An Introduction to Hyperlocal Newsletters
Welcome to the first Print Goes Here
I never know what to put in the first issue of a new newsletter, so I’ll just jump right in and do a full introduction to myself and hyperlocal newsletters in general.
My background
Years ago, I was an editor of a hyperlocal newspaper. The other local newspapers didn’t write much about the town I lived in, even though there was always something happening. We were pushed aside for the slightly larger towns, and advertising. So, we started our own.
Recently I’ve restarted it as an email newsletter, which has been a lot less work and stress.
What is a hyperlocal newsletter?
A hyperlocal newsletter is one that services a specific village or city and is completely constrained by its physical boundaries.
There are cons to such a newsletter:
Your subscriber number is limited.
And there will be slow news weeks.
This means there is a limit on the income you can make.
But I’ve found the pros outweigh the cons:
A higher open rate.
It helps local groups.
A lower unsubscribe rate.
It doesn’t have to be long.
I run it in 15–30 minutes a day.
There is a lot of passion around anything local.
People are invested in where they live and want to know what is happening that might affect them directly. A hyperlocal newsletter gets that information to them.
I am looking forward to writing all about hyperlocal newsletters over the coming months and years and would love to hear from anyone who is running a hyperlocal newsletter or thinking of starting one.