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It sometimes looks as if the hyperlocal space is owned by commercial “pureplays” – the Yelps, Angie’s Lists and Weddings.com. These are the sites that most often seem connected to their often very vertical communities – and pull in the revenue, as documented in the new Borrell report.
News sites grind out their duty coverage of local arrests, fires and traffic snarls, but how often do they capture what’s special about their towns and stir up communal sprit? And even if they do achieve that, how often do they reap new revenue from their enterprise?
30A succeeds at both. Founder and CEO Mike Ragsdale sees 30A as far more than a website. “It’s a network, it’s a brand,” he says. 30A has plenty of new about the Santa Rosa Beach communities along the Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida, including the occasional story that might not sit that well with visitors who reach for too many cool ones (“Spring Break Safety: Sheriff, Seaside Take Stand Against Illegal Activities”) But it’s also three retail stores, 30A Radio, 30A Weddings.com and 30A VideoTours.com, and more....
Mike Ragsdale's 30A is successfully covering the Santa Rosa Beach communities in Florida, covering daily minutiae while capturing what's special about the place. And he's showing how "local news" can make money. Real money!