French Quarter Journal Sponsorship Information
French Quarter Journal focuses on the Quarter as a community - not a commodity. Our digital magazine publishes up to three new features every week, each diving deep into local culture and history to tell important - and fascinating - stories about this extraordinary neighborhood.
FQJ is building a national audience because everyone loves a great insider's story - French Quarter residents, native New Orleanians, newcomers and discriminating visitors. And search engines favor fresh, original content like ours. In just less nine months of publication, our journal's Facebook page already has 4000 followers and 1500+ on Instagram. Some of our stories are getting more than 2k+ social media shares.
The word is getting out fast. FQJ's the real deal. And people are responding.
Our Digital Publishing Experience:
French Quarter Journal is modeled on a popular digital publication in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi - The Shoofly Magazine. Launched in 2014 by Ellis Anderson Media, LLC., it has become a major coast brand and a beloved community asset.
Click for a quick look at Shoofly Magazine's numbers:
- Bay St. Louis population: 10,000
- 40% of readers from out of the area - places like Baton Rouge, Jackson and Houston.
- Weekly newsletter subscribers: 3,800
- Facebook page followers: 7,900+, Instagram - 1100+. Instagram/FB post reach averaging more than 100,000 monthly.
- Number of businesses that are Annual Sponsors: 50+
Our Shoofly Magazine Annual Sponsors are extremely loyal - many have been with us since we began publishing five years ago. Our readers are equally loyal. We have a large and enthusiastic following of expats, second-home owners (and those who want to be) and prospective full-time residents - as well as regular visitors.
While Bay St. Louis is a regional darling, the French Quarter is internationally adored. We expect the FQJ's reach and numbers to outpace the 10 years old Shoofly's, making it an exceptional sponsorship value.
What Shoofly Magazine Sponsors Are Saying:
Myrna Green, director, Hancock County Tourism: The Shoofly Magazine has been a tremendous asset to our tourism efforts. It’s a wonderful resource that our office relies on to provide our visitors with an in-depth look at Hancock County. The relationship we have forged is a prime example of a working tourism partnership in action!
Read More Shoofly Magazine Sponsor Comments:
Brehm Bell, Attorney: I am a sponsor and a regular reader of The Shoofly Magazine. I have enjoyed my sponsorship and feel it's been a good fit for my business. Many friends also read the Shoofly to keep up with what is going on in our community. It is a great asset and one which I am proud to sponsor.
Holly LeMoine Raymond, HL Raymond Properties: I've been a Shoofly sponsor for five years. Since the beginning, I've loved its authenticity. People read the stories, people share them, people talk about them. Those readers are the perfect audience for my realty business. I believe so strongly in the Shoofly, I eventually became its DIY columnist as well! I know the value is there for me - and for everyone who reads the magazine.
Linda Keenan, owner California Drawstrings, NOLA/BSL locations: Our California Drawstrings location in Bay St. Louis has been a sponsor of the Shoofly Magazine since it began. It's great exposure, and we like being associated with something that's become so popular. The fact that the sponsorships are limited in number makes ours a prized commodity. When we heard French Quarter Journal was in the works, we jumped on board for our Royal Street location right away. We're proud to be FQJ's first sponsor!
Erica Larkin Gaudet & Mitchell Gaudet, artists and owners of Studio Waveland + Gallery: We could not be more thankful to Ellis Anderson & The Shoofly team for their incredible support in helping us when we moved to our new location, Studio Waveland + Gallery. The Shoofly Magazine has been our lifeline of community information, connections to businesses and stories that promote the local community and the Gulf Coast region. What I love about their style of writing is that they have a way of sharing personal stories that I have rarely seen with other publications. Even my New Orleans friends exclusively use the Shoofly to find out what’s happening when they come in town to visit our gallery. We are very grateful to be a sponsor of Ellis Anderson Media and The Shoofly Magazine. I can’t wait for the New Orleans version, French Quarter Journal.
Jenise McCardell, owner Clay Creations and Gallery 220: We've been a Shoofly sponsor from the very beginning. Bay St. Louis has such a fun, friendly and diverse mixture of cultures, ideas and creativity and the Shoofly gives our community the attention and recognition it deserves. We look forward to continuing to partner up and ensure the continued success of such an informative news outlet that really benefits our local shops and establishments.
