If you’ve been reading this blog, you should know: I’m on a mission to improve North County’s image. I want to promote the very best this community has to offer, serving as your hip local guide and a conduit for positive news and information.

I consider myself a journalist, committed to thorough fact-checking and quality storytelling, and I offer only original content, written fresh nearly every day. At the same time, I’m also a savvy marketer, strategically using my blog to shift the perception of this area and (hopefully) inspiring NoCo residents to feel more optimistic and excited about their community. I want people to start paying attention to all the good in North County, instead of always assuming the bad.

If you like what I’m doing, please know that I really appreciate your support. Running NOCO is incredibly fun (it’s my dream job, honestly) but it also takes lots of time and effort, so I’m currently looking for two types of sponsors who share my mission: readers and advertisers.

READERS: This one’s pretty simple. If you like what I write, please keep reading and spreading the word about NOCO. And now and then, give me a tip. It doesn’t have to be a big tip – a dollar or two – but it will help me cover the costs of running this site and providing you with good quality NoCo information. The tip jar is over to the right and it works via Paypal. I’m also happy to hear your feedback and story ideas. I want to write what you want to read!

ADVERTISERS: As someone who has purchased a lot of advertising over the years, I’m always amazed at what businesses and other organizations will invest in print ads. The cost is sky high, the return rate is difficult to track, and the big numbers touted in circulation rarely equal the actual number of readers.

One local business owner recently told me he spent $5,000 on print ads in a community newspaper, only to net ONE new customer! That’s probably because the old model for community news relies on casting a wide net: you drop lots of papers and hope most of them don’t wind up in the trash.

NOCO offers the more modern alternative – an advertising outlet where you can reach a highly focused group of customers and know exactly how many of them are seeing your ad. It also provides a lasting, colorful and ever-growing document of North County, using the primary way that many people, especially younger generations, find their news and view the world these days: online.

Since  launching in October 2009, the site is now averaging 340,000 hits and nearly 20,000 unique visitors every month. If someone is reading NOCO, it’s because they love North County. And chances are they will happily support your local business as well.

As a NOCO sponsor, your exposure could grow right along with this site, showcasing your business to the most progressive audience in the area. And did I mention the cost for sponsorship is extremely reasonable?

For just $65 per month, you can place a 150×175-pixel ad that links directly to your website/email/Facebook. (For ads longer than 175 pixels, the cost is $20 per additional 50 pixels.) Ads rotate daily for maximum visibility, and they can be animated gifs, as long as they’re smaller than 60kb. I can even design your ad if you need.

So why not support NOCO? It’s the only North County news source dedicated to creating a brighter future for our community, by providing fresh, creative, informative content for clever readers ages 25-50 and beyond. Contact me today to become a NOCO sponsor!

Many thanks,

Shannon Howard

shannon at NOCOstl.com / (314) 359-5927