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Hi newsletter operators!
Issue #2 is here. Been getting a great response to everything I’m doing with the newsletter and podcast. Really appreciate that. Always remember you can reply to these emails and I’ll get it and likely write you back.
First thing to point out; Beehiiv is having a big local newsletter summit on April 3rd. I will definitely be checking it out, and you should too.
Sign up for it here.
Local Newsletter Summit
How I Can Help You Succeed
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:
🎙️ The Podcast - Deep-dive conversations with successful newsletter operators sharing their playbooks and lessons learned | Link
📧 This Weekly Newsletter - Quick, actionable tips delivered straight to your inbox every week | Link
🧠 1:1 Consulting - Personalized guidance tailored to your specific newsletter challenges Link
🚀 Launch Accelerator - A structured program to help you go from idea to profitable newsletter in record time | Link
Discover all these resources and more at localnewsletterinsider.com
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🎤Mike Kauffman from Catskill Crew
My two-part podcast with Mike Kauffman from Catskill Crew was awesome and absolutely worth checking out. He’s doing really interesting things that almost no one else is doing, like physical products, and bringing a lot of creativity to the space. Highly recommend listening to both parts. Here are my big takeaways👇
Top four takeaways from our conversation:
Authenticity is the ultimate moat
a. Mike built Catskill Crew as something uniquely his, reflecting the local community and landscape. This authentic approach creates connection that AI can't easily replicate and attracts both readers and advertisers.Creative monetization beats traditional ads
a. He moved beyond standard advertising by launching physical products (Catskill Monopoly board), events, discount cards, and merch. These monetization strategies create deeper connections with subscribers while generating more revenue, and help build the brand to be more deeply ingrained in the community.Community-driven evolution works
a. He consistently polls his subscribers before launching new features or products, reducing risk and creating buy-in. This approach builds loyalty and ensures he's creating what people actually want. Just because something seems like a good idea, you should poll your audience first to see if they agree with you.Design matters more than most realize
a. Even simple design changes like background colors can dramatically improve engagement. Michael's distinctive visual style makes his newsletter instantly recognizable in crowded inboxes, creating a premium experience readers look forward to. Midjourney, and now ChatGPT can produce incredible designs. Just continually prompt until you find what you like.
Follow Mike for more here: X/Twitter.
And remember that Mike has the best local newsletter community in the world called The Newsletter Club. If you want to join, here’s the link.
🎙️Alex Robertson from Mt Juliet Buzz
Another great two part episode with some killer insights from someone who’s still in the figuring it out phase. Alex has some interesting things going on, primarily having two partners on the newsletter and all three are in the real estate space. A lot of opportunities there that we discuss. 👇
Top takeaways from our conversation:
Getting personal is your best defense against AI competition. Creating video content that showcases your personality and local knowledge builds a connection that algorithmic content can't replicate. Alex brought up the idea of a local show/podcast that’s 5-10 minutes between him and his partners about everything going on in the community. I think this is a killer idea and more people should do it.
The referral contest model works for growing subscribers. Partnering with local businesses for prizes and asking subscribers to refer friends is driving significant organic growth. This is something I’m planning on pursuing heavily soon.
Twice-weekly emails may be more effective than weekly. Splitting content between events-focused and news/features emails can improve engagement while solving length limitations. As I explain below, I’m going to be doing this soon.
Follow Alex here to connect with him: X/Twitter
📈📈Move beyond one newsletter per week
This is something I’ve been planning and contemplating for a couple months now, and am ready to make it happen. We already run out of space each week so we don’t get clipped, but I think the value far outweighs the negatives (slightly more work, possibly more unsubscribes).
Here’s the how and the why of what I’m planning on doing, and why I think you should to:
Structure:
Create distinct newsletter editions with focused themes (rather than just splitting your current content)
Example: Tuesday "Events & Activities" edition + Friday "Local News & Community" edition
Design each with a clear identity and purpose that readers can anticipate
Revenue benefits:
More ad inventory: Going from one a week to two doubles you ads available, and hopefully doubling your revenue
Targeted sponsorship opportunities: Businesses can sponsor editions that align with their offerings (restaurants/event venues in the weekend events issue, realtors in the real estate section)
Category exclusivity: Offer businesses exclusive category sponsorship of specific editions ("the only restaurant in our Thursday restaurants edition")
Increased ad effectiveness: More focused content creates better context for relevant advertisements
Higher renewal rates: More frequent touchpoints lead to better advertiser results and satisfaction
Audience benefits:
Digestible content length: Shorter, more focused editions are easier for readers to consume
Community perception: Multiple newsletters signal that you're a "real" media company, not a side project
Increased authority: Regular presence in readers' inboxes establishes your brand as the go-to local information source
Implementation tips:
Start with just one additional newsletter per week to test the concept
Be very intentional about content division—don't just split content randomly
Time each edition strategically (events newsletter before the weekend, business spotlight early in the week)
Create distinct visual templates for each edition while maintaining brand consistency
Test different day/time combinations to find optimal engagement windows
Adjust email subject line strategies for each edition based on content focus
The most valuable benefit is often the least tangible: becoming an ingrained part of your readers' routine. This is why I’m so focused on the local podcast and full news website. Building the brand into something everyone in the community knows, EVEN if they’re not a reader. This is how you know you have a local brand with staying power.
When people expect to hear from you multiple times per week, your brand becomes woven into the fabric of their community experience—something that's increasingly difficult for competitors or AI solutions to disrupt.
George Mack is someone I think everyone should be following. Not newsletter related, but because he has killer insights into all aspects of life and business. I think of him as a more modern and relatable Naval Ravikant.
I haven’t read this whole essay yet, but have heard a ton of his podcasts on this topic, and get his newsletter. Excited to read it soon. Check out his essay at highagency.com and his episode of Modern Wisdom discussing it here.Adam Ryan writes about The Skimm being acquired recently. If you didn’t know, they were the first company to prove that a newsletter could be a powerful business by itself, even before Morning Brew and The Hustle. This is a great read to learn more about how the newsletter space has evolved, and the dangers of getting away from your core value prop. Read it here.
If you’re reading this, you probably saw ChatGPT’s new image model take over Twitter last week. This tech has profound implications for many things, especially marketing. Also, it’s just super fun to play with. Here’s my favorite image I had it make. If you know what movie it’s from, reply and let me know and I’ll give you a digital high five. Here’s a good take from Balaji on what’s going to change because of this tool.
🐝Beehiiv’s full website builder
I’m building out my full news website right now for one of my newsletters. It hopefully will be up by the time you read this.
If you’re goal is to become a true local media company, I think this a must do. Probably not while you’re in growth stage, but I think this should be one of your goals to do when you get to scale.
This is one of Beehiiv’s templates that’s really good. I think this gives off true professional vibes to the reader, which is exactly what I’m going for.
It’s only on their Max plan for now, but they should be making it more widely available soon.
Me discussing how to set up an audience survey
I explain in this video how we set up our subscriber survey to show up immediately after they subscribe, which has helped us get an 87% response rate.
I’d highly recommend anyone on Beehiiv do this, so check it out!
That’s all I got for this issue. If there’s anything you want me to cover or talk about for the next edition, reply to this and let me know!
New ChatGPT image creator. Pay the $20, it’s worth it
How'd I do?
Thanks for reading Local Newsletter Insider! Please reply and let me know what you think, or anything you think I could do better. Love to get some actionable feedback.
