Fuel Up Our Community with Growth Engine – Unlock More for Less
At Weekly Volcano, we believe in connecting our community, making advertising work smarter, not harder. With Growth Engine, you’re not just keeping the free press alive in our community, you’re also engaging a fully integrated marketing machine that connects local business with a loyal, engaged, and fast-growing audience across print, digital, email, and social media which will make shopping local much more convenient for us all. Shopping local keeps money circulating within our community, creating more jobs, funding programs that support our most vulnerable, and preserving the unique character that makes our community special.
Whether you're an individual who wants to be part of the mission or a small business looking to solidify your brand, there’s a Growth Engine level designed for you. Our pathway to growth is TOGETHER!
The memberships for businesses provide far more value than you’re paying for. There is a plan for every budget. We’ve packed each membership with savings, perks, and opportunities to make every business shine.
Here’s why joining now is the best decision you will make in 2025:
Citizen Sponsor – $25/month
Perfect for individuals who love Weekly Volcano and want to support local journalism.
Home Delivery of Weekly Volcano: Get every issue delivered via US Mail—no more hunting for a copy.
Support Local Journalism: Your contribution keeps the paper free for the community while giving you the satisfaction of being part of the team.
Annual Cost: $300
Monthly Cost: $25
This is the ideal option for readers who believe in our mission and want to help us grow. You can pay monthly or receive a 10% discount for paying for 12 months in advance.
Ignition Plan for Business– $253/month
Get started with a strong foundation of print, social media, and networking.
Business Listing on Our Website: Your business is listed in a shopping local directory on a trusted platform that drives local traffic and links new customers to your website .
12 Social Media Shares Annually: With our growing social media audiences, your business will stay top-of-mind year-round. We share 12 of your posts on our network. You just tell us which posts and when.
4 Quarter-Page Ads or 6 Eighth-Page Ads: Consistent, professional print exposure in 8,000+ newspapers each month.
One Newsletter Ad Per Month: Target over 1,200 loyal email subscribers who actively engage with our content. This audience is growing every week.
Invitation to Business Brunches: Network with other Growth Engine members and local movers and shakers. Why doesn’t love brunch?
Annual Value: $3,636
Your Savings: $576/year
Monthly Cost: $253
You can pay monthly or receive a 10% discount for paying for 12 months in advance. CLICK HERE TO JOIN
Accelerator Plan for Business – $753/month
Step it up with bigger ads, videos, and even more exposure.
Most Ignition Plan Perks, Plus:
11 Quarter-Page Ads in Print: Amplify your impact with premium ad space that commands attention.
1 Full Page Ad strategically timed to showcase your biggest offer of the year.
1 Short-Form Video Feature: Professional videos showcasing your business, shared across all our platforms for maximum reach.
One Social Media Ad Campaign: A dedicated campaign designed to bring traffic to your website or event.
A one month art exhibit in your business and a visit by the ART BUS which entitles you to two social media campaigns and customers delivered to your door!
Annual Value: $9,036
Your Savings: $1,092/year
Monthly Cost: $753
You can pay monthly or receive a 10% discount for paying for 12 months in advance. CLICK HERE TO JOIN
High Octane Plan – $1,253/month
The ultimate advertising package for businesses ready to dominate the local market.
Similar to the Accelerator Plan, Plus:
11 Half Page ads in the printed paper
A Two-Page Spread in Print: Premium editorial-style space to tell your story in a visually stunning way.
12 Sponsored Social Media Posts: We create and distribute posts that highlight your brand across our social channels.
Newsletter Spotlight: Your business featured prominently in our newsletter to maximize visibility.
Invitation to speak at one of our business brunches
Annual Value: $16,536
Your Savings: $1,572/year
Monthly Cost: $1253
You can pay monthly or receive a 10% discount for paying for 12 months in advance.
Title Newspaper Sponsor – Exclusive Opportunity
Want to own the spotlight? Be the one and only Title Sponsor for Weekly Volcano.
Your Logo on Every Page of Our Website: Unlimited visibility for your brand.
Exclusive Full-Page Back Cover Ad: Premium placement on every printed issue.
Social Media Campaigns + Video Features: Be the star of a custom campaign that aligns with your business goals.
ART BUS Sponsorship: Engage directly with the community through one of our most beloved local events.
Custom Pricing – Contact Us to Discuss This Unique Opportunity.
