On Content Creation: A Personal note

I wrote this unintentionally long e-letter to my newsletter subscribers and thought it deserved a spot on my blog too.

August 23, 2023 –

Hey y’all! Welcome back to the Weekend Wine List! 

I took a little summer break from the email (sorry!) but am back and changing the format just a little. 

First, THANK YOU for subscribing to this newsletter. 

I grew this list so much this year! And then, life took over this summer and I traveled and I have a family and I couldn’t keep up with creating content just about the Grand Strand… so I hit pause. 

If you don’t know me personally, let me introduce myself: my name is Hatton. 

I love creating content. 

And, I love the Grand Strand community. 

I’ve been in marketing in the Myrtle Beach area for more than 15 years… and wow, media has CHANGED. I’ve discovered there is not really any one source, other than maybe Grand Strand Magazine, that targets or reaches locals – all locals – in the Grand Strand area. Everything targets the tourists or very specific, small areas within our larger community. 

Other cities like Charleston and Charlotte have daily emails + instagram accounts that only focus on things to do in that city for locals. And, as a nutty creative person, I thought “we need that! I can do that! Local businesses need a way to reach locals!” 

We may all live in separate communities – Conway, North Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island, Surfside, Myrtle Beach, Litchfield, Georgetown – but we are all part of the beautiful Grand Strand area of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. I go to Georgetown for a day stroll, and dine out in North Myrtle Beach and shop in downtown Conway even though I live in Myrtle Beach. 

To me, we are all one community.

So, I started this newsletter for Grand Strand things to do, shared more local content, redesigned the blog. 

My goal for this newsletter is to be that voice for the Grand Strand and share all of the cool locally-owned businesses and things to do for all of us locals.  

But…..

The reality is, I am one person. It’s just me! I don’t have a team of people creating content that can be in four places at once.

*If you’ve made it this far – wow!! Good for you! You just read a lot of words I never intended to write!

While I have NEVER (bolded, italicized, and underlined on purpose for emphasis) wanted this to be about me or to be an “influencer” …

I can only share where I am and what I’m enjoying that I think other people would like, too. If I’m in Paris (which was AWESOME!) I can’t also be creating content about the Grand Strand. It is my point of view / so I’m just going to lean into it.

So, while this defies all advice on picking a niche and best practices etc. etc. on how to run a blog and a newsletter… I’ll be sharing food, wine, travel, AND Grand Strand. 

I’m an overthinker, so I’m going to work on not overthinking and just create. Should I have said that? Should I delete that? (LOL.)

I guess this entire essay is to conclude: I will be sharing a bunch of random stuff and I hope you like it. 

Thanks and cheers 🥂