There are good ideas, and there are bad ideas. And sometimes a good idea becomes a bad idea, and vice versa.
Last year, we decided to launch a text notification and link to the Times Vedette. It was a simple message sent out via text each Tuesday and each Friday with a link that would take subscribers to the website with the latest version. I used it, and I loved it. And so did 24 other people… but that was it.
I thought we would have hundreds of people sign up for the texting option, rationalizing that the segment of people who don’t use email regularly but do check their text messages quite often would prefer it. We were not able to garner many, and that’s OK. I just couldn’t justify the cost of that service for only two dozen subscribers. Hence, a bad idea.
On a positive note, our email versions continue to grow. We now have 1,075 digital subscribers who have signed up to receive this Times Vedette email version. We also have 665 Lake Panorama Times digital subscribers, 525 Guthrie Center Times digital subscribers and 511 Panora Times digital subscribers. Add them all up, and the total number of digital version email subscribers is 2,776. Hence, a good idea.
Of course, our print versions continue to be our bread and butter with more than 7,260 copies being printed and distributed, generating nearly 9,000 readers. Hence, another good idea.
If you were one of the 24 text subscribers, we encourage you to convert to the email version. You can do so at https://gctimesnews.com/join-our-email-list/.
So, we swing and miss once in a while in our efforts to keep hitting home runs. That’s all part of the game, and we are honored to be able to play.
Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707