Newsletter Brainstorm

[GordonJ]

Todd, a question?

Where do people in your area take their kids for BIRTHDAYS? Is there a Chucky Cheese? A BOWLING alley that specializes in kid birthday parties? An "amusement" or "game" center?

Let me tell you about the Parade of Life.

Do you think that people are going to QUIT having children? Or a different way...are your elementary schools getting packed? As a realtor you KNOW one of the things parents look for is the school system and KID type stuff...like parks, recreation, sports, etc. Right?

Here's an example for you to BRAINSTORM about...in West Palm Beach FL there is an amusement/game center that caters to KID's birthday parties...specifically, boys and girls about 10 years old.

They "close" and lock the doors for the party...the party has EXCLUSIVE use of the facility...all the games are free...they have the pizza shop down the street deliver pizza's, they serve pop (soda for you non midwesterners)...and the party is 90 minutes or 2 hours...mostly, 90 minutes.

They are BOOKED solid for the next year.

My point. There is an ENORMOUS amount of money being spent...and there are TONS of people, like a Millard Grubb or Dan Butler magician for example, who offer services to these Kid's parties.

Why NOT have your first publishing effort focused in that direction? You won't lack for finding advertisers... make the first edition "Valley" specific, so that allows you to expand across Phoenix when it grows prosperous.

KIDS are the best suppliers of information...ask the 10 year olds in your neighborhood and their parents, where they go, what they do and what kind of party they would like. I'd stick with "tweens"...9,10,11 year olds...and spend an HOUR researching this "industry" in the valley...

And see if there is the potential there, that I think could be...OK?

Pull out the yellow pages, look up birthday parties, ask around, chances are you probably have sold homes to families with kids (have you ever considered offering a FREE birthday party to your customers?)...

And I bet you a donut, you'd find some great advertisers for your:

"West VALLEY Party News"

I bet you can think of many ADVERTISERS that would love to get in your twice a month HOT newsletter on Parties for kids.

Just brainstorming here Todd...good luck in your venture.

Gordon Jay Alexander

Todd,

I think Gordon's "West VALLEY Party News" offers a rock solid way to bore down and carve out your own Family oriented business niche, which will hopefully open up to a big one for you! (Sowpub never ceases to amaze, eh?)

Here's a few more ideas to help your brainstorming:

http://www.babynewspaperbusiness.com...ePictures.html - Baby Newsgram site that demonstrates the power of personalization and maybe a few other product ideas, angles, or twists (What do you think, Phil?

Neighborhood Marketing - I'd recommend you read Street Smart Marketing by Jeff Slutsky, who does a great job of presenting specific examples of how to get into the trenches and multiply your efforts one neighborhood at a time. Which could also imply an effort to offer more concentrated neighborhood editions.

Web Video - Helping to sell the family party experience, and building substantially more advertiser value, with short on-site video clips to compliment the print newsletter. Nothing fancy, could be just your average youtube quality video posted to a blogger site, where you can also post more ads and comments. Could likely do a trade-out with a local photographer.

Prospecting - With Halloween just around the corner getting out and seeding prospective advertisers with some type of free How-to trick or treat, party, etc. hotsheet. And, during Halloween to take note of who's doing what (and trying hardest to reach) families with kids in your community.

Good luck,

Rod

I'll give myself much more than an hour of research! I'm hoping to get a mock-up done by the end of the month. I will need to crunch numbers to find out my total start-up and ongoing costs - and what I can charge. My goal is to have at least 10 - 12 distribution places, legal forms for advertising, rates, website and everything ready to get a first issue out at the beginning of 2008 (and of course grow larger from there).

Thanks for some great ideas. I'm considering a monthly giveaway on the website to drive traffic there (additional links, coupons, etc online), and maybe a referral gift for businesses that refer other businesses to me for advertising.

I love the "West Valley Party" idea - thanks Gordon! I want to get upcoming family events, concerts and such, some crosswords, soduku, (time passing stuff for those in waiting areas, restaurants etc.), and then of course coupons and money saving ads. Kind of a cross between Coffee News and a local Entertainment Book specifically for families with kids!

(Sowpub never ceases to amaze, eh?) <---- You got that right Rod!

Thanks again, and feel free to keep the ideas coming!

- Todd
Arizona's Family Realtor

Todd,

Expanding on Gordon's and Rod's suggestions...

A few more backend Product ideas for your Local newsletter... Unlimited possibilities...

http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?p=16828
http://www.personalheadlines.com/
http://www.thefamilypost.com/

Give it a Smart little Green “twist” like the one created by a mommy-entrepreneur from Redwood City...

Although "Our Little Earth" is an “international” newspaper for children 8 to 12 years of age...

Become the "Our Little Earth"... For your Community... Maybe with Fundraising & Sponsorship Tie-ins...

Make sure your Publication is in hard copy Offline & Online and ready for Expansion into other Geo-locations...

You just never know on Expanding & Growing ideas... Specialty products... And/or maybe Licencing Agreements... Affiliate backends...

Help your child learn about current events and the world with a child-friendly online newspaper geared specifically for them...
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sec...bay&id=5698538
http://www.ourlittleearth.com/

Phil