Short sprint window before paid acquisition decisions.
Growth sprint
Two-week local referral sprint.
Two-week referral launch sprint for building a genuinely local reader base before paid acquisition. Internal prep only: no public posts, ads, prize promises, subscriber emails or sponsor fulfilment without fresh approval.
Internal target only; count confirmed subscribers after wiring.
Coverage-specific share reasons, not generic signup bait.
No public posts, ads, emails or prize promises without approval.
Weekly targets
Targets are operator planning numbers, not public claims.
Week 1 - 60 referrals
Seed trusted local readers by area
Ask existing known local contacts and community-adjacent readers to invite one nearby person each after the signup/referrer metadata path is verified.
Week 2 - 120 referrals
Turn local utility into repeat sharing
Use the highest-performing daily angles, area pages and commuter/weather items as the reason to share.
Area prompts
Use one local reason to share per day and point people at the relevant coverage page.
Fingal
Fingal
Know someone in Swords, Malahide, Balbriggan or Skerries who checks airport, M1 or coastal updates before breakfast?
Best channels: WhatsApp parent groups, commuter chats, local business contacts
South Dublin
South Dublin
Know someone in Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan or Rathfarnham who wants M50, Luas, council and school-run checks in one email?
Best channels: school-run groups, community Facebook comments, local service customers
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Know someone around Dun Laoghaire, Blackrock, Dalkey or Sandyford who follows DART, planning, culture and coastal weekend updates?
Best channels: resident WhatsApp groups, clubs, hospitality networks
Kildare
Kildare
Know someone in Naas, Newbridge, Maynooth or Celbridge who starts the day with rail, N7/M7 and local planning checks?
Best channels: commuter chats, sports clubs, home and interiors prospects
Meath
Meath
Know someone in Navan, Ashbourne, Dunboyne or Trim who needs M3/N2, schools, heritage and local service updates before the day starts?
Best channels: family groups, heritage/event contacts, trades and home-service contacts
Wicklow
Wicklow
Know someone in Bray, Greystones, Wicklow Town or Arklow who wants N11/M11, weather, trails, food and weekend plans in one morning read?
Best channels: outdoor groups, market and food networks, hospitality contacts
Boundaries and checklist
Keep growth honest until Buttondown attribution, leaderboard moderation and sponsor rewards are verified.
Proof boundary
- Count confirmed Buttondown subscribers only once attribution is wired.
- Keep prize and sponsor-backed reward language conditional until inventory, legal copy and sponsor approval exist.
- Do not publish private emails, exact home locations or unmoderated reader names on any leaderboard.
- Do not use giveaway bait or non-local traffic sources that dilute the reader base.
Operator checklist
- Verify Buttondown referrer metadata field before any live push.
- Use one area prompt per day; do not blast all areas at once.
- Pair each prompt with a useful issue item or coverage page, not a generic signup plea.
- Review referrals for non-local or suspicious clusters before displaying leaderboard names.
- Create sponsor reward copy only after proof ledger and inventory checks pass.