hyperlocal news: the come-back
TRANSCRIPT
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Jim Brady, CEO & Founder, Billy Penn
Global Editors Network, June 19, 2015
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What Is Billy Penn?Based in Philadelphia
Full-time staff of six
Launched October 2014
A mobile-first news operation
Aimed at millennials
Only Philadelphia-area news site that equates original and curated content
Committed to events and membership as majority revenue streams
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The Key Takeaways
Stay positive
You are not small You are fast
Your competitors are not bigThey are too big
Every positive is a negativeEvery negative is a positive
Focus on what you can win at
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Tactic #1
Don’t chase stories everyone else is chasing.
You cannot be – and should not try to be – a comprehensive source using only your own resources.
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Tactic #2
Use curation to provide that comprehensiveness.
Curation is the best way to make readers feel like your site is a lot bigger than it is.
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Amtrak DerailmentOur curation model made us the go-to place for news about the crash, as evidenced by our traffic and social media sentiment.
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Tactic #3
Don’t get too tied to routine daily stories, i.e. fires, crimes, traffic accidents.
Before assigning any story, think about the long tail.
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Tactic #4
But when the huge story happens in your backyard, own it.
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Amtrak DerailmentWe produced 12 original pieces in the three days after the crash, and curated 61 more.Billy Penn was Philadelphia’s most active tweeter about the crash.
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Tactic #5
Partner with anyone and everyone to get exposure.
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Tactic #6
Stop listening to people who tell you what local can’t do.
Focus on specific advantages of being local, like getting your audience physically in one place.
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Tactic #7
Don’t be afraid to do things that sound crazy at first.
You are the little fish looking for buzz. Not a big dog worried about a public shaming.
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So Far … So Good150,000 page views per month54% of readers are millennials59% of readers from Philly metro region55% of sessions from mobile devicesMore than 1,950 subscribers to daily newsletter w/ open rate of 40 percentMore than 5,500 Twitter followersAlmost 1,800 Facebook likesMore than 850 Instagram followersHave sold sponsorships for all our large eventsHave sold three combo ads/events packages
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Thanks!