I’ve always believed in being as up front as possible about what’s going on behind the scenes, and it’s been a long time since I last reported on the state of the site.

BUT FIRST…
Please consider making a donation via PayPal (the site will allow you to use a credit card, if you prefer). I don’t ask this lightly; I promise that as soon as advertising revenue covers my costs, I’ll stop asking. If donating makes you uncomfortable, hey, you can always buy my book (or give it as a gift).

READERSHIP
Traffic hit all-time highs in the past six months (before dipping in July, presumably because people were on vacation—as if that’s an excuse!). Pageviews are averaging around 100,000 per month—peaking as high as 120K—from around 18,000 unique visitors. And that’s without the inflators that other sites use (such as slideshows, which you probably hate as much as I do). The newsletter, meanwhile, crossed the 1,000-subscriber mark a few weeks ago; it now has 1,043 subscribers, every one of which chose to subscribe. Tribeca Citizen has 882 likes on Facebook (the 133 number in the left-hand column of TribecaCitizen.com is so small because that widget was only added a few months ago) and 776 followers on Twitter.

EDITORIAL
The site also recently crossed the 2,000-post mark. Tribeca Citizen has changed quite a bit since I started it, which I knew it would—the only way to tell what works is to throw stuff against the wall. I recently ditched the calendar because not enough people were reading it. (If you were one of the folks who did, I’m sorry. I’ll still cover notable events—it was the comprehensiveness that was killing me.) I’d probably be able to get more traffic if I divided up “In the News” and “Seen & Heard” items into individual posts, but I try to bear in mind how much content you really want about greater Tribeca.

ADVERTISING
I’ve always been a bit lackadaisical about selling ads, at first because the readership wasn’t huge, and later because I’m not a salesperson. (Consider yourself lucky, local business owners, that I don’t pester you.) At this point, however, local businesses really should be advertising here. (Posting a flyer in your window is nice, but good luck relying on foot traffic; Facebook and Twitter, meanwhile, only reach people who are already loyal.) No matter what your message is, there’s a way to get it across—and these rates are only going to go up:
••• Display advertising: For $50 a day, you can have a banner ad that runs above the logo on every page of the site. Or you can run an ad in the left-hand column starting at $140 per week. More info on how display advertising works is here.
••• For just $200, you can buy a sponsored post with up to 200 words and seven images. (I can help with the writing and/or photography.) The post also gets blurbed in the editorial newsletter. A recent example.
••• Deals newsletter: At the beginning of every month, I send out a newsletter devoted to sales and deals. The cost to be included (75 words, one image) is $95. A recent example.
••• I have yet to do a dedicated email, but I’d consider it.
••• I’m about to launch a new advertising product, but I can’t say more just yet.

SUGGESTIONS? TIPS?
I’m grateful for any advice or suggestions. Or neighborhood tips. Or good photos. Anything! Email me at tribecacitizen@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading Tribeca Citizen in general, and this post in particular, and for your supportive comments over the years. Knowing that people value the work I’ve put into it has been what keeps me going. If you see me walking around (I’m the tall Tribecan walking a recalcitrant pug), please do say hello.

P.S. Tell your friends and neighbors about Tribeca Citizen! Likewise, if a business owner asks how you heard about something (and you read it here), please tell them. It really helps. Many don’t live around here—which is fine!—but it means they don’t read this site the way that residents do.