In case you haven't visited the site recently:
BryantDaily.com readers:
Tuesday, Feb. 1 marked the second anniversary of the launch of this site. The tremendous response we’ve received from the citizens of Bryant — and beyond — has been both gratifying and humbling.
Every month of the past year, there was a marked increase in the number of people that accessed BryantDaily.com compared to the corresponding month during the first year.
Thank you!
The loyalty that has developed and the encouragement that has been given have me dreaming big. As I’ve told many of you, there are a number of ways I’d like to enhance BryantDaily.com to serve our community, to make it not only a source for Bryant news and sports but a resource for you and newcomers in our area.
In a city that has no local newspaper, no local radio station, no local television station, I can see BryantDaily.com becoming, to a great extent, all those things.
Imagine live webcasts of local events with audio and/or video. You could listen to Bryant sporting events live then later view a video of the game. Perhaps there could be live updates throughout the day of the annual Bryant Chamber of Commerce Fall Fest with an extended highlight video archived for future viewing.
In fact, I’d like to hear from you about what you’d like to see from BryantDaily.com. There are all sorts of possibilities. I plan to add[more] classified ads, for example, and redesign the site for easier navigation and enhanced graphics.
That being said, in giving these resources to the community, I have to make sure it’s a profitable venture for everyone involved.
There was really no business model for this kind of endeavor two years ago. It was all an exciting, grand and somewhat daunting experiment. Since then, a trend has started to evolve. Similar sites have started to go with a combination of advertising and what is called a “porous paywall” to provide funding. The porous paywall refers to an approach that allows for free content as well as subscription-only content, sort of a premium membership.
So, with our anniversary, we are going to begin employing this process. Content that is originally produced by BryantDaily.com — by Martin Couch, Jamie Miller and myself — will require a subscription.
The opening view, with the headlines and the first words of each post, will continue to be free as will the archived stories posted before Feb. 1, 2011. There will also be non-subscription posts.
To subscribe, choose “Read the rest of this article” and a registration form will load. After the initial signup, all you’ll need is your password to continue reading about the news of Bryant — local sports, school news, city government and more. There have been thousands of posts in the last two years and thousands more to come.
I’ve given this careful consideration and discussed it with a variety of friends and supporters in hopes of coming up with the most inexpensive and reasonable rates. For a one-month subscription, it’ll be $4. It’ll be $3 a month for a six-month subscription and, if you sign up for a year, it’ll be only $2 a month.
I’ve employed a national service called MediaPass to initiate and administer this move. MediaPass is a highly regarded pioneer in this field, very reliable and very secure.
Advertising will continue to be vital. I’m extremely grateful to those who had the foresight to purchase ad space on the site. I’m confidant that decision has served them well and will continue to do so. More will be joining in, particularly in light of a new cooperative plan that I will flesh out for you soon.
Current and future sponsors should know that there are a growing number of folks in the area that have made the success of BryantDaily.com a cause. They believe in what BryantDaily.com means to our town and what it can further become.
I’d like to emphasize that this move is aimed at assuring that BryantDaily.com will continue to thrive and grow, making the site all it can be for our community.
We are Bryant proud!
If you have any questions or comments, please email or call me at 350-7898.
— Rob
rob@bryantdaily.com
Mike McNeill
Rob,
Best wishes on Bryant Daily’s first year of operation. magnoliareporter.com looks forward to April 7.
Mike McNeill
Publisher and editor
magnoliareporter.com
Stephen C. Kincaid, The Coffee News Guy
Congratulations, Rob, on another great year! I love BryantDaily.com! Definitely my favorite source for local news and sports coverage! I wish you much continued success in the years to come!
Debbie Sikes
You know that I always wish you the best! Congrats on your one year anniversary!!
Trish
God bless you for following your dream and making a difference. You were the best boss I ever had.
Darlene Devers
Rob, I look forward to watching the dream and vision you have for Bryant Daily become a reality. Congratulations!
Carol
Rob,
I use coupons when buying my groceries and sometimes I save a lot more than $2.00. I will be happy to sign up and continue to enjoy your excellent web site for our special town!
Thanks and congratulations for 2 great years!
dennis milligan
Rob,congratulations on living your dream of Bryant Daily. I look forward to seeing your continued growth and to say "Thank You" for your service to your city,county and state.
Kirk
Congratulations Rob! A great sports and news site… Thanks for your hard work and dedication to our city!
steve glenn
Rob, congratulations. Your website is a great source of information about Bryant. Your coverage of sports is really appreciated. I check it several times a day. Thanks for all your hard work. Steve
Ron Boyd
Rob,
Bryant is a unique city in Arkansas and Bryantdaily.com is one of the things that makes it exceptional. Thanks for all the positive press that our kids receive for their accomplishments. I know it makes them proud to live in Bryant.
Ron
rch3
Rob, I remember talking this Site vs. other options you were considering. You made the right decision. I know you give thanks to a higher authority, and so do I. No matter what, He always gives the right direction.
Looking forward to seeing you during baseball season. ch