Steve Barney, owner of Bay Creative Arts Center, president of The Arts, Hancock County, and Shoofly arts writer: The Shoofly Magazine is the social media influencer for Hancock County and is helping build our brand online through a growing audience of subscribers. In addition, Ellis and her team are deeply involved with the community, partnering with The Arts on projects including the planning, promotion and production of our major events. As a sponsor and community partner, we’re all in with the Shoofly Magazine and Ellis Anderson Media.
Cynthia Chauvin, director CASA, Hancock County: CASA of Hancock County deeply appreciates its relationship with the Shoofly. Whether its promoting our local nonprofits' fundraisers or even highlighting one of our CASA volunteers or board members, the publication has a deep commitment to showcasing our local community. CASA considers The Shoofly Magazine an incredible community partner!
Rachel Dangermond, 100 Men Hall: The Shoofly Magazine helped us launch the re-opening of the 100 Men Hall and continues to be the backbone of our marketing plan. Its digital footprint is outstanding, and it provides the kind of support a fledgling business such as ours needs. The Shoofly’s coverage of Bay Saint Louis is the antidote to the demise of dailies everywhere across the country. It provides thoughtful journalism and vibrant photography well-honed on the local. We are avid sponsors, readers, and supporters of its mission.
Holly LeMoine Raymond, HL Raymond Properties: I've been a Shoofly sponsor for five years. Since the beginning, I've loved its authenticity. People read the stories, people share them, people talk about them. Those readers are the perfect audience for my realty business. I believe so strongly in the Shoofly, I eventually became its DIY columnist as well! I know the value is there for me - and for everyone who reads the magazine.
Linda Keenan, owner California Drawstrings, NOLA/BSL locations: Our California Drawstrings location in Bay St. Louis has been a sponsor of the Shoofly Magazine since it began. It's great exposure, and we like being associated with something that's become so popular. The fact that the sponsorships are limited in number makes ours a prized commodity. When we heard French Quarter Journal was in the works, we jumped on board for our Royal Street location right away. We're proud to be FQJ's first sponsor!
Erica Larkin Gaudet & Mitchell Gaudet, artists and owners of Studio Waveland + Gallery: We could not be more thankful to Ellis Anderson & The Shoofly team for their incredible support in helping us when we moved to our new location, Studio Waveland + Gallery. The Shoofly Magazine has been our lifeline of community information, connections to businesses and stories that promote the local community and the Gulf Coast region. What I love about their style of writing is that they have a way of sharing personal stories that I have rarely seen with other publications. Even my New Orleans friends exclusively use the Shoofly to find out what’s happening when they come in town to visit our gallery. We are very grateful to be a sponsor of Ellis Anderson Media and The Shoofly Magazine. I can’t wait for the New Orleans version, French Quarter Journal.
Jenise McCardell, owner Clay Creations and Gallery 220: We've been a Shoofly sponsor from the very beginning. Bay St. Louis has such a fun, friendly and diverse mixture of cultures, ideas and creativity and the Shoofly gives our community the attention and recognition it deserves. We look forward to continuing to partner up and ensure the continued success of such an informative news outlet that really benefits our local shops and establishments.
Steve Barney, owner of Bay Creative Arts Center, president of The Arts, Hancock County, and Shoofly arts writer: The Shoofly Magazine is the social media influencer for Hancock County and is helping build our brand online through a growing audience of subscribers. In addition, Ellis and her team are deeply involved with the community, partnering with The Arts on projects including the planning, promotion and production of our major events. As a sponsor and community partner, we’re all in with the Shoofly Magazine and Ellis Anderson Media.
Cynthia Chauvin, director CASA, Hancock County: CASA of Hancock County deeply appreciates its relationship with the Shoofly. Whether its promoting our local nonprofits' fundraisers or even highlighting one of our CASA volunteers or board members, the publication has a deep commitment to showcasing our local community. CASA considers The Shoofly Magazine an incredible community partner!
Rachel Dangermond, 100 Men Hall: The Shoofly Magazine helped us launch the re-opening of the 100 Men Hall and continues to be the backbone of our marketing plan. Its digital footprint is outstanding, and it provides the kind of support a fledgling business such as ours needs. The Shoofly’s coverage of Bay Saint Louis is the antidote to the demise of dailies everywhere across the country. It provides thoughtful journalism and vibrant photography well-honed on the local. We are avid sponsors, readers, and supporters of its mission.
Sister Publications = Extended Reach
Click to read more about these two publications:
- French Quarter Journal and The Shoofly Magazine are sister publications, committed to high standards of local journalism and engaging presentation. Everyone involved in both publications is a paid professional. At French Quarter Journal, we worked behind the scenes for more than a year before launching, pulling together a team of seasoned journalists and emerging new talent.
