It all started as a word doc: Mitzi Cunningham and how she created the page Weekend Wanderers

By: Jennifer Sensenich

Mitzi Cunningham is organized. She loves lists, “especially bucket lists” she quickly adds. It’s no surprise considering she started Weekend Wanderers, which is now one of the region’s go-to resources for family-friendly events and activities in the Upper Valley. 

Before creating her page Mitzi regularly created a word doc for her neighbors and friends filled with lists of day trips, kid-friendly hikes and weekend events. She explains how at the time her friend suggested she start her own blog, but the prospect of creating and managing a website deterred her. 

In late 2015 Mitzi found a home for these word docs by joining the site and posting weekly, but this time her audience grew past her friends and neighbors, to the rest of the Upper Valley community. “It felt natural since I was doing it already. I love to research events… and (with HereCast) you can be your own boss.” 

Nearly 4 years later, Weekend Wanderers now has close to 700 local subscribers on HereCast and over 1,000 Facebook followers. One Upper Valley local expressed her love for Weekend Wanderers in a local publication Seven Days back in March 2017 saying “she plans her weekend using Mitzi Cunningham's regular ‘5 Upper Valley Weekend Events’ post.” Since day 1 she has used her page on Facebook to promote her posts. “I saw the response to pages on Facebook and saw it as a huge source to grow my readership.”

When asked what she liked most about writing these posts she quickly answered “The response was very positive and it helped me feel more connected to my community… People were recognizing me and telling me ‘I read it all the time’… There are so many people that I met that I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Got a secret word doc or blog you only share with a select few? Reach fellow locals and create a following by sharing to HereCast.

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Note: Mitzi Cunningham recently moved out of New England and has passed Weekend Wanderers to another Upper Valley local. She explained to us that it was important she pass it on. “I will probably continue to find and share awesome events… I’m a very organized person and like making lists.”

Happy 500th Post: Susan Apel’s not-so-secret-secrets to writing about arts and culture around Vermont and New Hampshire

Lucky’s Cafe in Lebanon, NH | Photo: Susan Apel

By: Jennifer Sensenich

For almost 4 years, Susan Apel has been writing about the arts and culture in and around Vermont and New Hampshire on her page ArtfulEdge. From performances to art exhibits, local eats and new businesses, Susan always seems to have her finger on the pulse of what locals want to know. Recently, one of her most read posts was about how she discovered a local donut shop. (And yes, what we do need more of in this world is great donut shops. I dare you to disagree.) 

Just last week Susan shared her 500th post on HereCast thanking her readers by expressing, “A profound and heartfelt thank you to each and every reader and subscriber. It’s been quite the ride.” As a local content creator, this is a big milestone. It’s one thing to write, but to write consistently & authentically while building your audience is a gift. 

So how does she do it? 

Love what you do, do what you love

First of all, she loves what she is writing about. It’s a whole lot easier to write about something that is already a big part of your life. If you’re looking to write more, immerse yourself in what you love to do. Get out in your community and start talking to people, attending events… discovering. 

And most importantly...

Walk

Yes, really. Walk. Susan explains how she has discovered so much about her community on accident. “There is a raft of other stories that fall right into my metaphorical lap as I simply walk, run, or dance through what would otherwise be just an ordinary day.” Whether it’s discovering a new restaurant she never noticed, or coming upon an archeological dig, there is so much going on around us that we might not notice otherwise. I give you permission, put that computer down and get outside. 

Bookmark your resources

Have a Facebook page? Be sure to follow pages and groups that relate to what you want to write about. Many businesses, organizations or people post regular updates on their Facebook pages that can lead to inspiration for posts. (Pro tip: When you go to follow a page be sure to click “See first” in your newsfeed so you don’t have to wade through cat videos to get there. Well, unless of course you want to.) 

Sign up for local newsletters. Become an expert on what’s going on around you by getting relevant info delivered straight to your inbox. Whether it’s a local business, organization or new source, if they’ve got a newsletter, click subscribe. 

Write authentically 

As content contributors for our communities, sometimes we might feel like we are waiting for the perfect post idea that will get ‘enough reads’. Boy is that a lot of pressure! There is a reason why Instagram has started hiding likes from users’ posts. Our world has become so obsessed with getting more likes, more views, more comments that we’ve left our authentic voices behind to simply get “more” whatever that might be. So, I’m just here to remind you that whatever you write about matters. It matters because you care about it. Be authentic and you will find your audience. You might even find yourself like Susan, 500 posts in with so many more stories to share. 

Happy 500th post, Susan!  All of us at HereCast would like to thank Susan for her contributions. All thanks to her, local readers are 500 posts richer in knowing things they might not have known before. You can read Susan’s 500th post here.

HereCast & local news

As we continue to grow HereCast into an information resource for local communities, we’d like to offer some of our thoughts about how HereCast fits into the overall online content ecosystem.

First of all, we’re not a news organization. We have no editorial staff or reporters and we don’t assign or approve stories before they are published. 

Second, we designed our platform to allow existing local news organizations, freelancers and and any other locals who care about their community to share their updates and perspectives. We are complementary to other sources of information, and ownership of the content remains with the contributors. If local news organizations want to distribute any or all of their stories on our platform, they can get paid for their content and build awareness and readership.

Finally, the HereCast experience will be defined by you and the people around you. We rely on the individuals and organizations in each community to help define what is interesting and important to them based on how they use the site. Much like walking up to a public bulletin board in the middle of town, we hope to see a diverse collection of content made readily available to browse for any location. Some posts are going to be professionally written, highly relevant and extremely interesting, while others may seem incomplete or unnecessary. Your participation will influence how it is used.

We have a lot of work ahead of us to continue our expansion, and we hope that you will join us and give us your feedback so we can best serve the needs of locals.

Using HereCast for your local community

Our mission at HereCast is to help keep people informed and aware of the things that are important to their local community. We encourage people working to strengthen their communities to add HereCast to their toolset for reaching their fellow locals. 

Here are a couple of ways community builders can use HereCast:

Drive awareness and get people involved

HereCast is an open, easy to use and free platform. Municipal officials and nonprofit leaders can quickly create a page on HereCast and start posting to your local community. It’s like a free digital bulletin board to post your announcements, updates, news and more. 

By posting on HereCast, organizations can reach their people to share information about upcoming efforts and decisions, and to drive awareness of all that they do with the broader community. 

Share the hidden stories that make your town special

So much about a local community is locked in the memories and conversations of the people who experience the place. Much of it fades away, not documented for the others who love the town to experience and cherish for years to come.

By finding and sharing these stories online, you can help give new power to these hidden tales, helping others discover the richness of interesting people and places that surround you. Increase pride in your community by making your town’s stories accessible and discoverable.

How could HereCast help strengthen your community? We’re just getting started and would love to know how we can help you achieve your goals. Please join us and give us your feedback to help us be the best place to share and discover local information.