How Local Publishers Can Compete with Google and Meta

Local news is at a crossroads. With the rise of Google and Meta dominating digital ad revenue, independent publishers are faced with a daunting challenge: how to compete, innovate, and ultimately survive.

In the latest episode of Small Press, Big Ideas, I sat down with Kenny Katzgrau, founder and CEO of Broadstreet, an ad platform designed specifically for local and B2B publishers. Kenny is also the publisher of Red Bank Green, a local publication in Red Bank, New Jersey, which he took over with a vision to sustain it for the next 100 years.

In our conversation, Kenny shares his journey from software development to the world of digital publishing and advertising, the lessons he’s learned about sales and business strategy, and his thoughts on what it takes for local publishers to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

From Software to Local Publishing: A Non-Linear Path

Kenny’s journey into local media wasn’t a straight line. He began as a software developer, fascinated with building things people found useful. He saw coding as a form of self-expression—much like journalists view writing.

Over time, his career took him into digital advertising, including a stint at Yahoo’s New York office, where he got a firsthand look at ad tech at scale. But it was his experience living in Red Bank and working alongside the hyperlocal publisher of Red Bank Green that truly shaped his perspective.

His foray into publishing began with a simple problem: a local advertiser was considering pulling their ad spend in favor of Facebook. Kenny built an app that pulled the advertiser’s daily lunch specials into a dynamic ad placement on Red Bank Green. The advertiser loved it—and has remained a customer for 13 years. That experience cemented his belief that local advertising could still be highly valuable if approached the right way.

“I loved that I had built something that somebody used,” Kenny recalls. “And when I saw how it helped an advertiser, I realized there were much bigger problems to solve.”

Building Broadstreet: Competing with Google and Meta

Broadstreet was founded with a clear goal: to help small and medium-sized businesses keep their advertising dollars within their local communities rather than funneling them to Silicon Valley giants. Kenny emphasizes that Google and Meta may dominate the digital ad landscape, but they can never replace the personalized, community-driven approach that local publishers can offer.

“There’s all the money in the world for local publishers who are willing to really dig in and understand their advertisers,” he says.

Broadstreet isn’t just another ad platform; it’s a sales and strategy partner for publishers. The company helps publishers reframe their approach to advertising, moving away from generic banner ads that compete directly with Google’s offerings. Instead, Broadstreet encourages customized, high-impact ad units and smarter sales tactics.

One of Broadstreet’s most notable success stories comes from Kenny’s own backyard: the animated ad unit featuring a local butcher. The butcher’s ad includes a speech bubble that dynamically updates with the daily lunch special, creating an engaging and effective promotion. “People see it, they talk about it, they go in,” Kenny explains. “And once an advertiser sees that kind of engagement, they’re in for the long haul.”

Rethinking Sales: Selling the Problem, Not the Product

One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation is Kenny’s philosophy on sales. He emphasizes that many local publishers approach ad sales like order takers—offering a menu of options rather than actively engaging in problem-solving for their clients.

“If you’re going to be a small publisher competing with Google, you can’t play their game,” Kenny says. “You need to think about what makes you special and why someone would want to spend money with you.”

To that end, Broadstreet provides sales training and coaching, helping publishers:

• Ask the right questions in sales meetings
• Identify the real problems advertisers are trying to solve
• Craft ad solutions tailored to the specific needs of local businesses
• Overcome objections and maintain long-term relationships

Instead of pitching an advertiser a list of pricing packages, Broadstreet’s approach is about deeply understanding the business’s needs and positioning digital ads as a way to help them reach their goals.

Kenny explains, “If you understand where a business is today and where they want to be in six months, and you position yourself as the vehicle to get them there, you will close sales. Guaranteed.”

Innovation at Red Bank Green: A Hyperlocal Test Lab

Beyond running Broadstreet, Kenny continues to innovate through Red Bank Green, using it as a “Menlo Park” for hyperlocal publishing experiments. By testing new ad formats, audience engagement strategies, and editorial approaches, he’s able to refine ideas before rolling them out to Broad Street clients.

One such experiment is Partyline, a service that allows local residents to send text message updates directly to Red Bank Green, which then auto-generates WordPress drafts for editors to review. This tool, powered in part by AI, streamlines news gathering and increases community participation in local journalism.

“I see Red Bank Green as a test bed for the industry,” Kenny explains. “Anything that works, I share with publishers. Anything that doesn’t, I refine until it does.”

The Future of Local News: Making It Cool Again

Despite the challenges facing the industry, Kenny remains optimistic about the future of local news. He believes that hyperlocal publishers must differentiate themselves not just through better ad products, but through making local news a must-read.

“You have to make local news cool,” he says. “People need to feel like they’re missing out if they don’t read it.”

Part of that is about creating engaging content that connects with readers on a personal level. But it’s also about building business models that sustain local journalism, whether through innovative ad offerings, memberships, or other revenue streams.

Final Thoughts: A Rallying Cry for Local Publishers

Kenny closes the conversation with a simple but powerful mantra: Long Live Local News.

The future of independent journalism depends on the ability of publishers to innovate, sell effectively, and embrace the changes necessary to compete in the digital world. By focusing on authenticity, customer relationships, and creative ad solutions, local publishers can build sustainable businesses that serve their communities for decades to come.

To learn more about Broadstreet, visit broadstreetads.com. And for an example of successful hyperlocal publishing in action, check out redbankgreen.com.