Should a local newsletter have a podcast or video section?

We have a section called Podcast Spotlight. Readers see the YouTube thumbnail right in the email, and they click on it to actually watch.

How long should a local video or podcast be?

Short. That's the real value.

"There are people who do what we just said, and it's 20 minutes, 30 minutes, whatever. You should just make it quick, make it fun, and that's it."

A local business spotlight doesn't need to be an hour-long interview. Training your audience to expect something quick is the point.

How do you put a video in an email?

You don't embed it. You show the thumbnail as an image and link it to the video. The click takes them to YouTube.

Why is a newsletter the right home for a local podcast?

Because the hard part of a local podcast is getting an audience. A newsletter solves that.

I think of a daily local audio feed as the audio version of Meta ads. With Meta ads we target people in the area, and they're hyper-engaged because they live there. A local audio show reaches the same people.

A guest on my podcast, Paul Gewuerz, produces daily local audio news with AI narration for publishers. His points:

• People who already read a local newsletter are likely to listen.
• A daily habit, five or six times a week, makes the show sticky.
• Local podcasts can fetch 50 to 75 CPM, versus 30 to 35 industry-wide.

Those are his numbers, not mine.

Do I need good equipment?

No. For video, the answer for most people is don't even think about it, just jump on and start talking. Rough production can make you seem more human. Make it short, make it fun, put it in the newsletter.

I also think the opportunity in short local video is incredible at least through 2026, and gets harder around 2027.