By Ryan Hecht, Arvada Chamber of Commerce Marketing Director
Neighbors of Northwest Arvada Magazine is a publication that serves over 3,000 households in the subdivisions of Candelas, Leyden Rock, Leyden Ranch, Spring Mesa, and Northwood Acres. We met with Publisher Julie Dawson at Freedom Street Social to talk about the magazine’s expansion, monthly happy hours, and the benefit of connecting Arvadans to neighbors and businesses.
What does the magazine set out to do?
The magazine’s goal is to bring the community together and support businesses by using sponsorship and branding. We are not a coupon magazine, but you’re able to put a coupon in it. We micro-target specific neighborhoods according to home price and annual income and mail the magazines to those homes. We also offer digital impressions. So other ways of getting the word out over Facebook, Instagram, Google, and bvmsports.com, our sports platform.
How did you transition from Val-U-Ads to Neighbors of Northwest Arvada?
About a year and a half ago, almost two years ago, I met a publisher who suggested that I become a publisher of this magazine. As she said I could do both magazines. And they’re very different publications because Val-U-Ads was strictly coupons. And I finally decided I might as well give it a try. This magazine, Neighbors of Northwest Arvada, had a publisher who stepped aside a few months prior, and we didn’t have anybody running the magazine. It was run out of corporate. So they were looking for somebody to fill the slot. And since I live right here, we thought it would be a perfect fit because it’s in my actual neighborhood area.
Who does your magazine profile? Do you have a standout story that comes to mind?
We provide business profiles and have expert business contributors under a specific category who write articles. So when somebody is looking for, say, insurance, Deb Pearson is our insurance expert contributor. They read an article that she has written and then they remember, ah, our insurance is renewing or our child is now driving. Whatever the case is, they realize that this person is knowledgeable and knows what they’re talking about. I’m going to reach out to this person. We do not have exclusivities, but we have experts. So there’s one for each category.
We also spotlight a different nonprofit for each issue. And if they’re able to attend the happy hour, I give them a couple of minutes to share their story.
Jerry and Karen Caruso are an interesting one. Each issue, we feature a family that’s in the community. Heather, my content coordinator, sat down with them to write this fantastic article and what makes them special is they are staples in this community. But they have a nonprofit, Caruso Charities, that helps families with kids who are ill with cancer or terminal illness. They have a big gala each year and a golf tournament that supports the cause. I love that we’re able to tell those stories.
People want to read about their neighbors, whether they know the people or not. Because of that, we have an 89% readership.
This is also your neighborhood. Does that make this job extra rewarding for you?
Yes, it makes it a lot more fun to support the local businesses that I actually frequent and support. I have several advertisers who are in the Five Parks area, which is my neighborhood. I love getting the word out about them because, as I’ve shared with them, people who live in these other neighborhoods don’t necessarily know what’s at the Square of Five Parks unless you drive through there. So for them, they saw value in advertising in this area, so people know about Maia Primary Care or Stretch Zone.
It can be hard to keep up with what’s happening in your own backyard, much less across town in Olde Town Arvada.
Yes, and that’s why I would love to get more of the businesses that are in Olde Town to advertise in these magazines because a lot of people here don’t always know what businesses are out there, who’s new, and who’s left the area. An example of that is the Arvada Center is now advertising with me. Part of the reason why is that everybody doesn’t necessarily know everything the Arvada Center does. They may not know about the plays, the concerts, the art classes for kids or seniors. They have so many things to offer and people don’t know unless they’ve had an experience there. So that was part of the draw for them to be in this magazine and attract families out here to come to events.
Arvada is so much bigger than a lot of people realize. We’re sitting at Freedom Street Social. Neighborhoods around Arvada should know more about this area, too. It’s part of the reason I host our happy hours here, to get the word out. People are showing up here for the first time just for a happy hour. We’re getting people from Broomfield and Westminster.
When are the happy hours and who should attend one?
The happy hours are the second Wednesday of each month. They’re always 4:00 to 6:00 PM upstairs in the mezzanine at Freedom Street Social. I buy everybody a drink and we have some appetizers. It’s just an opportunity to network and connect with people. I invite everybody from the Chamber and my BNI networking group in Broomfield, so that draws a whole different crowd. It’s open to the public. Our advertisers and non-profits have a chance to introduce themselves.
It’s been nice because a lot of these people would never come across one another. The last happy hour we had about 40 people and probably half had never been here before.
Businesses rely so heavily now on digital marketing. What’s the value of having an ad in a print magazine going to a mailbox?
Print marketing is making a comeback and I think COVID helped bring it back. I have reports and studies that say it doesn’t matter the age of people, more and more people are gravitating to print marketing. During COVID, we wanted to go to the mailbox. They wanted to see if something was there because you were at home with the same people all day.
The other thing is it takes 7 to 12 touch points before people notice you as a business, no matter what you’re doing and where you’re advertising. So Best Version Media has added digital impressions, so I can reach anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 people a month online. The majority of our advertisers who are using both are seeing a much quicker return on investment. We’re not here to replace digital marketing. We’re here to enhance the digital marketing that you’re already doing. And we also offer listings, which helps with your SEO.
Tell us more about your magazine expansion, which is very exciting.
What’s exciting to me is Neighbors of Northwest Arvada is a strong magazine. We’re doing really well and continuing to grow that. But I am also starting the second magazine neighborhood, Neighbors of Standley Lake, that will include Whisper Creek, Five Parks, and a number of other neighborhoods along Standley Lake. What’s exciting about that is we’re reaching new neighborhoods, but we’re right next to each other and it’s offered a great opportunity for advertisers to double up. Our digital marketing covers both neighborhoods, so if you advertise in the Neighbors in Northwest Arvada, you already have digital impressions that will cover the second magazine.
What have you learned about the people in Northwest Arvada?
People are craving community and connections and friendships. Especially since COVID, I would say. I think people have missed just normal interaction. What’s nice here with Freedom Street Social is I come here and work upstairs quite a bit. I can go to a coffee shop to work but I’d rather come here. I’ve met a number of people up here and just supporting local makes it really nice. So I think people, myself included, are looking for more connections, with friendships and with business. I think people want to support local more now than ever.
Neighbors of Northwest Arvada Magazine
Email: jdawson@bestversionmedia.com
Phone: (303) 916-9713
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