This episode dives into how a local newsletter can punch above its weight by pairing digital reach with in-person events. John Apolinar of Scottsdale Scoop shares the playbook behind his first paid happy hour—securing a sponsor, choosing a venue (the W in Old Town), and using raffle incentives to boost registrations. We dig into why IRL touchpoints build trust and open doors for bigger partnerships down the line.

John breaks down his early results (37+ paid signups, ~$500 in tickets), the sponsor economics (venue and first drink covered), and seed-stage interest from brands—including Rivian—eager to host future gatherings. We also cover content that pops on Instagram (short green-screen updates, new openings/closures, and carousels), plus how a student intern from Handshake can produce dependable carousel posts each week.

You’ll hear a candid look at monetization: using SmartLead for cold outreach (with burner domains/inboxes), why high-ticket local categories convert better, packaging two newsletter ads with an event, and the next frontier—turning the welcome flow into consistent CPL revenue so paid acquisition can scale. Key takeaways: keep the first event simple, sell packages not one-offs, track what performs on IG, and experiment with segmented onboarding offers.

Get in touch with John Apolinar

🐦 Twitter / X: it’s “John Apolinar” (DMs open)

Get started with Smartlead: https://www.smartlead.ai/?via=92189

#LocalNewsletters #Scottsdale #EventMarketing #CommunityBuilding #NewsletterGrowth #Sponsorships #InstagramMarketing #ColdEmail #LocalMedia #Beehiiv

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