To remain sustainable, the local media outlet combines direct ad sales, branded content, merchandise (coupon passports), and a Patreon membership. This multi-pronged approach provides stability and avoids over-reliance on a single, often volatile, revenue stream like programmatic advertising.

A 19-year-old built a $3M+/year agency by productizing a task most founders avoid: street interviews for social media. This reveals a massive opportunity in operationalizing the high-rejection, 'unscalable' work that leaders are too embarrassed or busy to do themselves.

Instead of creating everything from scratch, Klue's Compete Network began by aggregating content and partnering with existing thought leaders. They provided the production 'plumbing,' allowing creators to focus on their expertise, which accelerated the network's growth and value.

The Kapo Chronicle bundles all content—four main stories, news briefs, and a calendar—into a single weekly Sunday edition. This "packaged product" approach, unlike a constant stream of individual articles, creates a predictable ritual for readers, increasing anticipation and solidifying the reading habit.

Start a podcast where you interview local business owners in your town. They will eagerly accept the invitation to promote themselves and, in doing so, promote you to their local audience. You become the central hub of the business community, generating immense brand awareness and leads.

Initially, 6AM City hired two editors per market. Over time, they discovered a more efficient model: empowering a single, autonomous local editor and centralizing all other operations (marketing, sales support, design). This streamlined the process, reduced overhead, and allowed the local editor to focus purely on creating a high-quality, localized product.

Stuart Shuffman argues his model is highly replicable because local publishers can build deep trust that national brands can't. This trust makes it easier to sell ads directly to local businesses, who see their spending as both a marketing tool and a form of community patronage.

Instead of digital ads, the Coppell Chronicle grows by sponsoring local high school sports teams, PTAs, and youth baseball. This hyperlocal, real-world marketing embeds the brand directly into the community fabric, creating goodwill and awareness that's more effective than online advertising for a local venture.