One month of The Gloucester Start - what I've learnt and what comes next
I like doing this and with your help it can grow into something great
I made myself a few promises when finally deciding to set this newsletter up, after many months of finding weak excuses not to: Not to let it become an obsession, to learn and adapt as I go, and to stick at it.
One month in
Christmas Day will mark a calendar month since its launch and, so far so good. As far as I can tell, people like it - almost 200 subscribers have signed up despite me doing next to zero marketing - and it’s filling a gap.
And I like doing it - I feel much more plugged into my home city, it’s good discipline and it’s teaching me new skills (and re-teaching me some old ones).
Slow news days are real
My biggest concern was being able to commit to filling the Start with enough relevant content every day. Making sure these bulletins are valuable enough to merit a place in your inbox each morning is really the be all and end all here. Gloucester isn’t overserved for news reporting - that’s a separate blog for another time - and there have been days when finding even half a dozen fresh items to curate into a briefing has been a serious struggle, the middle of the week particularly. What better way to illustrate that than with a stat attack…
227 - the total number of news summaries, events and announcements brought to you by the Start so far
13 - the average number of items in Monday bulletins
15 - the average number in Friday bulletins
9 - the average number in Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday bulletins
It’s also worth saying that those days make you do better - I’ve had to look harder, be creative and on a few occasions that’s led to unearthing stories no-one else has picked up. I’m not in this to compete, but it’s always nice to be first…
I also know from significant experience of being a journalist in this city (I was a reporter, then news editor, then digital editor at The Citizen and Gloucestershire Live for almost a decade) that there’s news in abundance out there - it’s the adequate resource to find and report it all that’s missing.
As a result I’ve ummed and ahhed about reducing the frequency or expanding the geography to mitigate that mid-week slump - but I think both of those options erode the point of the Start.
So it’s staying daily and I’ll be looking at how I can add more value and bulk in those slower moments. Suggestions for that are very welcome, but part of the answer is to build it with your help 👇
You’re part of a community
And successful communities help and support each other, right? One thing I really want to dial up with the Start is reader submissions. I’d love to have a community noticeboard as a regular feature hosting your news, updates, events, whatever you need announcing. The form’s ready and waiting so please think of us when you’ve got something you need shouting about.
I also need you to help make some noise. If you value the Start, tell your friends or give us a share into your local Facebook group. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing out there and it really makes the world of difference.
Happy Christmas
I’m taking a break for what’s left of 2024 to spend time catching up with family and friends so the Start is on pause for a couple of weeks, returning to your inboxes on January 2nd.
Thank you so much for engaging with and supporting this idea so far and be proud to call yourselves early adopters! Here’s to 2025 being prosperous for all in the city we call home.