The Man That Built The #1 Local Newsletter Brand Making $320K/YR In a Small Town

Meet Ryan Sneddon, founder of NapTown Scoop, who transformed a tiny 70-subscriber newsletter into a thriving media company reaching half of Annapolis. From burning through his savings on Facebook ads to having $230K already booked for 2025, Ryan's story proves local media isn't dead - it's evolving. Stay tuned so you can enjoy the latest episodes wherever you go and never miss a single penny of information: https://www.breakingandbuildingleaders.com/subscribe Start your own newsletter with Beehiiv today: https://www.beehiiv.com?via=Andrew-Bayon We cover: (00:00) How did an engineer build a $320K/year local newsletter? (01:19) Why did Ryan quit engineering to start a newsletter? (02:41) What made him quit his job with zero backup plan? (03:19) How did 70 subscribers turn into a thriving business? (03:38) Why did his first newsletter completely fail? (05:17) The "practice newsletter" that fast-tracked his success (06:14) His ruthless content strategy: 10-mile radius only (07:14) The "no crime, no politics" rule that grew his audience (09:14) 3 essentials before launching your first newsletter (11:37) Is his Facebook ad strategy still crushing it in 2024? (13:12) How he raised $250K to buy a house for a grieving family (16:32) Getting recognized in an Irish stadium at 11PM (17:55) Are Facebook ads dead for newsletter growth? (19:24) The secret to getting 10-cent subscribers (22:50) Why "events" beats "news" in Facebook ad copy (24:20) What does "getting scooped" mean to his readers? (25:55) The exact moment to turn off paid advertising (28:09) When have you hit "critical mass" with subscribers? (29:15) His post-Facebook ads growth strategy (32:10) Social media or website: Which comes first? (34:15) Why social media followers impress advertisers more than subscribers (36:00) The perfect local newsletter content mix (38:46) Why is live music content surprisingly popular? (41:42) Where does AI fit in his content workflow? (45:27) Why AI fails at local content but excels at ad copy (47:05) How his team searches 55 websites daily (49:07) Are development projects the best growth content? (51:50) Who should be your first newsletter team hire? (54:51) Freelance vs. full-time: Best writer hiring strategy (56:35) The pay rate that makes writers prioritize your work (58:52) How to handle young talent who will outgrow your role (1:04:16) Can you charge $800 for a local newsletter ad? (1:07:14) Why realtors dominate local newsletter advertising (1:09:35) The apartment complex math: 5 tenants from one ad campaign (1:12:12) What his top advertiser categories reveal (1:14:59) Where to follow Ryan's newsletter journey (1:16:13) Why license instead of franchise NapTown Scoop? (1:19:00) Would this work for a law firm's marketing? (1:21:04) "If you build an audience, you can sell them anything" (1:21:47) From newsletter to toilet rental business: His surprising pivot Resources: Ryan's links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/lifeof_scoop Naptown newsletter subscribe: https://www.naptownscoop.com/ & newsletter feed: https://naptownscoop.beehiiv.com/ Naptown Instagram: Life of Scoop newsletter: https://lifeofscoop.beehiiv.com/ My Links: 📧 Newsletter: www.breakingandbuildingleaders.com/ 🎙 Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildingbreakingleaders 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBec7qai7oM_AWnFCMon7ng 🐣 Twitter: twitter.com/AndrewBayon 📸 Instagram: www.instagram.com/andrew_bayon/ 🕺 TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@andrewbayon Get access to the only YouTube hook database for agents with Listing Leads to find the best viral topics for building a real estate YouTube channel. Use code "ANDREW" to get 50% off on top of your free trial: https://linktw.in/qckvLb Stop paying for expensive leads & build your own with our help building you a hyper local media brand: https://www.aimpactmedia.com/ Get your own hyper local email newsletter buit for you: https://ellaemail.com/