Evanston RoundTable, a hyperlocal nonprofit newsroom founded in 1998, aims to provide in-depth, objective coverage at no charge to Evanston residents.
Evanston RoundTable joined the LNA aiming to launch a newsletter geared toward raising children in Evanston with hopes of creating an essential resource for parents in Evanston. This would expand the publication’s audience, opening up opportunities for new donors and advertisers, and begin building the next generation of Evanston RoundTable readers and supporters.
Using Medill-founded research, the RoundTable learned more about its new audience, which the team then used to refine newsletter content and marketing strategies. For example, survey findings revealed interest in this type of newsletter was not limited to parents. Based on this information, RoundTable pursued an opt-out strategy for the newsletter and began distributing it to the publication’s established 10,000 subscribers.
Successfully launched targeted newsletter for parents and families
Established subscribers receiving the new newsletter
Like many small news organizations, we have no shortage of great ideas, just limited time and resources to bring them to life. Participating in LNA made our long-standing dream of launching a parenting newsletter possible.
Tracy Quattrocki, publisher and executive director
Evanston RoundTable also utilized the Business Model Canvas and SMARTIE goal frameworks to lay out a manageable plan for the technical aspects of launching a newsletter. The team hired a set of freelancers with strong community ties and editorial voices to manage and contribute to the newsletter, and integrated advertising pipelines for the newsletter into existing ones for the larger publication, resulting in a long list of potential advertisers and partnerships.