This Tiny Town Newsletter Turned Into a 6-Figure Business\u2014Here\u2019s How<\/b><\/p>\n
(And Why You Could Do the Same in Your Own Town)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Let me tell you a story that might just change the way you think about local news\u2014and making money from home.<\/span><\/p>\n Back in 2020, a guy named <\/span>Ryan Sneddon<\/b> started a small email newsletter called <\/span>The Naptown Scoop<\/b>. It was all about his hometown: <\/span>Annapolis, Maryland<\/b> (locals call it <\/span>Naptown<\/span><\/i>).<\/span><\/p>\n At first, the newsletter only had <\/span>70 subscribers<\/b>\u2014mainly friends, family, and a few people nearby. Sound familiar? You could probably do the same just by messaging your own circle.<\/span><\/p>\n But Ryan kept at it. Every week, he sent out a short, friendly email with local news, events, restaurant openings, fun stuff to do with the kids, and a bit of gossip too.<\/span><\/p>\n People started to love it.<\/span><\/p>\n They shared it with friends, neighbours, and colleagues. Slowly but surely, <\/span>the newsletter grew<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n Fast forward three years, and by the end of 2023, Ryan had built a loyal audience of <\/span>17,000 subscribers<\/b>. Even better? About <\/span>65% of them opened every email<\/b> (that\u2019s an amazing rate!).<\/span><\/p>\n And because of that local attention, <\/span>businesses were queuing up to advertise<\/b> in his newsletter. Ryan now earns <\/span>over $200,000 per year<\/b> (that\u2019s about <\/span>\u00a3154,000<\/b>)\u2014from what started as a small, friendly email!<\/span><\/p>\n Wait\u2014A Newsletter About Local Stuff? That\u2019s It?<\/b><\/p>\n Yup. It\u2019s simply a weekly roundup of road closures, community events, feel-good stories, and local recommendations.<\/span><\/p>\n And here’s the kicker: <\/span>Ryan isn\u2019t a journalist, a marketer, or even a writer.<\/b> So what made his newsletter so successful?<\/span><\/p>\n According to Ryan, it comes down to <\/span>three simple things<\/b>:<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Extreme Local Focus<\/b><\/p>\n He didn\u2019t try to cover the whole region. He literally drew a 10-mile circle around Annapolis and focused only on that area. The content was super relevant to locals, so they cared and kept reading.<\/span><\/p>\n 2. Keep It Fun and Friendly<\/b><\/p>\n Even when covering things like local planning meetings or roadworks, he wrote in a casual, chatty tone\u2014like he was talking to a friend over coffee. No boring details, just what people <\/span>actually<\/span><\/i> want to know.<\/span><\/p>\n 3. Positive Vibes Only<\/b><\/p>\n He avoided drama and negative news. No shock headlines. No clickbait. Just feel-good stories, helpful updates, and fun things to do. A refreshing change from doomscrolling on social media!<\/span><\/p>\n Why This Could Work <\/b>Anywhere<\/i><\/b>\u2014Even In the UK<\/b><\/p>\n Here\u2019s where it gets exciting.<\/span><\/p>\n The Naptown Scoop model would work brilliantly in towns and cities <\/span>across the UK<\/b>, and barely anyone is doing it!<\/span><\/p>\n You don\u2019t need a huge audience. You don\u2019t need special skills. And you don\u2019t need loads of money to get started.<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s break it down:<\/span><\/p>\n \u2714 It\u2019s Hyper Local<\/b><\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to reach the whole country. Focus on your town, borough, or area. If you\u2019re in the countryside, maybe a small region.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2714 It\u2019s Low Competition<\/b><\/p>\n Chances are, <\/span>nobody else<\/b> in your area is doing this. You could be first\u2014and own the space.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2714 It\u2019s Cheap to Start<\/b><\/p>\n You only need an email platform (many are free to begin with), a laptop, and maybe some basic AI tools to help with research or writing.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2714 It\u2019s Flexible<\/b><\/p>\n You can do this part-time from home. One email a week could take 2\u20135 hours to put together, especially with the help of AI.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2714 No Fancy Writing Skills Needed<\/b><\/p>\n Ryan openly admits he uses AI tools like Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude to help research and write most of the newsletter\u2014then he just tweaks it in his own voice.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2714 It\u2019s a Feel-Good Business<\/b><\/p>\n You\u2019re helping local people discover new things, supporting local shops and services, and bringing your community together. All while earning a side income. What\u2019s not to love?<\/span><\/p>\n So How Do You Make Money?<\/b><\/p>\n Once your newsletter has a decent following, you can start offering:<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019re giving local businesses a direct line to an audience that actually cares about what’s happening nearby.<\/span><\/p>\n This Isn\u2019t a Newspaper<\/b><\/p>\n You\u2019re not doing hard journalism or trying to compete with the local press.<\/span><\/p>\n Instead, think of yourself as the <\/span>friendly neighbourhood curator<\/b>\u2014gathering the best stories, updates, events, and recommendations each week and sending them in a warm, easy-to-read email.<\/span><\/p>\n You\u2019re building a little community of readers who <\/span>like hearing from you<\/span><\/i>. That\u2019s powerful\u2014and valuable.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/b> He\u2019s an engineer. No fancy background. No insider contacts. No secret sauce.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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