As someone who lives in (and loves) San Francisco and has been here for some time now, I am an avid reader and fan of our local publications. They all bring something unique to the table but a personal favorite of mine is The Bolt Italic.
I think they are flirting with the future of what local media can look like: beautiful design, community events, no shortage of visual content and they work hard to bring the voices and activities of the community into their content stream. They do a great job of following both what’s happening in the physical world and digitally related to SF which is unique. Still too many local publications ignore what’s happening in online communities. Plus, it’s obvious when you visit the site they have a unique brand and identity which truly feels like it fits our city.
You can get an overview of what their site offers the city via the site nav, including the fact that they have their own line of creative products like a stunning guide to our most beautiful park (I actually plan to purchase this). I am not privy to their metrics but I bet they’re already doing well. They have ads too of course but the fact that they have products is smart and a good way to diversify revenue.
In addition to a great site, they have have fast-growing social communities which organically share much of their content. And their content is really worth sharing: you can also see below for a sample infographic they’ve created. Also be sure to check out the full size here, note their CMS is flexible to fit the format of their content.
I could add more about what they are doing that I like but it is clear this is a model for the future of a premium local brand done right. I’d check them out for inspiration, they have fast-become one of the most talked about sites around San Francisco – both in person and in social. If your city doesn’t yet have a site at this level of quality and creativity it’s a huge opportunity to get in front of some of the more typical local rags and do something remarkable. Not saying the rags don’t have a place, but there’s equal room for something like Bold Italic in your city.
The Bold Italic Is Flirting With The Future Of Local Content is from The Future Buzz, a Blog Covering Digital Marketing. You should follow Adam on Twitter and Google+ .
The Bold Italic Is Flirting With The Future Of Local Content
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