Comments on: How Sustainable is Hyperlocal?

By: dss00

dss00 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:34:36 +0000

Local business can profit with a good marketing strategy and utilizing resources that will benefit driving revenue. nuAlerts is connecting local residents who want to be the first to know directly with important community leaders who are "in the know" via social networks and more! Several Mayors and leading organizations are already using nuAlerts and anyone can start posting their important information at www.nualerts.com

By: FPF_regular

FPF_regular — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:46:17 +0000

This post seems a sure sign that FPF has arrived. Another conversation happening here...
http://frontporchforum.com/blog/2009/11/01/fpf-...

By: SEO Internet Marketing | Social Media Commando

SEO Internet Marketing | Social Media Commando — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:03:21 +0000

[...] Social Media Commando on November 4, 2009 Yesterday I wrote a post about a local Web business struggling to keep the doors open that got lots of [...]

By: JoeMescher

JoeMescher — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:09:37 +0000

Non-profit would work for donations, but it would also require more transparency in terms of disclosure (finances, etc).

Great point about the diverse list of advertisers currently ponying up cash -- there must be a way to drive revenue by providing clear, data driven value (given some changes to distribution).

Thanks for helping think through this thing Jen, it's not an easy fix, that's for sure.

By: JoeMescher

JoeMescher — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:06:50 +0000

What I get from this is that the content is great, but the revenue side must rely on advertisers, not the content generating members. Very well written points as always.

By: JoeMescher

JoeMescher — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:05:42 +0000

Good point -- makes me think about Google's "Magic Triangle" with respect to design:

http://www.socialmediacommando.com/blog-tips/go...

By: Jen Mincar

Jen Mincar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:55:34 +0000

I think you hit the nail on the head with "change the business model". Or maybe it's "enhance the business model". They have over 150 sponsors listed in their sponsors list:
http://bit.ly/FPFsponsors
There are some pretty big names on that list, and that's a fairly large list, by Vermont standards. So if that list isn't cutting it, then enhancing your revenue stream with something OTHER THAN ADVERTISING has to be the next option.

How about looking at using other forms of on-line marketing (twitter, FB, or just spruce up the emails from straightup text to something a little more appealing)? Or capitalizing on what they've learned and venturing out to other locations outside VT? Or as you said, consulting local governments on how to bring communities together on-line. Or even becoming a non-profit and then asking for donations?

I love FPF and we use it in our town for everything from "I have some extra veggies from our garden" to "here is the latest news from our town planning meeting". It's viewed as the only source of news for many people in our town.

I hope hyperlocal IS sustainable. I hope they figure this one out.

By: JohnCVermont

JohnCVermont — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:43:21 +0000

Joe –

You make some good points. The “hyperlocal” quality of FPF is very appealing to many people including myself but I agree with the general principles you have outlined and the points Lara brought up.

As Lara mentioned…”Would I donate to receive text emails?”… I would have to answer “no” as well.

FPF should evolve toward a FPF Web 2.* infrastructure where you could choose to receive text, HTML, tweets or whatever-comes-next? General ads along with locale-specific ad content (My kids will mow your lawn) could be offered as Joe and Lara said.

By: Lara Dickson

Lara Dickson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:08:58 +0000

I agree with you about unlocking the 'hoods and advertising. Keeping the subscribers confined to little neighborhood islands limits the scope and reach advertisers would want to step up their spending. Also, if the site were more attractive and inviting – and unlocked to other regions, I might be more apt to log in more often. I too, gloss over the text emails and might click on a topic that interests me, but that's it.

Would I “donate” to receive text emails. No. There's plenty of advertising revenue opps on the site, and with by unlocking the content for all, advertisers might be more apt to spend more to reach a wider audience. Problem solved.

By: JoeMescher

JoeMescher — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:40:47 +0000

I've been thinking about this issue and asked a friend who enjoys FPF emails about her take.

My buddy said that she rarely visits the actual site because all of the content she enjoys is delivered in a simple text email -- but that the ads, which presumably drive most of the revenue for the business, are very unnoticeable and located at the bottom of each email.

Step 1 could be to deliver display ads in each email that are located along the top/side of the email message, thus driving more eyeballs to the sponsor pages (which they could track using tracking URL's).

This may affect 'open rate' since it would require including images in the emails. However providing curated ad content around specific sections and trackable, noticeable ads should help boost revenues to this for-profit local enterprise.