Articles
Field notes on modern local media.
Strategies, playbooks, and honest takes for building and growing a local media brand, from someone running it across 20+ markets.
GuidesHow to price and pitch your first newsletter sponsorshipWork out a real price for your subscriber count, pick the businesses to contact first, and send one short email today. No media kit required.Local Media HQ Staff3 min read
GuidesHow to run your first 30 days of a local newsletterA week-by-week plan to go from an empty Beehiiv account to 800 to 1,000 subscribers, with the budget and the publishing rhythm set.Local Media HQ Staff3 min read
Productlarkfeed: the website that turns a local newsletter into sellable pagesThe software Local Media HQ built to run its own towns. News, events, jobs and businesses on one site, with a page ready to sell for each.Local Media HQ Staff3 min read
AIFree AI Workflows for Local Media OperatorsLocal media operators need narrow, tested AI workflows for sponsorships, media kits, events, newsletters, surveys, source briefs, and growth.
TJ Larkin3 min readMore articles
SoftwareThe First Two Minutes After Signup Are Your Best Local Revenue MomentA new subscriber is paying more attention in the first minute or two after signup than they may ever pay again. Here's how a short survey or quiz turns that moment into useful data, qualified opportunities, and better partner revenue.3 minContentHow to Write a Local Newsletter (The Format That Gets 45% Open Rates)Most people who start a local newsletter copy Naptown Scoop and call it a day. That's not the worst instinct in the world. Ryan Sneddon basically wrote the playbook, and Kyra from the Chino Chew st...8 min
Getting StartedLocal Newsletter Business Plan: The Template I'd Use If Starting OverIf I were starting a local newsletter from scratch today, I wouldn't write a traditional business plan. I'd write something closer to a battle map. Who's in your market, what you're going to sell...8 min
MonetizationHow Much Money Can a Local Newsletter Make?Real numbers from someone running 20+ markets. What a local newsletter actually earns at 1K, 5K, and 10K subscribers, and the cost structure that makes it work.4 min
SoftwareBeehiiv vs Substack vs Ghost for Local Newsletters (From Someone Who's Tested All Three)I've run 20+ local newsletters on Beehiiv, tested Substack, and used Ghost. Here's the real comparison, not a feature list, an operator's opinion.3 minGetting StartedLocal Newsletter Name Ideas (And How to Pick One That Actually Works)The name doesn't have to be clever. It has to be clear. Here's the naming framework I've used across 20+ local newsletter brands.2 min
GrowthHow to Get Your First 1,000 Newsletter SubscribersThe first 1,000 is the hardest part. Here's what actually works for local newsletters, ranked by effectiveness, with real numbers.4 min
MonetizationHow to Sell Newsletter Sponsorships (The Local Media Playbook)Most operators wait too long to sell. I've closed sponsorships at 800 subscribers. Here's the full playbook, who to call, what to say, how to price it.3 min
Getting StartedHow to Start a Local Newsletter Business (The Complete Playbook)The complete playbook for starting a local newsletter business from someone running 20+ brands with 175K+ subscribers. Real costs, real numbers, step-by-step.13 minSponsorshipsThe $0 Instagram DM Strategy for Newsletter SponsorsThe 10-minutes-a-day Instagram DM routine John Apolinar uses to book sponsor meetings with lawyers, med spas and home builders, with his message template.4 minGrowthHow to Get an Intern to Run Your Newsletter's InstagramHow John Apolinar of Scottsdale Scoop found a college intern on Handshake for about $100 a week to keep his newsletter's Instagram active.2 minSponsorshipsHow to Structure Your Newsletter Ad SlotsThe three ad tiers Wichita Life sells in every issue (Primary, Secondary and Baseline), how they are priced against each other, and how sends add inventory.3 min