I attended an industry conference last week and was asked to do a presentation on this email newsletter — The Daily Umbrella. Before agreeing, I stated that I would share what I learned but I also wanted to share what I was still hoping to learn. The presentation turned into a good roundtable discussion with comments and feedback from publishers across the nation.
I explained how my original idea on this newsletter was to find a way to aggregate and share more of the news and information that we have from our 18 publications to others who may enjoy it, too. Here are a few of the items you may find interesting.
I suggested to build subscriber lists slowly, starting with friends, family and coworkers. These folks are more forgiving of your early mistakes — but they will give you some of the most honest feedback, too. I said to then share your early versions with others who do business with you — readers, advertisers, others in the industry. From there, if you do a good job, the list will grow organically. Ours most certainly has.
I also suggested to be sure to have an easy way for people to unsubscribe, as some people sign up for email subscriptions with good intentions but then later change their minds. We have about 20 different email newsletters that our readers can subscribe here.
Readers can select whichever ones they want. Some choose the SELECT ALL option, which is generally not a good idea. We learned the hard way that, when readers unsubscribe to one list, they unsubscribe to all of them. Getting them signed back up for the ones they want is not an easy task. Unfortunately, the software we use won’t allow for the SELECT ALL choice to be removed.
Early on, we focused on growing the total number of subscribers we had. We have since learned that the total number is mostly irrelevant, as the number who open and read it is what really matters, at least to advertisers.
As with any form of media, content is the key factor in gaining readers, listeners or viewers. We have diligently chosen consistent news and information that you tell us you like, and we removed the stuff you don’t. It’s not rocket science, but it does take focused listening, trend identifying and timely follow up.
Does The Daily Umbrella make us a lot of money? No. It is a lot of work? Yes. Is it an incredible marketing tool for our company? Absolutely. Like all forms of marketing, it takes repetition to drive response, as very few people respond to an ad the first time they see it. And, of course, the offer needs to be attractive. Even if we never had a single dollar in advertising revenue, we still find The Daily Umbrella and our other email newsletters to be valuable as they are effective ways for us to market our events, our polls, our stories and our staff.
Have a marvelous Monday, and, as always, I thank you for reading.
Shane Goodman President and Publisher Big Green Umbrella Media shane@dmcityview.com 515-953-4822, ext. 305 www.thedailyumbrella.com
See Shane Goodman's other columns here.
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Clear Mortgage meteorology
Staying warm and dry through Wednesday. Rain chances begin to creep into western and central Iowa Thursday and Friday.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
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Featured in the SEPTEMBER issue of CITYVIEW | | DES MOINES FORGOTTEN Proudfoot & Bird
By Kristian Day
In my July column, I mentioned that I went on the walking architecture tour downtown. I wrote about the first and only “death by elevator” event in Iowa history, which I learned about while on the tour when it was by Fourth Street and Court Avenue. About 45 minutes earlier, we were crossing onto Court Avenue by Water Street. As we were coming around the corner, our guide mentioned Proudfoot & Bird. I am a simple man who is attracted to simple things, like names. I heard “Proudfoot & Bird” and, because I am a millennial who consumes history, thought of the fancy restaurant inside Hotel Fort Des Moines. Our guide told us that William Proudfoot and George Bird built much of downtown Des Moines. | | READ MORE |
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The 2024 results ... CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | Best Local Outdoor Sporting Event 1. Iowa Cubs
2. DGPT TruBank Des Moines Challenge
3. West Des Moines Wombats Rugby
Read all the 2024 results.
Cast your votes in the 2025 Best Of Des Moines Poll now! Open until Nov. 22. Results to be published in the February 2025 issue of CITYVIEW.
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Featured home for sale | |
$590,000 732 52nd St., Des Moines, IA 50312
Perched near the end of a quiet street, this classic Waterbury home offers tons of privacy surrounded in oak trees. You are greeted through the front door with a charming nook/drop zone and gorgeous original wood floors under arched doorways. There is a gas fireplace in the living room, and the formal dining room has French doors that open onto a spacious, secluded front porch/patio.
See the listing here.
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SOLD: Featured commercial real estate transaction | | 1000 73RD ST., SUITE 20, WINDSOR HEIGHTS SALE DATE: 2024-06-28 SALE PRICE: $150,000 SELLER: BOULEVARD DEVELOPMENT LLC BUYER: LEMON PROPERTIES LLC ACRES: 0.138 SQUARE FEET: 1,775 |
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Agadir aqua - it's the future. Agadir was a fishing town long before it became a hippie beach town and home to Jimi Hendrix in the late 1960s. Now it is considered the future of drinking water. Blessed by lots of wind and sunshine, Agadir is a world leader in alternative energy production. Since the cost of that is plunging (60% in a decade), it is now feasible to use it for energy-intensive desalinization. Morocco has built the largest desalinization facility in Agadir, and it’s starting to cope with drinking water shortages in a country much hit by drought this decade. (WSJ)
The Red Lobster virus spreads to convenience stores. Seven Eleven, which owns the world's largest convenience store chain, is a takeover target of Couche Tard, which owns Circle K. Why would the smaller player be able to buy their much larger competitor? Seven Eleven does not own their assets. The real estate is what counts today as Red Lobster found out after selling all their properties and leasing them back. (Newsroom Tokyo)
Actors 18 and older - Auditions for "Adventure Clubhouse" will be held at The Des Moines Playhouse, 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Monday deals
• Centro (1003 Locust St., Des Moines) offers half-price pizza and Peronis on Monday.
