How Ryan Sneddon Built a $200K Local Email Newsletter

Introduction

When Ryan Sneddon left his engineering role in early 2020, he had no media background—just a fascination with The Hustle model and a desire to build something of his own. His first attempt, The Daily Thread, peaked at 800 readers and $300 revenue but taught him the basics. By August 2020, living back with his parents near Annapolis, he launchedNaptown Scoop, a newsletter focused on soft news, local businesses, and weekend happenings.

Audience & Content Strategy

Rather than chase hard news or politics, Ryan zeroed in on lifestyle stories, live music listings and sports scores. A typical issue runs about 1,800 words: 20% ads, 27% music, 10% sports, and the rest lifestyle briefs, local highlights, weather, civil news, plus a simple referral CTA. Positioning heavier blocks at the bottom nudges readers through every ad.

Growth Tactics

He kicked off with Facebook ads to seed subscribers, spending modest budgets until acquisition costs rose. Then he flipped the switch off and leaned on a three-referral system: hit three new sign-ups, get a birthday shoutout. It’s low-friction, and to date only 10% even attempt it—yet it drove word-of-mouth that pushed his list from 15K to 18K in a town of 40K.

Revenue Model

By selling direct newsletter ad slots, Ryan generated nearly $200K revenue in 2023—about $11.11 per subscriber per year. In March 2024 alone, ads brought in $15,362. He prefers annual contracts on major spots but offers shorter runs for smaller text ads. Local businesses like realtors easily justify the spend, tapping into a hyper-engaged community.

Operations & Team

Naptown Scoop is now Ryan’s full-time job. He employs a full-time assistant plus seven part-timers handling writing, social media, sales, and special projects. Content production runs five issues a week, building trust with a dependable schedule and compounding learnings.

Looking Ahead

Ryan plans to expand into other cities, launch a marketing agency and even a portable restroom business. He shares his playbook in a separate newsletter, Life of Scoop. His core advice: start with live music listings, commit to consistency, and build simple referral loops.