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Hi newsletter operators!
Welcome to the first edition of Local Newsletter Insider – your guide to building a successful local newsletter that moves the needle; both financially and socially.
The beauty of local newsletters is that anyone can start one. But turning it into something that grows, connects with readers, and (yes) makes money? That takes a bit more know-how.
That's why I created this weekly read. In just 5 minutes, I'll share:
Subscriber growth strategies that actually work in the real world
Strategies to get advertisers to pay to be in your newsletter
Content ideas that keep open rates strong
Honest lessons from newsletter operators who've figured things out
Simple tools that make the behind-the-scenes work manageable
I’m going to be focusing on practical insights from my own experience and from conversations with newsletter creators who are making this model work.
Whether you're just getting started or looking to level up your existing newsletter, my goal is to help you build something meaningful for your community and sustainable for your business.
Let's build something great,
TJ Larkin
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
True true. Gotta do it though
What email platform are you using?
🎤Landon at Wichita Life
Click image to listen/watch
My first Local Newsletter Insider podcast with Landon Huslig from Wichita Life was eye-opening. With 25k subscribers, 50k Instagram followers, and $100k+ revenue—all while working full-time and managing solo!!—he's a local newsletter legend.
Top four takeaways from our conversation:
Four-Day Publishing Framework Landon publishes strategically:
Monday/Friday: News roundups
Wednesday: In-depth topics (created specifically for more ad slots)
Thursday: Weekend events guide
If you're considering increasing frequency, add distinctly different formats rather than more of the same content.
Hosting local events, like his Annual anniversary events serve multiple purposes:
Revenue generation through ticket sales and sponsorships
Building community among newsletter subscribers
Showcasing new local venues across the city
Great way to build a relationship with your audience, and future-proof your business in the age of AI.
Bundled Newsletter + Social Media His primary revenue strategy:
Combines newsletter mentions with Instagram exposure
Creates more valuable packages than newsletter-only placements
Generates 90% of his six-figure revenue
Instagram is the “special sauce” that local businesses love. If you want to increase your chances of getting bigger ad dollars, prioritizing Instagram is a must.
"Collaboration Over Competition" Landon believes: "There's 650,000 people in Wichita. I've only got 25,000. There's enough room," and actively collaborates with other local creators so they can grow together
Follow Landon for more insights from this local newsletter rockstar: X/Twitter.
Waco Buzz
Local Food Showdown: A Proven Engagement Strategy
Looking for a content series that drives serious engagement? Consider launching a local food competition. This format has consistently delivered great results for newsletter operators across various markets.
Here's why it can work so well:
Creates multi-week content: The competition naturally spans several weeks, giving you consistent material
Generates social media buzz: Tag featured restaurants on social platforms to expand your reach
Encourages reader participation: Voting and comments skyrocket compared to standard content
Attracts local business attention: Restaurant owners become invested in the outcome
This strategy is particularly effective if your area has a signature food item—think BBQ in Austin or crab cakes in Baltimore. You can turn a local specialty into a friendly community competition.
Several newsletter operators are seeing tremendous success with this approach. Sam from Waco Buzz is currently running a Taco Challenge (see content in image above), while Mike from Catskill Crew reports great results with his Burger Quest.
If you implement this strategy, I'd love to hear about your experience so I can share your success story in a future edition. Let me know what food item you choose and how your audience responds!
Adam Ryan, founder of WorkWeek, has a strong take on the future of newsletters in the world of AI. Check it out here
Matt McGarry, founder of Newsletter Operator, wrote an article about his take on what Adam said and how he thinks AI will impact the newsletter business. Definitely worth reading, check it out here
Matt McGarry, again, sharing his takeaways from the Newsletter Marketing Summit event in Austin a few weeks ago. I was there, and it was awesome. Check it out here
🐝Beehiiv just released Direct Sponsorships tool
Hey, have you seen Beehiiv's new direct sponsorship tool? It’s great for simplifying the process of selling ads to local businesses. The whole thing works pretty smoothly:
You make a simple page with your ad options
Businesses pick what they want
They fill out a form with their copy, images, and logos
They choose when they want it to run
They pay right then and there
Everything happens right in Beehiiv—no more bouncing between different tools or sending a million emails back and forth.
The only downside is that it's only available on the Max plan right now, which is a bummer 😢. I'm already on that plan though, so I've set mine up and it's pretty sweet. Now I just need to figure out how to get more local businesses to actually see it!
PS. If you’re going to sign up for Beehiiv, would be cool if you used my link. I’ll shout you out in the next newsletter if you do!
Check out episode 2 with Billy Howell from the Arlington Bagel
Why he sends his newsletter out mid morning
Expanding from one newsletter to four
Unique facebook ad strategies I’d never heard before
Lots of other great stuff
follow Billy here
Give it a listen and let us know what you think! And if you’d like to be a guest, reply to this email to let me know.
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.
