Advertise With The Local Lion
Reach the people who actually live here.
The Local Lion turns St. Johns County news, public meetings, neighborhood stories, local businesses and the occasional civic circus into content people stop scrolling to watch.
Advertising is available exclusively to qualifying St. Johns County businesses.
No national ad networks. No unrelated Jacksonville audience. No mystery banner promoting toenail fungus beneath a zoning article.
A Growing Local Audience
Local Lion advertising combines website visibility, social media reach, sponsored storytelling and recurring brand exposure.
Advertisers receive clear campaign reporting showing what actually happened, including impressions, clicks, reach and engagement.
- Instagram views
- 2,000,000
- Facebook views
- 1,600,000
- Facebook viewers
- 664,381
- Instagram accounts reached
- 280,700
- Facebook video & Reel views
- 726,000
- Facebook interactions
- 28,300
- Instagram interactions
- 19,400
- Combined interactions
- 47,700
- Website visitors
- 5,500
- Pageviews
- 12,200
- Pages per visit
- 2.21
- Avg. visit duration
- 4m 3s
Audience Snapshot
Local Lion is built specifically for people who live, work, vote, shop and own businesses in St. Johns County.
- Verified Meta demographics available on request
- Largest age group: 25–54
- Top cities: St. Augustine, St. Johns, Ponte Vedra
- Majority located within primary St. Johns County market
- Nearly 90% of Instagram views come from non-followers
- Content regularly reaches beyond existing followers
Why Advertise With Local Lion?
Content is created around St. Johns County. You are not paying to reach a broad regional audience scattered across Northeast Florida.
Reach readers through articles, Facebook, Instagram, Stories, newsletters and sponsored content.
We cap recurring advertisers so each business receives meaningful exposure instead of disappearing into a digital cereal aisle.
One recurring Local Lion advertiser per business category — across every recurring package. Exclusive Category Partner adds full cross-package exclusivity.
Real campaign data: impressions, clicks, social reach, engagement and sponsored-content performance.
Advertising does not buy favorable coverage. Paid placements are always clearly labeled.
Monthly Advertising Packages
Three recurring advertising levels. Only one recurring Local Lion advertiser is accepted per business category — Website Sponsor and Local Lion Partner have limited category availability within their own placement tier, and Exclusive Category Partner requires the category to be fully clear.
Mid-article website advertising. Rotates in the middle ad slot on eligible Local Lion articles.
- In-story (mid-article) advertisement on eligible articles
- Business image or promotional graphic
- Business name, short message, CTA button
- Link to your website, menu, offer or booking page
- Includes one active hosted Local Lion Offer per business
- Monthly impression and click report
- Month-to-month billing
- Category protected: one Website Sponsor per business category
- Limited to six active businesses
Premium top-of-article placement plus multi-channel promotion across social, newsletter and sponsored content.
- Premium top-of-article placement on eligible articles
- 2 Facebook and Instagram Story placements / month
- Monthly newsletter placement
- 1 dedicated FB/IG feature every 3 months
- 1 sponsored article every 3 months
- Discounted pricing on additional sponsored Reels
- Includes one active hosted Local Lion Offer per business
- Monthly website and social performance report
- 3-month initial commitment
- Category protected: one Local Lion Partner per business category
- Counts toward the 5-business combined top-of-article capacity
Our highest promotional package plus full category exclusivity across The Local Lion. Blocks every other recurring advertiser in your category for the term.
- Full category exclusivity across all recurring advertising
- Highest-priority top-of-article placement
- 4 FB/IG Story placements per month
- 1 dedicated FB/IG feature each month
- Featured monthly newsletter placement
- 1 sponsored article every 3 months
- 1 sponsored Reel every 3 months
- Priority campaign scheduling
- Includes one active hosted Local Lion Offer per business
- Monthly website and social performance report
- 3-month initial commitment
- Counts toward the 5-business combined top-of-article capacity
| Feature | Website Sponsor | Local Lion Partner | Exclusive Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $199 | $750 | $1,250 |
| Availability | 6 total businesses | Shared cap of 5 (combined with Exclusive) | One per category, counts toward top-slot 5 |
| Category rule | One Website Sponsor per category | One Local Lion Partner per category | Full cross-package exclusivity |
| Website advertising | Mid-article slot only | Top-of-article slot only | Top-of-article slot only, highest priority |
| FB/IG Stories | 2 / month | 4 / month | |
| Dedicated social feature | 1 every 3 months | 1 / month | |
| Newsletter placement | Monthly | Featured monthly | |
| Sponsored article | 1 every 3 months | 1 every 3 months | |
| Sponsored Reel | Available separately | Discounted partner rate | 1 every 3 months |
| Hosted Local Lion Offer | 1 per business | 1 per business | 1 per business |
| Reporting | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly |
| Initial commitment | Month-to-month | 3 months | 3 months |
Category Protection & Exclusivity
Only one recurring Local Lion advertiser is accepted per business category, across every recurring package. Once a roofing company holds any recurring campaign — $199, $750 or $1,250 — no other roofing company can start a recurring campaign until that term ends. Unrelated businesses in other categories are unaffected.
Exclusive Category Partner also requires the category to be fully clear across every recurring package before its term begins. Existing paid campaigns always complete their full term and are never hidden, displaced, paused or shortened.
Each category is defined in writing before the partnership begins.
See What Your Ad Looks Like
This is exactly how a Website Sponsor appears inside an article on The Local Lion — clean, editorial, and clearly labeled as an advertisement. The business below is fictional.
Small-batch beans, roasted a mile from Matanzas Inlet.
