1. Introduction & Recap
In the first two articles on local newsletters, we explored two core challenges: monetization—attracting the right advertisers who drive sustainable revenue—and growth—reaching new readers through paid ads, social media, and organic community channels. These two pillars keep a local newsletter alive, but keeping subscribers engaged so they actually open and read your newsletter is just as critical.
That’s where content comes into play. It’s not enough to rattle off local press releases or city hall notices. Readers want a curated snapshot of what’s happening in their backyard: short, lively updates on local events, real estate trends, new faces around town, and the occasional hot-button topic. If you want to keep them coming back (and keep advertisers happy), the content must resonate with people who love their community and see your newsletter as an indispensable resource.
In this article, we’ll look at the “how” behind building that content week after week. Specifically:
- Knowing Your Audience and Reading the Local Pulse
- Building Efficient Research and Automation Routines
- Deciding What to Create In-House vs. What to Outsource
We’ll also examine how newsletters like the Naptown Scoop structure their editorial workflow, from finding fresh local tidbits to maintaining the brand’s voice. Finally, we’ll give you a peek at Part 4, where we’ll discuss how emerging technologies—like AI-driven curation—may change (or even challenge) the local newsletter game.
Now, let’s look at the process of creating content that keeps local subscribers hooked.
2. The Mindset for Content Creation
- Work Backwards from the Audience: Identify who your audience is, what they care about, what types of stories/events they find most relevant.
- Retention vs. Acquisition: Content should keep existing subscribers engaged and encourage new subscribers to stay.
- Reflecting Local Identity: Emphasize how local newsletters cater to the community’s character, quirks, and hot-button issues.
3. Key Content Pillars For Local Newsletters
Describe your “core” categories of local content. For example:
3.1 Events & Entertainment
- Local community events, concerts, fairs, etc.
- Why events drive high engagement (people want to know what’s happening on weekends).
- Potential automation hacks (importing from city calendars or local event listing APIs).
3.2 Local Business & Economic News
- Grand openings, business expansions or closures, small business spotlights.
- Why having a “business news” angle matters for community pride and potential B2B sponsorships.
3.3 Government & Politics
- Outline the risks and rewards of covering politics.
- Cite the Naptown Scoop’s experience with the “Truckin for Trump” story and the unsubscribes that followed.
- Balancing being informative with not alienating readers.
3.4 “People” Stories & Quirky Local Tidbits
- Human interest stories, local personalities, feel-good angles, or historical tidbits.
- Why these often get high opens and clicks.
4. Sourcing Your Newsletter’s Content
4.1 Manual vs. Automated Research
- Manually reading local blogs, news sites, Facebook groups, and Nextdoor.
- Automated feeds or scraping from official city calendars, business directories, or press releases.
4.2 User-Generated Submissions
- Encouraging your readers to send in event tips or local happenings.
- Potential pitfalls (spam or off-topic chatter).
4.3 Paid Content or Press Releases
- If sponsors want their press releases turned into a short highlight, how to handle that ethically and transparently.
5. Processes & Workflows For Efficiency
5.1 Creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Documenting each step: from collecting sources to drafting and editing.
- Tip: segment tasks (e.g., “Research events on Monday,” “Draft on Tuesday,” “Publish on Wednesday”).
5.2 Tools & Templates
- Calendar/reminder tools for recurring community events.
- Template structures for each newsletter issue (e.g., “Events at the top, sponsor in the middle, local business highlight at the end”).
5.3 Outsourcing vs. In-House
- How you might outsource research, writing, or editing.
- Trade-offs: cost, quality control, brand consistency.
6. Contrasting Different Approaches (Naptown Scoop vs. Others)
- Leverage your existing data on the Naptown Scoop’s approach from the prior articles and also give examples from 1–2 other local newsletters that handle content differently.
- Highlight what’s common across all local newsletters (events, minimal politics, community focus) and what’s unique to each market.
7. Teaser: The Future of Local Newsletters
- Briefly hint at how AI/LLMs might affect content creation, curation, and overall sustainability.
- Pose the question: “Will user trust and local nuance keep newsletters viable, or will automated content push them out?”
- Let the reader know you’ll tackle this in Part 4: The Future of Local Newsletters.
Conclusion
- Recap main points: “Know your audience, structure your content around local interests, automate where possible, consider outsourcing, but keep your brand identity.”
- Encourage readers to comment or respond with questions.
- CTA to subscribe or read the next article as it comes out.
