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History of Tribeca Buildings
State of the Site
Time flies when you’re blogging: It’s been 16 months since the last State of the Site update. If you’re not interested in peeking under the hood, you’ll want to skip this post.
READERSHIP
••• 3,850 email newsletter subscribers (vs. 3,200 in March of 2014)
••• 187,000 monthly pageviews from 33,000 users (vs. 156,000 pageviews from 30,000 users)
••• 2,297 Facebook fans (vs. 1,656)
••• 4,486 Twitter followers (vs. 3,416)
••• 854 Instagram followers: (vs. 135)
So that’s good!
COMMENTS
One of the very best things about this site is the informed, thoughtful discussion. Close readers may have noticed, however, that I’ve grown increasingly tetchy about trolls. It’s often not the substance that gets to me, but the relentlessly negative energy. (This is something, believe it or not, that I’m working on in my own writing.) I sometimes wonder if I should never have waded into the comments in the first place, but I’d miss engaging in certain discussions, clarifying points, and answering questions. That said, I’m going to try and resist the urge to poke back when poked. And I’ll ask once again to please think twice before posting any comment that you wouldn’t say to the subject’s (or my) face. As my mama likes to say, no one is forcing you to be nasty.
ADVERTISING
Interest in advertising continues to be strong; the website is almost always sold out, and there’s been growth in email ads (both in the newsletter and dedicated email blasts).
It’s now what I call a legitimate business. No one is going to get rich off of it, but it justifies the effort I put into it, especially when I factor in quality-of-life benefits such as flexibility (I actually spent 25% of the past two years in California…), the lack of a boss, and not having to go to Midtown or attend meetings.
While I may occasionally make this site seem like it’s a lark, I’m quite serious about it as a business—and I will continue to make every effort to grow revenue. The question is, how? The site can scarcely handle more ad units, and I’ve been aggressive about raising rates to keep up with demand. That’s where email ads and blasts come in. I know email blasts aren’t people’s favorite form of advertising, and I’ve priced them relatively high, in order not to bombard you. I can only send out one email per day—so blasts can’t go out on Monday and Thursday, when the newsletter goes out—and advertisers generally aren’t interested in weekends. You’re unlikely, then, to see more than two a week. In a perfect world, you’d be interested in every ad that’s put in front of you; the reality, however, is that some won’t appeal to you at all. Rather than get upset about those, please try to think of them as being helpful to the general TC cause. (And I imagine we’ll only see more non-Tribeca-specific advertisers wanting your attention; you’re part of a very attractive demographic.)
What finally inspired me to do this post was a series of disapproving comments by HST about native advertising, as the industry calls advertising that looks like editorial. Pretty much every outlet does some form of native advertising now, and we all distinguish it from editorial in different ways. This site is built so that email blasts also run as sponsored posts, which are labeled “sponsored” twice—at the top, listed with the categories, and at the bottom. Could I do more, such as tinting the background of any text that’s sponsored? Probably, but then you’d just ignore it, wouldn’t you? My feeling is that these posts are labeled enough, and that you can likely tell within a sentence or two—or even from the headline and/or imagery—whether it’s an ad or not. If it takes longer, and you’re still reading, then you’re probably interested in the subject matter. (Three more points about sponsored content: It will never be in the first-person, as if I’m speaking; comments are always disabled, out of respect for the advertiser and as a way to make sure they can’t post positive comments; and I’d prefer to let readers make their own decisions about each advertiser’s merit rather than refuse the advertiser the opportunity.)
I hope this doesn’t sound defensive! I’ve been working my way through this thicket on my own—a downside of being a one-man band—and I genuinely enjoy thinking and talking about it. If you ever have questions or concerns about it, by all means feel free to ask.
Finally, I can’t thank enough the companies that have chosen to advertise here. Please factor in their support when you decide where to spend your money locally. And thank you again to readers who mention TC to local businesses. It really does make a difference.
WHAT’S NEXT?
I’ve successfully created a business that doesn’t scale well and ties me to a neighborhood, which is something I might have considered when I started out. I do know that innovation, as opposed to maintenance, is what excites me, so I suspect something interesting will happen here soon. I’d love to redesign the site without messing with the basic format—I quite like the old-school, scroll-down linearity—and I’ll probably change the logo again, because it’s fun. But that won’t be enough. So we’ll all just have to stay tuned. As always, I welcome input at tribecacitizen@gmail.com.
UPDATE: When I talk about the non-economic benefits of this enterprise—flexibility, no meetings, etc.—I almost always lead off with the deep personal satisfaction that comes from building something that people really value. Naturally, I forgot to mention it this time, but the nice comments reminded me. It should never go without saying: Thank you for reading.
28 Comments
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Yours is the only local magazine (even if it is online) that I read weekly/regularly. Your content is appealing, loyal to the love of Tribeca, and on point. Maybe posters or additional print would increase readership. Publicity collaborations might increase readership too. I bring up increasing readership because it will keep you in business and keep you doing this amazing job for all Tribeca citizens :)
Thanks for all you do. Love it.
great job! Love to read about the growth of TC.
Glad to hear about the growth. It is well earned.
I do not agree with this statement though: “I’ve successfully created a business that doesn’t scale well”
I believe there are several other local communities that would love the local news, information and insight that our community gets from the Tribeca Citizen. I wish I had such a good news for my other neighborhood. You could always expand and do something similar with SoHo, the financial district, or several of the other neighborhoods both near and far (although I assume you will have to bring in other reporters).