Why Growth Engine Is Worth More Than You Pay
Far-Reaching Exposure: You’re accessing an audience across multiple platforms, from print to digital, that continues to grow month over month.
Real Savings: Each level offers significant annual savings compared to à la carte pricing.
Proven ROI: With industry-leading engagement rates and a local audience that actively supports small businesses, advertising with Weekly Volcano delivers measurable results.
We’ve designed Growth Engine to not just meet your needs, but to exceed your expectations. Every dollar you invest goes further—because we’re not just here to sell ads, we’re here to build relationships and grow alongside our partners.
Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Let’s grow together. Sign Up Now and Be Part of the Story
Weekly Volcano Annual Audience & Engagement Report (2024)
After starting with zero followers (yes, zero!) on all our social media channels due to a complete shutdown in 2020, Weekly Volcano has come roaring back stronger than ever. These numbers reflect a committed, growing audience and impressive engagement levels that exceed industry standards, especially for a hyper-local publication. Here’s how we’re delivering value:
Social Media Performance
Our social media channels launched from scratch and the results speak for themselves:
Facebook
Total Views: 111.6K
Total Reach: 30K
From Non-Followers: 18.3K (61%) – expanding far beyond our immediate audience.
Content Interactions: 3,780 – proving we’re not just reaching people, we’re engaging them.
Instagram
Total Views: 62.4K (47% from followers, 53% from new audiences).
Total Reach: 25.2K
Non-Followers Account for 66% of Reach – giving your business exposure to fresh, local audiences.
TikTok
Followers: 549 (and climbing).
Top Video Views: 3,063.
Our content isn’t just entertaining; it’s building traction with younger, highly engaged audiences.
Email Newsletter
Our Happy Friday Newsletter has quickly become a favorite in inboxes.
Active Subscribers: 1,215 (started from scratch in 2024).
Open Rate: 56.02% – well above the industry average of 20-25%.
Click-Through Rate: 21.88% – More than 6x higher than the media industry benchmark (3.5%), ensuring your business gets meaningful attention.
Website Performance
Our website has experienced explosive growth:
Total Visits (2024): 45,246 – an astonishing 314% year-over-year increase.
Unique Visitors: 33,000.
Total Page Views: 70,000.
These numbers prove that Weekly Volcano isn’t just a print publication; we’re a digital force that’s growing fast.
Print Performance
While the world goes digital, our print edition is thriving and remains a cornerstone of our community presence:
Monthly Newspapers Printed: 8,000 (and growing to 10,000 in 2025).
Distributed across 100+ strategic Pierce County locations.
A physical touchpoint for loyal readers and a unique, lasting way for advertisers to connect locally.
In 2025 we are introducing trackable QR codes so we can see the engagement from our print ads.
What Makes Weekly Volcano Stand Out?
We’re Exceeding Industry Standards: From our newsletter open and click-through rates to our social media engagement, we’re outperforming industry averages across the board.
We Started from Zero: In the first year since relaunching, we’ve built an audience that engages deeply with our content and consistently supports local businesses.
Multi-Channel Reach: From print to social to digital, we connect with thousands of local consumers wherever they are.
A Hyper-Local Audience That Trusts Us: Weekly Volcano has been a trusted resource in Tacoma and Pierce County for decades, making it the ideal platform to share your message.
Let us put this growth to work for your business. Whether through our Growth Engine Memberships or custom advertising options, Weekly Volcano is ready to help you connect with Tacoma's most loyal and engaged audience.
Looking Ahead: Where We’re Headed
With the incredible growth we’ve seen in 2024, the future looks even brighter. If we continue at this rate, by the end of 2025, we project:
Social Media Reach: Doubling our combined reach across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to over 250,000 total views annually, with even higher engagement rates as our audience grows.
Newsletter Subscribers: Increasing our email subscriber list to over 3,000 active readers, maintaining industry-leading open and click-through rates.
Website Performance: Surpassing 100,000 annual visits, cementing Weekly Volcano as the go-to digital destination for local news, culture, and community events.
Print Circulation: Growing to 10,000 newspapers distributed monthly, expanding our footprint across Pierce County to reach more readers than ever.
This is just the beginning. By joining the Growth Engine now, you’ll not only secure your spot in front of our rapidly growing audience but also become a partner in shaping this exciting trajectory. Let’s grow together.
Sign up now and get a free Growth Engine Strategy Session so we can talk about how to grow both of our businesses together.