Case Study for
285 South

Expanding Reach and Driving Newsletter Growth

Client’s Company Overview

285 South is a mission-driven media initiative focused on amplifying the voices and stories of immigrant and refugee communities in Metro Atlanta. Through its newsletter and digital platform, 285 South informs, engages, and builds connections across diverse audiences, with a vision to grow its readership and impact.

Challenges + Objectives

Focus Areas

  • 285 South was looking to increase visibility and discoverability beyond its existing networks to reach new audiences.

  • They wanted to grow newsletter subscriptions and contributions by strengthening the value proposition and clarifying user pathways.

  • They aimed to improve mobile SEO and accessibility to ensure the site met best practices and supported long-term growth.

Objectives

  • Expand presence across owned, earned, and paid channels to drive traffic to the website.

  • Increase newsletter subscriptions, contributions, and audience engagement.

  • Broaden reach through SEO optimization, social promotion, and improved messaging/UX.

Recommendations

  • Elevate (Messaging + UX):

    Refine on-site storytelling to clearly communicate impact, simplify subscription pathways, and highlight contribution options with high-visibility CTAs.

  • Distribution:

    Strengthen consistency on core social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter) and leverage earned media partnerships to amplify reach. Explore WhatsApp distribution to tap into immigrant community behaviors.

  • Reach:

    Build a tailored content calendar (3–5x posts/week) with clear calls-to-action and keyword/hashtag strategies to expand audience size and engagement.

The Work

Product On Point analyzed the full customer journey (awareness → consideration → decision → retention → advocacy) to identify points of drop-off and opportunities for optimization. Industry comparables like The Guardian, The Skimm, and MundoNow informed recommendations on subscription models, storytelling, and distribution tactics.

Conclusion

Product On Point delivered a strategic roadmap to increase discoverability, strengthen brand storytelling, and drive conversions for 285 South. With clear KPIs for conversion rates (2–5%), bounce rate (<70%), and session duration (2–4 minutes), 285 South now has an actionable plan to grow its readership, boost subscriptions, and expand its impact across Metro Atlanta’s immigrant and refugee communities.

Results

Testimonial