Transparency Report

Building in Public

Most media companies hide behind vague metrics. We think you deserve to see the real numbers. Here's how South Metro Scoop grows, earns, and spends.

By the Numbers

Key Metrics

Updated regularly. No rounding up, no cherry-picking.

4,100+

Email Subscribers

+12% this quarter

67%

Avg. Open Rate

Industry avg. 22%

12

Cities Covered

Dakota & Scott Counties

2/wk

Newsletters Sent

Mon & Thu

Revenue

Where Revenue Comes From

Percentage breakdown by revenue stream

Social Media Advertising60%

Targeted posts across our social channels reaching South Metro residents.

Newsletter Sponsorships25%

Local businesses featured inside our twice-weekly newsletter.

Community Partnerships15%

Ongoing partnerships combining newsletter + social for consistent brand presence.

Spending

Where the Money Goes

How we reinvest back into the Scoop

20%Email Platform & Tools
30%Content & Research
25%Advertising & Growth
25%Operations & Overhead

Our Journey

Key Milestones Along the Way

From zero to 4,000+ neighbors — here's the short version.

Nov 2024

Lakeville Loop launched

Mar 2025

Surpassed 1,000 subscribers

Aug 2025

Renamed from Lakeville Loop to South Metro Scoop

Mar 2026

Surpassed 4,000 subscribers

Why We Share This

No Vague Dashboards. Just Real Numbers.

South Metro Scoop exists because of this community. You trust us with your inbox twice a week, and our advertisers trust us with their marketing dollars. The least we can do is show you exactly how we're building this thing.

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