadsheet.

Follow-Ups by Calendar Alarm

You know those “circle back in 3 months” emails that get buried in your inbox?

Landon’s solution: phone reminders.

If a brand says, “Check back after the holidays,” he literally drops a note into his calendar app to ping him two months later. That’s it.

It’s not automated. It’s not pretty. But it works. And that’s the goal.

Why He Skipped the Ad Management Tools

Landon has looked into tools like Sponsi, which streamline copy approval, scheduling, and billing. But for someone managing mostly recurring clients via email, the extra cost and setup time didn’t make sense—at least not yet.

Sponsi, for example, charges per ad slot. So if you’re running Primary, Secondary, and Baseline ads across 4 editions a week, you could be paying hundreds per month just to organize what you already have under control.

For now, he’s sticking to spreadsheets. Maybe one day he’ll upgrade. But only if it saves more time than it costs.

Not Just About Tools—It’s About Habits

What really keeps Landon’s system humming isn’t the sheet itself—it’s the discipline around it:

• He never oversells. If a sponsor’s deal guarantees two slots per month, those get reserved immediately—even if there’s interest from someone else.

• He’s constantly revisiting deals. Whether someone drops off or re-ups, he makes space for it in the doc.

• His communication is clear. Sponsors know what they’re getting, when they’re getting it, and how to approve it.

And best of all? He’s not drowning in SaaS subscriptions or overwhelmed by automation.

Should You Go Low-Tech Too?

If you’re a newsletter operator trying to scale, this approach has some serious upsides:

• You stay close to the business (you know who’s paying and who’s ghosting).

• You can build stronger client relationships through direct communication.

• You save money and headaches by avoiding tool overload.

But it does require consistency. Forget to update the sheet, and things fall apart fast.

So if you’re going low-tech, be high-discipline. That’s how Landon keeps it all running smoothly—with nothing but a spreadsheet and a solid system.

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Before we dive into this week's insights, I want to make sure you know about all the resources available to support your local newsletter journey:

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