Thank you, Broward. Now let's roll for a second year.
Credit: @moments.by.mel
A message from Jesse Scott, Co-Founder and Editor of Browardist and THE WEEKLY 954:
By all indications, we’ve done a lot of things “wrong” here in year one of Browardist.
We haven’t created a single video or Reel across our platforms. There have been zero lists. We haven’t mimicked or – dare I say – blatantly plagiarized the viral work of others and called it our own. We’re avoiding our SEO team like the plague – they really can’t be fans of our self-promotion tactics. I could go on and on about the absolutely proven strategies I’ve learned over decades of being a journalist and communications dude that we, well, are not doing at all.
But apparently this little passion project is working and resonating… so much so that some very cool things are unfolding at a pretty rapid pace.
Last month, we were awarded a prestigious grant alongside some of the most respected news organizations in the state. Also, as of last month, we eclipsed 20,000 unique visitors to Browardist.com, 4,000 subscribers to THE WEEKLY 954 and 12,000 followers on Instagram. And, importantly, because we are a mom-and-pop business after all, we’re seeing businesses – big and small – step up to support and sponsor our mission of bringing additional, original journalism to Broward County.
With that, a special shoutout to our Beacons of Browardist, who sponsored this mission from day one: Visit Lauderdale, TD Bank, Gulfstream Park, Casa d’Angelo, Levy Public Relations, the City of Pompano Beach, Goodman Public Relations, Sweet Aloha Ice Cream and BLU by Thrivewell.
So, what are we doing right then? Well, I like to think we’ve stuck to exactly what we promised from day one – a clutter- and doomscrolling-free experience for our readers and truly unique stories for Broward.
In telling these stories, boy, have we met some folks who have inspired us. The Hollywood chef who launched a nude dining experience (yep, Browardist was the very first to tell that story – humblebrag). The Coral Springs mom gone international Costco maven. The Davie native and Air Force veteran who’s now a bonsai master. And, certainly, all of our fellow creators and journalists out there showcasing just how dynamic and awesome our home is – it’s never been more important to value and support their work, too.
As we enter year two, oh yes, we have some new features and avenues ready to go as we carefully and strategically grow. It’s all designed to lift up even more of your stories. With that, the door is always open to support Browardist, collaborate with us or pitch a story of your own at [email protected]. And, ahem, if you somehow haven’t signed up for THE WEEKLY 954 already, get with it at browardist.com/subscribe.
Thanks for reading and, most importantly, thanks for being you, Broward. You’ve kept us busy, and there’s all kinds of goodness ahead.
- js
