Hello and happiest of Saturday mornings to you, neighbor!

On February 20, 2022, I decided to take the informational posts I’d been posting to Facebook and move them to a new, permanent home. I didn’t have much of a plan when I started the Buzz because, as those of you who know me know all too well, I’m not super great with the planning-ahead thing. But I judged that I could keep up the level of energy I’d been putting forth on Facebook indefinitely, and so far I think it’s gone well.

Within the first few days we’d gotten our first 100 loyal subscribers, and that total has done nothing but grow ever since. Readers have a lot of amazing and flattering things to say about the Buzz, like:

• I appreciate your balanced reporting and your ability to bring calm and logic to some of the hot topics/discussions.
• In our house, The Buzz helps us get our day started.
• I look forward to reading the buzz every time it arrives in my inbox. Nicci is such a great writer and I love her sense of humor.
• I already feel like I know more about the town I live in and more connected to its residents.
• This was the first time I voted in a local election and really knew the people I was voting for.

The Buzz reaches many hundreds of people each day directly in their email inboxes and upwards of 10,000 per week on Facebook. I hope these numbers continue to grow, and that folks continue getting more involved in local government and events as a result of the awareness the Buzz raises.

What’s Next?

I get suggestions from time to time, and I try to implement as many as is practical. Looking ahead to the next six months, readers have given me some really great ideas for how we can bring the Buzz to the next level.

Some examples:

• Running Q&A Thread - Hey, I can do this one right now!
• More community member features in interviews/podcasts
• Advertising partnerships with local organizations and businesses
• Community Calendar
• More info on businesses and housing developments going in

All these are great ideas, and while some are super simple to implement, some will take a little more time and capacity - which I hope to build as we get settled into the school year!

Cool Announcement, Bro

Speaking of the next level, I’m super excited to announce that Burlington Buzz was accepted into the Google News Initiative Startup Lab program. This is a six-week program with a financial incentive to help out with startup costs. I’m really excited for this opportunity to legitimize the publication and make sure I’ve got all the housekeeping stuff taken care of so we can begin to build (and protect) a sustainable future.

Also, that probably means that these big changes aren’t going to happen until after October. Sorry not sorry! Because this investment will pay dividends in time and frustration later.

Let’s Celebrate!

So here are a few ways to celebrate the Buzz’s half-birthday:

• Come eat ice cream with me and the rest of the Buzz family at the Sculpture Park today from 10-12.
• Share the Buzz with 5 people you know in Burlington right now.
• Become a free subscriber. It costs you nothing and makes it super easy to keep up with what’s going on in Burlington.
• Become a paid subscriber. If you’ve been waiting for the Buzz to prove its value, and think it’s done a good job, now’s a great time to subscribe. It’s much less expensive than a subscription to one of the “local” papers, plus it is more local and zero paper. Also, paid subscriptions assign a value to the time I spend providing this resource.

That’s it for today. Have a good one, and we’ll see each other tomorrow.

Nicci

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled later today for the announcement of the winner of this week’s giveaway!