It’s time once again for a look at how things are going with Tribeca Citizen. I’m a big fan of transparency, especially considering how much this endeavor relies on the goodwill of its readers.

TRAFFIC
Last time I ran a State of the Site, in December of 2011, TribecaCitizen.com consistently received 100,000 monthly pageviews from 20,000 unique visitors. Over the past six months, the site has averaged 122,500 monthly pageviews from 21,000 unique visitors (although in the past month, there have been 26,700 unique visitors).

TribecaCitizen.com’s Google Analytics report for the past 30 days.

The newsletter, meanwhile, has grown from 1,307 subscribers then to 2,095 now. And every subscriber must not only opt in, but also confirm the subscription—I can’t add anyone just because I’d like to.

TRACTION / SATURATION
This is harder to quantify, but circumstantially I can tell that the Tribeca Citizen brand has gained an extraordinary amount of traction. I get an email pretty much every day from someone who says they love and appreciate it, which obviously makes me feel terrific. But, more important, reader participation—from comments to tips to photos to questions and beyond—has also grown exponentially. That’s huge, because it makes covering the neighborhood infinitely easier. So thanks again! I try to be very good about attributing info, although sometimes I think it’s weird to use “reader” as a title, as in “Reader Jill Abramson noticed that…,” because it makes everyone sound like a member of some religious sect. But I see no way around it other than only saying the name on occasion (“Jill noticed that…”).

The email newsletter’s subscription number

The site also gets more respect from businesses based outside the neighborhood, including from PR people who had previously preferred to fry bigger fish. Naturally, there are exceptions. For example, I recently emailed the PR folks at Calypso St. Barth to ask if I could take a quick photo to go along with a TCQ&A—when I’ve tried just walking in, they’ve told me to request permission from corporate—and I once again got no response at all. Those of you who believe that non-local brands are equally invested in communities can take my experience as evidence to the contrary.

One thing I’ve noticed is how useful the site has become as a conduit to Community Board 1, city agencies, and local businesses. I hadn’t imagined it that way when I started, but as I’ve learned more about how things work, I’ve loved being able to help people get their questions answered or problems solved. Related: If you’re thinking of opening a restaurant or bar here, please ask me for advice about getting a liquor license.

REVENUE
The site is on target to bring in what I made from my first job in New York City—in 1992. But it’s way up over last year, and I’ve tried to be more aggressive about selling ads. I’m making most types of display ads significantly cheaper, reaching out more to businesses who really should be advertising, and lowering the rates on sponsored posts and dedicated emails. I imagine a few readers won’t love receiving dedicated emails, which is why I encourage advertisers to have something useful to say. I hope readers will understand that the site simply must make money for me to justify continuing to do it. (There are also more Google remnant ads than before, as you may have noticed.)

And I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the companies that advertise here. I hope you’ll factor in their support when you decide where to spend your money locally.

It frustrates me to no end when businesses and organizations that I cover—and/or that I know read this site—advertise in outlets that don’t ever mention them. Is it just because those outlets have salespeople? Am I just making life easier for those salespeople?

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Just because I don’t really solicit donations anymore—you still can, of course—doesn’t mean you can’t be of assistance.
1. Talk up Tribeca Citizen. Mention it to friends and neighbors, share posts on Facebook and Twitter, forward the newsletter, and so on. And always tell local businesses that you read about them here. It’s crucial.
2. Share marketing expertise. Do you have ideas on how to get the word out? (I can’t hand out postcards outside Whole Foods, so please don’t suggest it.) If you’re in a position to get the site a little publicity, please do. For instance, if you work at WNYC, you could suggest that Brian Lehrer do a roundtable with hyperlocal bloggers about how they’re changing the way people get neighborhood news. If you work at New York Magazine, you could suggest to the Strategist editor that they do a recurring item based on a hyperlocal blogger’s favorites or secrets. If you know someone at Pug Talk, you could suggest a feature on Howard.
3. Help out. I’d be especially grateful for design/illustration assistance, since I don’t have the tools or skills. It’s not web design I’m looking for so much as graphics for certain recurring items, such as Welcome to Tweebeca [thanks, Milo Hess!], Nosy Neighbor, and so on. I could also use a professionally shot portrait, perhaps without my assistant.
4. Buy the site. You could be the Rupert Murdoch of greater Tribeca! It’s probably cheaper than you think.

ONE LAST THOUGHT
When a local business is mentioned in a post, and you have a grievance against that business for some unrelated reason, please consider contacting the business offline instead of venting in a comment. (Or go to Yelp.) It’s depressingly negative, for one thing, and passive-aggressive, for another (because you can’t assume they’ll read it—if you really want to effect change, then do it right). Also, those kinds of comments don’t exactly help my relationships with local businesses—not just in terms of selling ads, but simply getting them to cooperate when I have a question or would like to take a photo.

Thanks again for reading this and the site in general, and for your support. As always, I’m happy to answer questions of any kind. I can be reached at tribecacitizen@gmail.com.