Newsletter Brainstorm

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