Categories

Most Popular

Consider this a ‘State of the EAN’ Address; Give us some Likes and Looks!

FROM THE ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS CREW

We at the Elmore/Autauga News like to reach out to our loyal readers and advertisers from time to time just to give you an update of the status of the paper.

As of today, Sept. 23, on Facebook alone we are up to 33,351 people who have liked the page and 34,363 people who follow the page.

These numbers are important and extraordinary, and we pay close attention. While we realize everyone doesn’t have Facebook, our primary news focus is on our website at elmoreautauganews.com.

Facebook statistics as of Sept. 23, 2020.

Important why? As with any business, the more people who like and follow us, the better when it comes to advertising and reach. Advertising is an important part of our business. While the owners, Sarah Stephens and Carla Wilson, do not take weekly pay, we do have expenses for general operation and freelancers.  If you are a business and or entity that uses advertising, please keep us in mind as you make your annual budgets. To advertise, contact Carla Wilson at 334.285.8184. For news, contact Sarah Stephens at editorsarah@yahoo.com.

Area businesses and news are very important to us. We try and focus on an all local news content primarily for Autauga and Elmore Counties. However, we will share news and events from other areas if it is submitted to Sarah Stephens. We even share other news media outlet stories that do not require a subscription. It takes a village to get the news out there!

So, how are we doing?

The COVID-19 Pandemic has struck in a big way. Because of that, we shut down our print edition many months ago. We have received calls asking if it will be revived. But currently you can find us on Facebook or at our website at www.elmoreautauganews.com.

So, here is the best answer for a print edition we can give, and it is actually a question? Who would be interested in receiving a print edition delivered to their home or through the mail through a subscription?

In our modern times, statistic prove that many print newspapers are dying on the vine and are now more focused on digital content. That is sad news to those of us in the industry, who miss the sound of a press firing up at deadline, or the smell and feel of a real newspaper. Believe me, we understand.

Prior to the shutdown, we distributed just over 8,000 print editions primarily in the Prattville and Millbrook areas. It was a free service, with carriers throwing papers into driveways, with a smaller number of papers available in racks at multiple locations.

But a big complaint was that some people didn’t want the newspaper because they already received their information from us online. Some papers just stayed in driveways or ended up in ditches. We are not in the business of purposefully annoying people or littering.

If we have enough interest from the communities we serve to restart a print edition, it would be through paid subscribers only. So, we need to hear from you. Would you want a weekly paper? Would you be more interested in bi-weekly or monthly? Please send a message to us at editorsarah@yahoo.com if you would be interested in a print edition.

So, for those who are new to the EAN, a bit of history.

Facebook statistics as of Sept. 22, 2020

Owner Sarah Stephens has 30 years as a degreed Journalist, almost 20 of those right here in the Autauga/Elmore area. Add six more years to that if you include four years of working for her college newspaper, and two years in high school for the school paper. She has also served as editor of multiple papers in South Alabama, as well as Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi during her career.

Owner Carla Wilson has a background in marketing, advertising, sales, and has owned other businesses in our area. Carla serves as the Advertising and Business Director for the EAN. She has experience with large media groups as well as local business owners.

On April 1, 2015, Sarah started a new blog, called the Elmore/Autauga News on Facebook. At the time she had intentions of retiring but wanted to have an offering for all local news. The thought was a couple of thousand people would follow the page. That changed quickly when 2,000 people liked the page in just two weeks. It has grown exponentially over the past five years, and today we are a leader in the newspaper business for Autauga and Elmore counties.

In July of 2017, Carla Wilson bought the local print newspaper, River Region News, after leaving the Montgomery Advertiser. Sarah and Carla merged there two companies into one last year and the two combined their talents.

We are always looking for freelance writers! Primarily our greatest need at the moment is more coverage of Prattville and Wetumpka. If you are interested in talking to Sarah about that possibility and what it would entail, please message her through email. It would be a part-time job, with an open schedule. Carla handles the business end but has been known to grab a camera and cover some breaking news as well. It is a huge team effort, and we would love to grow our team!

We love the communities we serve and want to give you even more coverage. We appreciate our businesses that have supported us and continue to support us even through the transition from print to strictly digital. Most of our advertisers stayed with us and have good things to say about the much bigger reach they get online through our website and Facebook.

So, we just wanted to reach out to those patient enough to read all of this and say THANK YOU for hanging in like a hair in biscuit. Our area is growing exponentially, more people are moving here for the quality of life, schools, and opportunities. We make regular announcements about new businesses and industry. Life is good here in our area, and we love focusing on the positives more than the negatives. But we certainly don’t shy away from the hard news.

So, to wrap this up, we need you to hit the LIKE button on Facebook or follow us on our website at elmoreautauganews.com. We want more potential advertisers to give us a shot! AND if you are an aspiring writer, we need your help for freelance stories. Please, get in touch with Carla Wilson for advertising at 334.285.8184 or for Sarah Stephens for news, freelance opportunities at editorsarah@yahoo.com.

Again, THANK YOU.