- Both publications operate on a sponsor-supported business model - just like your favorite local sports teams, festivals or museums. Sponsorships build your brand and connect your business/organization with something beloved by your community. Readers love the clean look of the sites. It's a win-win for everyone.
- While our standards and business models are the same, the two publications have distinct personalities: The Shoofly Magazine's content has a hometown flavor that fits Bay St. Louis's "Mayberry-by-the-Sea" personality. French Quarter Journal reflects the multi-faceted character of this elegant, rollicking, mysterious - and always engaging - neighborhood, one that's like no other in the world.
What French Quarter Journal Offers Sponsors:
- While our quality content and growing reach make your sponsorship an exceptional marketing value, we also limit the number of annual sponsors. This exponentially increases the impact of your sponsorship, so yours will be a stand-out.
- Fresh content and a consistent outreach to give your brand more exposure. We publish new stories each week, announcing them to our subscribers with periodic email newsletters. Our experience shows that subscribers often forward our emails to friends, family and clients across the country, while social media shares are rapid-fire.
- We play favorites. While we never "sell content" to anyone and will cover good stories for non-sponsors as well as sponsors, we're always on the lookout for opportunities to give our sponsors exposure. For example: If you're involved in a newsworthy event, we'll help get the word out, or we might post photographs taken near your location and tag you on social media.
- A long shelf-life: Our top-notch writers and photographers produce work readers love to share and share again. This rich, original content gives French Quarter Journal pieces top SEO rankings (our articles tend to come up toward the top in online searches). And since each of our stories is archived and easily discoverable, you'll get additional exposure with every read - far into the future.
- An expanded regional audience from get-go: Our thousands of Shoofly Magazine readers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast love New Orleans - in fact, many maintain primary residences in the city or are ex-pats. And folks who live in or love the French Quarter tend to love the artsy ambiance of Bay St. Louis and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The close connection between the two places - and its readers - offers a larger footprint and extra value for your sponsorship.
Available Sponsorships and Pricing
French Quarter Journal offers two types of annual sponsorships, available to businesses, organizations and individuals. We ask for a 12-month commitment:
- Prime Sponsors, with a special introductory rate of $150 a month, limited to 25 (19 available currently).
- Column Sponsors, with special introductory rates starting at $95 a month, limited to one per column.
FQJ Prime Sponsorships
Prime Sponsorship Details
- $150 a month through 2020, then $200 per month ($2400 annually): these are limited to 25 (through 2020) for maximum exposure.
- Your logo linked to your website (webpage) is prominently featured on home page. Logos are rotated each month.
- Your logo linked to your website appears on every story page. Also, when you become a Prime Sponsor, your logo appears on hundreds of stories in our vast archives. Of course, the number of pages increases with every issue, accruing additional value.
- Your live-link logo and a 50-character description of your business are featured on the Sponsors page.
- Your logo also appears on the footer of every page, even archived issues and current articles.
- Special individual acknowledgement in one of our weekly email announcements each year.
- Each month, one Prime Sponsor is acknowledged as "Sponsor of the Month" on the website.
- One month free with annual payment.
- It's simple to become a sponsor - click here now to start!
FQJ Column Sponsorships
Column Sponsorship Details
Most of our columns are published bi-monthly - every eight weeks. Two are published monthly and cost more to sponsor:
Column Sponsorship Pricing:
- To maximize brand exposure, we have only one sponsor per column.
Most of our columns are published bi-monthly - every eight weeks. Two are published monthly and cost more to sponsor:
- "French Quarter Events" with Margarita Bergen. Each week we sift through hundreds of events citywide to compile a list of happenings taking place in the Quarter or nearby.
- "The Eyes Have It" - French Quarter images by local photographers)
Column Sponsorship Pricing:
- Monthly Column Sponsors - $135 a month through 2020, then $175 a month.
- Bi-Monthly Column Sponsors (new stories every eight weeks): $95 a month through 2020, then $125 a month
- Your logo linked to your website embedded in "your" column.
- Every column goes into our very popular archives* so the value of your sponsorship accrues automatically with each issue.
- Your live-link logo and a business description are featured on the Sponsors page.
- Your business name (linked to your website) also appears on the footer of every page, even archived issues and current articles.
- You'll get a special individual acknowledgement in one email announcement each year.
- One month free with annual payment
- It's simple to become a sponsor - click here now to start!