The Expanding Hyper-Local Publisher Market and the Overall Mission - How Big Can This Get?

Founder, Dodson Management Consulting; co-founder:

EmpowerLocal.com, SourceLocalMedia.com, WilliamsonSource.com (our first publisher), and MiddleTennesseeSource.com

The Market Opportunity Is Bigger Than You Think

EmpowerLocal’s technology platform already powers 1,300+ local publishers across the United States—but that’s just scratching the surface.

We believe the true total addressable market (TAM) for local publishers is closer to 6,000 to 9,000 active websites, with more being created every year as the decline of legacy media opens up space for new, trusted local voices.

Add to that the explosive growth of social media influencers—many with large audiences and a growing desire to expand monetization beyond the Big Social Platforms. These influencers want more control, better connections, and meaningful community engagement. EmpowerLocal offers them a new path.

This is not just a growth story. It’s a movement—to restore trust in local journalism, rebuild local economies, measure integrity with simple engineering principles, and decentralize the flow of information in America.

The Fall of Legacy Media = The Rise of Local

As legacy newspapers shrink, radio stations modernize, and community trust in national media declines, new digital-first local publishers are popping up across the country:

Small-town papers transitioning to digital-only
Nonprofit and civic groups launching hyperlocal blogs
Local radio stations rebranding as multimedia content hubs
Community influencers building news-oriented newsletters and social channels
Entrepreneurs creating Source sites and monetizing them with our SourceLocalMedia tech

This isn’t just the replacement of old media—it’s the reimagination of it.

EmpowerLocal is the engine powering this transformation. SourceLocalMedia is the architect and systems engineer behind it—focused on restoring integrity in journalism, entertainment, and information through strategy, structure, and scale.

So, What’s the Total Market Share Today?

Let’s talk numbers:

Estimated Total Active Hyperlocal Publishers Today (2025): ~6,000–9,000
EmpowerLocal Publishers Today: 1,300
Current Market Share: Roughly 15%–20% of the existing market

What Will the Market Look Like in 5–10 Years?

We believe the future will bring explosive expansion. Why?

Local trust continues to rise as national trust declines
Local ad dollars are returning—with smarter, context-driven placements, largely enable by the SourceLocalMedia Digital Basics and Bullseye Marketing Method Approach.
New publishers are launching every day—from influencers, chambers of commerce, entrepreneurs, churches, local governments, radio stations, laid-off journalists, schools, and nonprofits – that have great sought-after information.
AI and automation make launching and sustaining a local media business easier than ever – but they will need the right partners and larger scale network in order to survive and thrive.

The EmpowerLocal Network is key to maximized revenue and hyper-focused support of this growing niche.

OUR Projected Total Market in 5–10 Years:
12,000–15,000 active hyperlocal publishers
(2x current market size)

Our Goal: Realistic, Scalable, and Transformative

Here’s what that means for us:

Metric	Today	5-Year Goal	10-Year Vision
Total Market Size	6,000–9,000	10,000–12,000	12,000–15,000
EmpowerLocal & SourceLocalMedia Publishers	1,300	3,000–5,000	6,000–7,500
Market Share Goal	15%–20%	30%–40%	50%+

This isn’t a pipe dream. It’s math + momentum.

EmpowerLocal and SourceLocalMedia are building tools that are:

Easy to install
Scalable across geographies and publisher types
Backed by real CPMs and premium advertiser demand
Designed to lift up the local economy, not extract from it
Built to benefit content creators and readers—not the legacy media giants or Big Tech platforms that lost public trust

Join the Movement – Help Us Grow Far and Wide

Whether you’re:

A radio station ready to digitize
A former journalist with stories to tell
A small-town entrepreneur who believes in community
A nonprofit or civic group serving your region
An influencer with 100,000+ followers seeking real monetization

EmpowerLocal and SourceLocalMedia can provide the tools, tech, and monetization engine to grow.

And if you’re already working with us? Help us spread the word. Thousands of voices across this country deserve to be heard—and our network gives them a megaphone, and a better income.

Bottom Line: This Is the Future of Local Media

The time to grow is now. The need is urgent. The trust vacuum is massive. The demand for integrity is higher than ever.

And we have the infrastructure to scale responsibly, profitably, and purposefully.

Let’s go make it happen.

Visit EmpowerLocal.com, explore SourceLocalMedia, or contact DodsonMC to be part of the movement.

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