Danielle Weisblatt likes to know whats going on in Fairfield. She needs to know what decisions are being made in town meetings. She wants to know when new businesses open up. And she wants to know the latest schools news and how it affects her three sons at North Stratfield Elementary School. Thats why she reads TheDailyFairfield.
The Neighbors tab always keeps me reading, Danielle says. Reading about the interesting people who live right around the corner definitely keeps me coming back for more.
Danielle is not alone. TheDailyFairfield.com and its nine sister sites in southern Fairfield County passed a milestone 1 million visits this week, nine months after the company launched. Main Street Connect, parent of all the sites, just signed its 100th contract with its local advertising partners.
At the rate we are attracting readers, we will hit 2 million visits by May, says Carl Lavin, managing editor of MSC. Starting next week, registered readers will be able to sign up for daily headlines delivered directly to their email.
Cumulatively, readers have spent the equivalent of nearly five years reading their local news on MSC. Thats an average of 2.39 minutes a day, as reported by the data-gathering service Google Analytics.
MSC also gives back to the community while building awareness of its sites. Its Better Schools Bonanza contest last fall awarded $35,000 in checks to Parent-Teacher Organizations. Local nonprofits won $20,000 as part of the Santas Wish List competition. The Valentines Day promotion Close to My Heart closes this week. The company will award $15,000 to the winners on Monday.
Carll Tucker, MSCs Editor, Publisher and CEO, is dazzled by the reception of the companys first 10 sites. We work hard to provide a rich offering for readers and an opportunity for advertisers to bring their message to their most likely customers and clients, he says.
MSCs Fairfield County sites are the first step toward bringing useful and engaging local news to communities all over the United States, Tucker says. Our towns are good places to live and bring up families and we want to show that. Were grateful to all the readers and advertisers who have given us such a vote of confidence.
Why do you visit TheDailyFairfield? How often do you come back? Let us know in the comments. And dont forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates.
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