• Who's on First (810 E. First St., Ankeny) has steak night on Monday, and it's an 8-ounce filet with salad, mashed potatoes and beans for $22.95
• Pelican Post (265 50th St., West Des Moines) has a special today on hot beef sandwiches, $10.95 until 4 p.m.
• Eastside Eddie’s (3517 E. 26th St., Des Moines) Monday $10 special is ham and Swiss sliders with fries.
• Tito’s Lounge (3916 Urbandale Drive, Urbandale) offers all-you-can-eat wings Mondays
• Trostel's Greenbriar (5810 Merle Hay Road, Johnston) offers half-pound steak burgers with fries or salad and a beer for a Monday-only price of $14
• Monday brings prime rib specials to both Chicago Speakeasy (1520 Euclid Ave., Des Moines) and Christopher's (2816 Beaver Ave., Des Moines).
• Johnny's Hall of Fame (302 Court Ave., Des Moines) has $12 burger baskets on Mondays and Fridays.
• Aldi stores are selling 3 pound bags of Gala apples for $1.89 and pork belly for $2.99/pound through Tuesday.
• Fareway stores have USDA Choice T-bones on sale this week for $9.99/pound and Stouffer frozen entrees at 4 for $10.
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Featured in the current issue of Winterset Living magazine | | NEW AGAIN Residents share their home renovation experiences. By Ashley Rullestad For many homeowners, the day comes, sooner or later, when they look around their abode and wonder when the carpet was ever stylish, the wall color ever stunning and the layout ever functional. They realize new curtains, throw pillows and artwork won’t be enough to freshen things up, and the only solution to the weary look of their home is to bite the bullet and invest in some major improvements. And, when the work is done, their home — and enthusiasm for it — feels new.
Vintage vibes and modern upgrades In 2022, Ray and Jane Dawson purchased the 1910 home Jane’s parents had bought in 1989. Her father had passed away, and her mother was living in a care facility, but the Dawsons had visions of new life for the old home.
“We redid the whole house to turn it into an Airbnb,” Jane explains. “The kitchen and breakfast nook were probably the biggest transformations. The kitchen was old and outdated. It didn’t have a dishwasher, and, at one point, the washer and dryer were in the kitchen.” | | READ MORE |
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FROM KCCI: Second man dies after early morning shooting in downtown Des Moines. DES MOINES, Iowa — Two men are dead after a shooting Sunday morning in downtown Des Moines. Shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday, foot patrol officers in the Court Avenue Entertainment District heard gunfire near Court Avenue and Water streets. ...READ MORE
FROM WHO-TV: Wounded driver crashes vehicle, later dies in hospital. DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines Police are investigating the city’s 10th homicide after a driver crashed his vehicle after suffering a gunshot wound. ... READ MORE
FROM WOI-DT Local 5: City of Des Moines says it reached a 'solution' with Wooly’s regarding noise complaints. The Zoning Board of Adjustment had plans to consider revoking the venue's conditional use permit. However, the city says the item has been removed from the agenda. ....READ MORE |
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ESPN: Aaron Rodgers wins first full game with Jets: 'Long time coming' ...READ MORE
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: NFL Week 2 Recap: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, What’s Next for Every Team ... READ MORE
CBS Sports: Caitlin Clark records career-high scoring game as Fever beat Wings to clinch No. 6 seed in WNBA playoffs ...READ MORE |
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1620: Mayflower departs England. On September 16, 1620, the Mayflower sails from Plymouth, England, bound for the Americas with 102 passengers. The ship was headed for Virginia, where the colonists—half religious dissenters and half entrepreneurs—had been authorized to settle by the British crown. However, stormy weather and navigational errors forced the Mayflower off course, and on November 21 the “Pilgrims” reached Massachusetts, where they founded the first permanent European settlement in New England in late December. .... READ MORE
1893: Settlers race to claim land in Oklahoma. On September 16, 1893, the largest land run in history begins with more than 100,000 people pouring into the Cherokee Strip of Oklahoma to claim valuable land that had once belonged to Native Americans. With a single shot from a pistol the mad dash began, and land-hungry pioneers on horseback and in carriages raced forward to stake their claims to the best acres. ... READ MORE
1940: United States imposes the draft. The Burke-Wadsworth Act is passed by Congress on September 16, 1940, by wide margins in both houses, and the first peacetime draft in the history of the United States is imposed. Selective Service was born. ... READ MORE
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Birthdays and notables | | These celebrities were born on this date: Chase Stokes, Nick Jonas, Flo Rida, Alexis Bledel, Gleb Savchenko, Amy Poehler, Ian Harding, Marc Anthony, Jennnifer Tilly, Kyla Pratt, Piper Rubio, Loona, Ed Begley Jr., Marcus T. Gray
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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The answer to yesterday's riddle:
How did NASA build a football field on the moon? WITH ASTROTURF! - Rex Post
Today's riddle: Why shouldn’t you tell jokes while ice skating?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
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To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or CITYVIEW, contact:
Aaron Burns Advertising Sales Manager Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 330 Mobile: 712-310-3860 aaron@dmcityview.com
©Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc., all rights reserved. www.biggreenumbrellamedia.com. Add webmaster@dmcityview.com to your address book to ensure delivery. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Click here to get it delivered to your inbox for FREE! |
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