Strategic Pivot: At YourKC, our mission has always been clear: to connect Kansas City residents with the incredible local businesses that make our community special. As we continue to grow and evolve, we regularly evaluate how we can best fulfill this mission with our available resources.
Announcing a Strategic Pivot
Today, we’re announcing an important change to our platform: we are discontinuing the YourKC business directory.
This decision wasn’t made lightly. After analyzing user engagement data, growth patterns, and feedback from businesses and community members, we’ve determined that our most effective channels for connecting KC residents with local businesses are our weekly newsletter, website content, and social media presence.
Why This Change Makes Sense
Since launching YourKC, we’ve learned valuable lessons about what resonates most with our community:
- Our newsletter subscription rate has grown substantially, with open rates consistently above industry averages
- Website traffic receives higher engagement than directory listings
- Social media spotlights of local businesses generate more engagement for featured businesses than directory listings
By focusing our time and resources on these higher-performing channels, we can deliver greater value to both KC residents and the local businesses we love to support.
What This Means for Listed Businesses
If your business is currently listed in our directory, you don’t need to take any action. The directory will simply be taken offline.
More importantly, this change opens up new opportunities for businesses to connect with our audience:
- Enhanced Newsletter Features: Our growing subscriber base is highly engaged with local businesses. We’re expanding our newsletter to include more business spotlights, special offers, and community event collaborations.
- Richer Website Content: We’re investing in more in-depth articles, neighborhood business guides, behind-the-scenes features, and seasonal roundups that showcase what makes KC businesses special.
- Strategic Social Media Growth: We’re implementing a comprehensive social media strategy to expand our reach and create more meaningful engagement between KC residents and local businesses.
Looking Ahead
While we’re moving away from the directory model for now, we haven’t ruled out revisiting this concept in the future. As our platform evolves and our resources expand, we may develop a more interactive and engaging version of the business directory.
In the meantime, we’re excited about the opportunities this strategic shift creates. We believe we can strengthen connections between KC residents and local small businesses by concentrating our efforts on our most effective channels.
How can my business stay connected with the YourKC audience?
The best ways to stay connected are:
- Subscribe to our newsletter (and watch for opportunities to be featured) SUBSCRIBE
- Follow us on social media and engage with our content
- Reach out about potential collaboration opportunities for website features – info@yourkc.org
Will you offer paid promotional opportunities?
Yes! We’re developing several promotional options that will increase local businesses’ visibility. Stay tuned for announcements in the coming weeks.
Stay Connected
We value your participation in the YourKC community and look forward to supporting your business through our enhanced content platforms. If you have any questions or would like to discuss promotional opportunities, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@yourkc.org.
Thank you for being part of what makes Kansas City special!
The YourKC Team