Recently, Plainfield resident and
Netherwood Neighbors activist Jennifer Popper (known to everyone as
Jenn) took over as editor for the Plainfield site.
I thought that Plainfield Today
readers would like to know more about this new community media resource
and asked Jenn if she would take part in an email interview, to which she generously agreed.
Here is the exchange --
Plainfield Today: Tell us a little bit about TAPinto and its family of websites.
Jennifer Popper: TAPinto
is a network of locally-owned and operated online newspaper
franchises. TAPinto is award-winning for journalistic integrity, news
credibility and community spirit, and accredited by the New Jersey Press
Association.
Its
mission is to provide readers with objective, accurate and original
local news content that best reflects the character and interests of
residents of each town in a timely and consistent manner.
The Tapinto Plainfield site itself is a bit unique. It is locally owned and operated by the Plainfield YMCA, with any profits benefiting its YMCA programs.
PT: And tell us a little bit about your background.
Popper: My
husband and I moved to Plainfield in 2002 into the Netherwood Heights
area. From the beginning, we had both immersed ourselves in the
community, and I ended up joining the Netherwood Neighbors board,
working my way up to President. While it’s been a few years since I was
on the board, I still contribute my time as the Communications Director
for the group, updating the website (www.netherwoodheights.com), managing its social media pages, and disseminating information via the email newsletter.
My
work with Netherwood Neighbors has allowed me to meet many Plainfield
folks across the city. Often, people just send you information because
they know you can help get the word out, for instance, for their town
garage sale, the latest symphony performance, or an election forum.
Career-wise,
I have spent my time working at a variety of magazines in advertising.
I’m the one who analyzes demographic profiles and product consumption
patterns vs. competitive magazines for the sales team.
PT: What intrigued you about taking on being the Plainfield site's editor?
Popper: To
be honest, I thought of it as an extension of the work I already do
with Netherwood Neighbors. The difference, of course, is that as an NHN
volunteer, I don’t have to be as timely when there is a flyer about an
upcoming event that needs to be uploaded.
TAPinto
requires much more involvement. As I continue to immerse myself, I
look forward to meeting more Plainfield residents and engaging with our
community leaders. I live here in Plainfield; I want to share our
town’s news far and wide. It was a bit of a rocky start with TAPinto
for me with a personal tragedy over the summer, but I’m really trying to
ramp up the coverage of all things Plainfield as we move into the
holiday season and then 2017.
Plainfield
has such a large and diverse community, as you know. And the
development that is going on all over town means there are more great
things to come. The number of stories that one can do on Plainfield and
its residents is endless.
PT: Do you have a background in writing or reporting?
Popper: Not
formally, no. I’ve spent my career working for magazines like Ladies’
Home Journal, Golf Digest, Redbook, Rolling Stone, and TV Guide
Magazine, but on the advertising side of the business, not editorial. I
detoured from that career
path back in late 2006, when my husband, Michael, and I bought a Pilates
and yoga studio in Warren, NJ. I made it my goal to be able to handle
all of the advertising I had to do to sell class packages, and to create
all of the marketing materials to support those selling efforts. I
taught myself how to edit the website, too, and was excited each time I
learned a new trick in HTML. Nerdy, I know, but true.
But
as the economy turned, we faced challenges like so many other small
businesses, and in June of 2011, we closed. From there, I went back to
what I knew, advertising research at TV Guide Magazine.
PT: What sorts of stories do the site's readers find interesting?
Popper: So
far I have found that police and fire stories do well; residents want
to know that their town is safe. Additionally, we’ve seen some good
traffic when there are stories with pictures of children involved in
school activities. What parent doesn’t want to share a story in which
his/her child is featured, right?
PT: Can people send you story suggestions or press releases for their organization?
Popper: Absolutely,
we encourage that! We are already receiving multiple stories to
publish from the Plainfield schools and the library.
Readers
can also post events, classifieds, garage sales and real estate
listings on their own. The posts would then be approved by us, though.
I can be reached at jpopper@tapinto.net or 908-917-9348 for those with stories to share.
PT: How is advertising on the site handled?
Popper: There
are a number of advertising opportunities that are available, from
banner ads and site sponsorship packages, social media promotion,
premium event listings, and business and real estate listings.
Advertising
can be targeted just to the Plainfield area, or it can be packaged to
reach neighboring towns as well for additional exposure.
Carolyn Wellington is handling the advertising on the Plainfield TAPinto site. She can be reached by emailing cwellington@tapinto.net.
PT: What is your vision for the site a year from now?
Popper: I’d
like to see Plainfield’s TAPinto site be a must-buy for advertisers.
As a hyper-local site, you want advertising to reach those persons who
are your most likely customer. We often hear these days of larger media
outlets that are consolidating to only reach a broader target
audience.
And
of course I’d like to see growth in site traffic, growth in social
media engagement, and a more robust email subscriber list. TAPinto
Plainfield, (along with Plainfield Today, of course), should be one of
the first sites residents visit each morning, and one of the first
emails they read. I want them to WANT to read TAPinto Plainfield
because the content is about them, their neighbors, and about community
leaders making decisions that affect where these residents live.
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