Could not agree more… and I agree, in large part selfishly, because I am lobbying for expansion to DUMBO.
Keep up the great work TC.
I moved from Tribeca 2 years ago (to California) and still read regularly. Can’t look away! Thank you!
Thanks for the update and congrats on your progress. I believe you have one of the most successful hyperlocal sites on the web, and it’s great that you’re willing to share info about it.
Two thoughts for you:
I think you should consider raising your ad prices again, and keep doing it until you are consistently at only 80 or 90% of inventory sold. If you are consistently selling out, then you don’t really know whether you can raise prices further or not. Unlike the print world, there’s no penalty for a “thinner” magazine. All that matters is 1) prices x fill rate = total revenue and 2) receiving signaling on whether your prices are too high or two low.
Second, could you please encourage your advertisers to let you copy edit their prose for them? It makes sense that ads never use “I”. However, the tone often sounds too formal or too conversational, and always strikes me as jarring. If it’s closer to your voice, it will fit better into the site.
I really appreciate your detailed coverage of the CB1 agendas and meetings. You are a saint for sitting through those meetings which require a lot of patience . Please know that your readership is paying attention, and I think this is an invaluable service. You can’t cover the details the way you do without actually sitting through the long meetings, but I think it is important and interesting to know with specifics what is happening in the neighborhood (transportation, planning/development, landmarks, quality of life issues, etc.). And your website is certainly a venue for conversation around such issues that doesn’t exist elsewhere.
And of course I love all the other parts of the website and newletters as well.
Keep up the great job!!!!
You should next try making your own content. 80% of what you post is aggregated form other sites. Only your daily walks and observations are your own, for the most part.
Transition from news aggregating to making news content. Hire someone if you can’t write.
I love tribeca citizen and it has been an incredibly valuable resource for me in the neighborhood over the years, Thanks!
Your work is part of every day for me. Thanks for all you do.
Erik, Thank you for all you do. The genuine appreciation for Tibeca Citizen around the neighborhood runs so deep – perhaps more than you may ever know.
I wanted to take an ad out on your site to thank you for all you do, but it’s cheaper to do it in the comments section, so thank you!
erik, this website is part of my daily ritual with a cup of coffee in the morning. TC brings people together, connects them over issues that are meaningful, and knits a community – who else does that??? thank you!
What you have created here is extraordinary and unique.
And while negativity is to be discouraged, please continue with the occasional snarky comment. It’s part of your charm.
Great job Erik! Thanks!
Great job Erik! You’re a must read and do a great job of covering the hood. I don’t even hold it against you that you spell your name with a “k”!
Love reading TC and getting updates about the hood. Really appreciate the heads up about special events in the area. Wonder if you could put in a calendar because sometimes I try looking for the event info but it’s all embedded in the post. Just a suggestion.
Yes, I love the site also, Erik, and read it daily. It’s a great resource and I look forward to future developments.
Ditto all the above love.
I just need my iPad, coffee and TC to get my morning off to a good start. I am a very loyal reader and citizen of Tribeca. Sending thanks for a job well done.
My husband and I look forward to each and every edition – and those email blasts work – when they come from Tribeca Citizen, we open them – and that is what every advertiser wants!
TC is genuinely informative and useful, as well as enjoyably readable. And kudos, of course, for highlighting local creative people! Thank you for giving us what has become a local institution, discussed at least once every week.
Thank you Erik for making living in Tribeca more pleasurable. As an ancient resident of these streets I have witnessed ever more rapid changes. Your insights concerning our wonderful neighborhood are bringing us closer together. Please keep up your good humor!
And who is that cutie pie in your lap?
Thanks from an out of state Grammy who likes to keep up with where my cildren live and where the grandkids play and school. Love the historic material, the CB1 reports, the city planning and architecture coverage, visiting loft designs, and so much more.
I know this much — Shorty thinks you’re pretty swell!
Seriously, I consider TC to be the best “public service” community we have. Thanks for making it both informative and interesting.
Thank you for all the nice comments! To answer various questions:
1. When I talk about difficulty scaling the site, I mean increasing its scope without commensurate investment of time and/or money. Right now, I don’t see how the increased effort could be financially worthwhile.
2. I don’t raise rates lightly, because it can be tough for small businesses in a way that’s less of an issue for national/global companies—which is one more way that business at the hyperlocal level is very different from, say, the New York Times.
3. I read sponsored content for grammar and readability, but I don’t suggest tonal changes unless someone request it.
4. I used to do a sort of calendar but (a) anything that aims to be comprehensive is a nightmare to keep up to date, and (b) no one read it. As a one-man band, I keep pushing myself to drop stuff that doesn’t prove worthwhile, unless it gives me pleasure. So I’m sorry, but when you see an event you might find interesting, you should definitely note it on your own calendar because I have a policy of only mentioning events once! (The “search” function on the site will prove helpful, too, especially if you put quotation marks around any phrases that might be generic as individual words.)
5. That cutie pie in my lap is my sweet, crazy pug, Howard. He used to show up more on this site, but now he doesn’t leave the apartment very much. Which suits him fine!
Love the TC and read it daily. I enjoy being in the know about what is happening in the hood. Thanks Erik!
Congrats on your well deserved growth, Erik! I haven’t lived in Tribeca for several years, yet I love to TC regularly.
BTW, can’t we all live with a little less negativity? :)