Why Your Local Business Should Own a Newsletter Instead of Renting Ads

The difference between owning and renting defines so much of our lives. Homeowners build equity while renters pay monthly with nothing to show for it years later. The same principle applies to your local business marketing strategy.

When you buy Facebook ads or Google ads or rent that fancy billboard on Main Street, that money's gone the minute your campaign ends. You're essentially a tenant, not an owner.

But what if you could own your audience instead?

Kyle Scott from Ocean City found a surprisingly effective way to do exactly that, and it might just be the model more local businesses should follow.

In a beach town of just 12,000 year-round residents (that swells to over 100,000 in summer), Kyle created a local newsletter that now reaches an astonishing 17,000 subscribers with 50% open rates. The newsletter delivers genuine local value without heavy-handed promotion.

What makes this approach particularly valuable for small business owners is that it creates an asset you own rather than a temporary marketing expense.

"When you spend money on Facebook or Google or billboards or whatever, that's just a cost," notes TJ Larkin. "It's like renting an apartment. When you move out, you got nothing. Where doing a newsletter is owning the home."

For local business owners like accountants, lawyers, mortgage brokers, and insurance agents, trust is the ultimate currency. These are services people don't need frequently, but when they do, they go to names they recognize and trust.

People make these purchasing decisions based almost entirely on reputation, especially for services they only need occasionally. A local newsletter builds that recognition in a way traditional advertising simply can't match.

Kyle Scott explains: "If they're putting this out there every week and people like them, and there's just sort of a soft sell reminder of their services in that email, that's where I think they're gonna build lots of brand equity with people in their town over time."

Beyond direct clients, a newsletter gives you something of immense value to offer other complementary businesses.

Imagine you're an insurance agent looking to partner with mortgage brokers. Every other insurance professional in town is buying them coffee or sending gift baskets. What if instead, you could offer free promotion in your well-read local newsletter?

This creates a powerful advantage where nobody has to spend extra money, but both businesses win. The mortgage broker gets free advertising, and you get referrals.

The beauty of this approach is that you don't need to be an award-winning reporter. Most local business owners can create valuable content by:

"You can get away with aggregating local events, maybe putting a little bit of exclusive stuff in there, putting some commentary," Kyle says. "People really enjoy that."

The key is treating it like genuine content, not just another marketing channel.

The biggest pitfall business owners face is the nearly irresistible urge to overpromote.

"Every business person I ever met, especially in those professional services, they can't help but fight the urge to be overly promotional," Kyle observes. "The minute you start doing that, people don't view you as content. They view you as spam."

The right balance? Aim for 90-95% genuine content with just soft reminders of your services. Treat subscribers like an audience, not a lead list.

Creating a local newsletter isn't passive income. You'll likely spend 3-4 hours weekly crafting content that genuinely engages readers. But unlike social media algorithms that change constantly, you own this channel completely.

"If it gives you a 10% lift in your business, then it's just good marketing dollars for you," Kyle points out. Plus, you're building a digital asset with real value over time.

Consider this scenario: A local resident has been reading your mortgage broker newsletter for two years. They've enjoyed your insights on the local housing market, appreciated your explanations of interest rate trends, and found value in your community event listings.

Now they're ready to buy a house. Are they going to Google "mortgage brokers near me" and pick someone random? Or will they reach out to the helpful expert whose emails they've been reading and trusting for years?

Facebook and Google ads might bring quick hits, but a newsletter builds an asset you own. While the upfront time investment is greater, the long-term value is incomparable.

With just a few hours weekly spent creating genuine local content, you can position yourself as the trusted local expert in your field. That's something no ad campaign, no matter how expensive, can accomplish.

Want to get started? Focus first on providing consistent value, keep promotion minimal, and watch as you transform from just another local business into a community resource people actually look forward to hearing from.

In an age where AI-generated content is everywhere, being the authentic human voice in your community isn't just nice – it's becoming a powerful competitive advantage.

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

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