Audience Bridge [Insights]
Audience Bridge Insights is a podcast for newsletter operators, marketers, and media founders who want to scale smarter. Each episode dives into real-world strategies, tools, and conversations with industry experts on email deliverability, list growth, monetization, and the evolving tech behind the inbox.
Audience Bridge [Insights]
The Local Newsletter Founder Who Proved Everyone Wrong About "Small Markets"
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Most publishers would look at the Catskills region of New York and say "too small to build a real business." Michael Kauffman proved them wrong.
In this episode of Audience Bridge Insights, I sit down with Michael Kauffman, founder of Catskill Crew, a local newsletter that's rewriting the playbook on community publishing.
Here's what makes his approach different:
- 42,000 subscribers in a "small" market
- ~$0.30 average subscriber acquisition cost
- Sends once per week (not daily)
- Monetizes without becoming an ad billboard
- Built a real business that could be bought and sold
But the numbers aren't the story. It's HOW he thinks about newsletters that changes everything.
What we cover:
- Why local newsletters have a built-in growth advantage
- How Michael made ~$8K in one week with a simple "bulletin" section
- Why he only sends once per week (and why it works better than daily)
- Why events, products, and IRL experiences beat more email sends
- How he's using snail mail as a premium subscription (yes, actual mail)
- Why newsletters are becoming legitimate businesses you can buy and sell
- The one mindset shift that separates winning publishers from dying media
Key quote:
"If you prioritize advertisers over subscribers, you're already losing."
Who this episode is for:
- Local newsletter operators (or anyone thinking about starting one)
- Publishers feeling pressure to send more often
- Anyone looking to monetize without wrecking engagement
- Founders building sustainable, community-driven businesses
Guest: Michael Kauffman, Founder of Catskill Crew
Host: Chris Miquel, Founder of Audience Bridge
🔗 Learn more: AudienceBridge.io
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