Should I build a statewide media brand with local newsletters under it?

I'm building WilCo Guide as a county brand. In Nevada we're going a level up: one statewide brand, with our Vegas newsletters as sub-brands under it, and maybe one for Reno later.

"For the whole state. And the reason is the state is not that populated. We maybe will do Vegas, but I think it might make more sense to do statewide. It just will feel bigger for advertisers,"

Why go statewide?

Sponsors. The downside of a great newsletter in one county is that bigger brands say the audience is too small and ask you to cover more ground. A statewide operator in Indiana gets statewide businesses to partner with him because they want an audience across the state. From what I've heard, that's a big reason he makes so much money.

Which states does this fit?

Smaller or lightly populated ones. Nevada works because the state isn't that populated.

What goes under the state brand?

• Your existing city or metro newsletters, as sub-brands

It's the same structure as my county brand, one overall brand with sub-brands underneath, just a level higher.

Should a mid-size city launch a statewide business newsletter?

This is where statewide shines. I told a founder in a mid-size city that a Morning Brew-style business newsletter is probably too small for his city alone, but it could work statewide. Something like [State] Grind: all things business, money and careers in the state.

• Curated six-figure jobs. Recruiters want their jobs in front of smart white-collar readers.
• Events by city. Three events in one city, three in another.

If about half the readers are business owners, they're potential advertisers in that newsletter and in the regular city one. I'd launch both at the same time: the city newsletter and the state business newsletter.

Should I start statewide?

Usually not. This is a big-picture play. Get one market working, then build the umbrella on top. Meta ads also behave differently across a whole state; see how I'd run Meta ads for a statewide newsletter.