Mark Potts looks back at why the hyperlocal news site Backfence closed its doors, and shares tips on the best way to create a user-generated hyperlocal news site:
- Engage the community.
- It’s not journalism—it’s a conversation.
- Hyperlocal content is really mundane
- Trust the audience.
- Focus on strong, well-defined communities.
- Leverage social networking.
- There is most certainly a robust hyperlocal advertising business.
- Keep costs down.
- Partner with a media company or some other distribution source.
- Hyperlocal works.
- Hyperlocal is really hard.