New BeLocal publication targets Knoxville’s growing newcomer population
BeLocal Knoxville is a new magazine franchise owned by Tiffany Davis. The goal is to connect Knoxville’s newest residents with trusted local businesses, services, and experiences.
The population in Knox County increased by 30,000 people between 2020 and 2024, according to a population study from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. A large portion of that number comes from people moving to Knoxville.
Tiffany Davis has a heart for those folks. She made it her personal mission to help relocated families feel at home in their new neighborhoods and communities. Her avenue for doing so at scale is through a recently purchased magazine franchise called BeLocal.
BeLocal is a nationwide franchise with publications in 150 different cities. Davis said the top-performing magazine makes almost 2 million dollars in annual revenue. The goal is to share community history, upcoming events, and help advertise some of the best places to eat, drink, and play, as well as recommend highly rated home service providers like plumbers, electricians, and painters.
“We are helping connect Knoxville’s newest residents with trusted local businesses, services, and experiences,” she said. “I want people to feel like they already have a friend in the city before they’ve even unpacked.”
Davis has owned the BeLocal Knoxville franchise for about seven months, with the first monthly edition being released about four months ago. Davis wrote every page, every story, every guide.
“It’s a lot of work for one person,” she said. “Not to mention, I have been cold-calling, walking business to business to spread awareness and get some advertisers for it.”
On top of all that, Davis works full time.
“For months, I had been selling a product that didn’t exist yet. Now, at least I can show businesses a physical copy of the publication,” she said.
What advice can business leaders offer to help grow the BeLocal Knoxville magazine?
Each month, the Knoxville Chamber hosts a Morning Momentum event at Maple Hall for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and innovators to share their business operations, marketing woes, or other challenges their company faces.
The goal of the event is to propel new businesses forward through the wise counsel of existing leaders.
Davis pitched BeLocal Knoxville, sharing her desire to grow it into a full-time business rather than a side hustle.
So far, she has already managed to onboard 30 advertisers to the magazine. And her distribution for the publication is about 400 physical copies per month. She’d like to grow both.
One of the ways Davis has tried to do so is through BeLocal Bingo nights. Three to four times per month, she organizes a large-scale bingo event at a supporting local business to bring new residents and bingo lovers together. She also brings in nonprofits to network with attendees.
On average, Davis sees about a hundred people at each event, which she leverages to bring additional awareness to the magazine.
Business leaders at the Morning Momentum offered the advice of strategic partnerships with existing media outlets, social media channels, and community groups.
Learn more about BeLocal Knoxville here.
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