Family-run roastery on A1A South. Locals get free drip refills before 10 a.m. Bring a book, meet a neighbor, skip the drive-thru chain.
Free refill before 10 a.m.
How Website Advertising Rotates
Appears beneath the article headline and introductory information. The most visible article position.
Appears naturally between sections of the article. Designed to feel like part of the reading experience without interrupting the story.
Rotate only in the mid-article slot. Never suppressed by higher tiers.
Rotate only in the top-of-article slot alongside Exclusive Category Partners.
Top-of-article slot only, with full category exclusivity across every recurring package.
Ads may not appear on every article. We may withhold placement on sensitive stories where it could create confusion or suggest an advertiser influenced coverage.
What Each Advertisement Includes
Ads are built from structured business information rather than arbitrary banner files.
- Business name
- Logo
- Square or landscape image
- Headline
- Short description
- Offer or promotion
- Destination link
- Call-to-action button
- Optional promo code
- Optional phone number
- Learn More
- Book Now
- Get the Offer
- View Menu
- Call Now
- Visit Website
All advertisements are clearly labeled as paid placements.
One-Time Sponsored Content
You do not need a monthly partnership to purchase individual campaigns.
Branded article published on The Local Lion and promoted through social media.
Short-form video produced and published by The Local Lion.
Sponsored Reel, article, Story placements and 30 days of website advertising.
Facebook and Instagram Story promotion.
One-time campaigns do not include category exclusivity unless specifically stated in writing.
Sponsored Content People Will Actually Watch
Sponsored content should still be worth reading or watching.
The Local Lion works with businesses to turn promotions into useful local stories, entertaining features or compelling short-form videos. Instead of dropping a generic commercial into the feed, we build content around what makes the business interesting.
All paid articles, Reels and posts are clearly labeled. Advertisers may review factual information before publication. The Local Lion retains creative control over the final content.
Campaign Reporting
Recurring advertisers receive reporting that may include:
- Ad impressions
- Ad clicks
- Click-through rate
- Social reach
- Social views
- Social engagement
- Sponsored-content performance
- Top-performing placements
- Campaign dates
The Local Lion does not guarantee a specific number of leads, customers or sales. We report the results that actually occurred.
Who Can Advertise?
Advertising is reserved for qualifying St. Johns County businesses. A business must generally have one of the following:
- A physical operating location in St. Johns County
- A primary registered business address in St. Johns County
- A substantial local presence approved by The Local Lion
Simply serving customers somewhere in St. Johns County does not automatically qualify a business. All businesses, offers and promotional materials are subject to approval.
Editorial Independence
Advertising does not provide control over Local Lion reporting, commentary, satire or editorial decisions. Purchasing advertising does not guarantee favorable coverage, and does not prevent The Local Lion from reporting on matters involving an advertiser when the story is relevant to the public.
Paid placements and sponsored content are always clearly identified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is each package limited to one business?+
Website Sponsor is capped at six active businesses. Local Lion Partner and Exclusive Category Partner share a combined cap of five active businesses in the top-of-article pool. Exclusive Category Partner is also limited to one business per agreed category.
Can two businesses from the same industry buy recurring advertising?+
No. Only one recurring Local Lion advertiser is accepted per business category across every recurring package. Once a business in your category holds Website Sponsor, Local Lion Partner or Exclusive Category Partner, no other business in that category can start a recurring campaign until that term ends.
Does an Exclusive Category Partner receive every advertisement position?+
No. Exclusive Category Partners serve in the premium top-of-article slot with the highest placement priority and full category exclusivity across every recurring package. Website Sponsors continue to serve in the separate mid-article slot for unrelated businesses. Existing paid campaigns are never removed early.
Will my advertisement appear on every article?+
Advertisements rotate across eligible articles, but placement varies by package, article suitability, active campaigns and traffic.
Are impressions guaranteed?+
No. Recurring packages are sold by campaign duration and included deliverables rather than guaranteed impression totals. You receive reporting showing actual results.
Can I provide my own advertisement?+
Yes. Upload a logo and promotional image, then provide the headline, description, offer and destination link. We format the final card so it works properly across desktop and mobile.
Can I cancel at any time?+
Website Sponsors are billed month-to-month. Local Lion Partners and Exclusive Category Partners begin with a three-month commitment, then continue monthly unless otherwise stated.
Can I advertise only once?+
Yes. You may purchase a sponsored article, Reel, Story placement, website takeover or Business Spotlight Package without entering a recurring partnership.
Can advertisers approve sponsored content?+
Advertisers may review factual business information before publication. The Local Lion retains creative control over tone, editing and final presentation.
Does advertising influence Local Lion coverage?+
No. Advertising and editorial decisions remain separate. Paid placements and sponsored content are always clearly identified.
Apply to Advertise
Pick a package to start an application. You'll create a free advertiser account, add your business details, and our team reviews the application before any campaign runs or billing begins. Website Sponsor is self-serve; every other package is application-based so we can confirm category availability and scheduling before you're charged.
Self-serve. Save a payment method now; billing starts only after your business and creative are approved.
Recurring partnership across website, social and newsletter. Reviewed by our team; three-month initial commitment.
One business per category. Reviewed for category availability before approval.
One-time branded article, produced by The Local Lion and promoted on social.
One-time short-form video, produced and published by The Local Lion.
Sponsored Reel + article + Story placements + 30 days of website advertising.
One-time Facebook and Instagram Story promotion.
Have questions first? Email roar@locallion.news.
Ready to Reach St. Johns County?
Choose a package, submit your business information and tell us what you want to promote.