Can Meta ads grow a statewide news newsletter that isn't hyper-local?

"The further you get from the formula that works, the question is, will it still work and at what level? I think about this all the time. I want to test things."

My playbook is proven on hyper-local newsletters that cover events. A statewide nonprofit news site with a civic value proposition is further from that formula. I go in treating it as a test.

Should a statewide outlet run one campaign or two?

Two. Unlike almost everyone else I work with, a statewide brand gets two location-based campaigns:

1. Metro campaign. Targets the main metro and calls it out clearly on screen and in the voice.
2. Rest-of-state campaign. Targets the whole state except the metro, and says "Greater [state]" on screen and in the voice.

Location is still the only targeting. It's not interest targeting. The split just lets each creative speak to its own audience.

Do the two campaigns need different creative?

Yes, down to the photos. For one statewide client we made two versions of the same generic news ad, with different images, so the Greater-state ad doesn't show the metro's landmarks.

What should the pitch be?

For a civic outlet, a human UGC pitch about trustworthy, on-the-ground, nonprofit news, with local footage behind the speaker. The event angle usually won't fit unless the newsletter actually covers events.

What results should I expect?

I don't know yet, and I'd rather say that than guess. One statewide nonprofit leader told me their daily newsletter had about 30,000 subscribers after 20 years, with niche newsletters at 3,000 to 6,000. That's the baseline these ads are trying to move.