WHEN we launched the Sunday National, to help get us the message out about the new paper, we sent 20,000 free copies of our Saturday edition to Yes groups across Scotland for them to deliver into the hands of potential new readers. After fantastic feedback and the huge success of the giveaway, we’re looking to start doing something similar across Scotland on a more regular basis.
What do we need from you?
WE’RE looking for Yes Groups who can help us target a different area of Scotland every week in order to increase our circulation in that area. We want to deliver to each group at least 1000 free newspapers to potential new readers on a particular Saturday to help us promote the Sunday edition the following day.
We will:
• Supply you with leaflets which have a special discount offer for the Sunday National.
• Make sure our editorial that week has a focus on your area.
• Put lots of EXTRA copies in the shops around where you are delivering the papers so the paper will definitely be available to new readers.
• Target social media users in your area with paid advertising to encourage them to pick up their copy.
Why are we doing this?
BECAUSE we believe that Scotland needs a thriving pro-independence newspaper, seven days a week, to balance out the nonsense in the rest of the Scottish media. The National, following the end of the Sunday Herald, is now the ONLY newspaper in Scotland which backs independence.
After a strong start, sales of the new Sunday National have dropped off slightly. We need to ensure that when the starting gun for indyref2 is fired, we’re in as strong a position as possible to influence the debate.
Why do we need your help?
WE have problems which no other newspaper has to face. We hear stories every day of the newspaper being covered up by Unionists, hidden behind other newspapers or not even put out at all. We know you have experienced this.
But that’s not all. Incredibly, some shops phoned to cancel their order of the Sunday National DESPITE selling out on their first week! That simply would not happen to any other newspaper.
Luckily, to counter all of that, we have the strength of the independence movement.
When can we do it?
TO keep it manageable (and so we’re able to carefully analyse the sales data), we’d like to minimise it to no more than two Yes Groups on any particular Saturday. We are now fully booked until the start of February, and available dates from then on will be given out on a first come, first served basis.
What do we need to know?
WE need a name and address where we can deliver your newspapers. We want to know how many papers your group can deliver (the more the better – in order to make sure this exercise can deliver real results we want to send more than 1000 copies to groups).
How will you get the papers delivered to you?
UNFORTUNATELY, the only way we can get the paper to you the same day it is published is via the daily Menzies delivery to newsagents. Depending on where you are in Scotland, this could be as early as 6am! But you should ask your local shop to find out more – in Orkney, for example, the newspapers usually don’t arrive until around 12pm.
What about after the Saturday?
WE want to make sure that local retailers have enough Nationals and they are displaying the paper properly (and that nobody is hiding it!). Check your local stores and report back to us with what you discover. Let us know by emailing community@thenational.scot.
How do you know this will work?
THE day before the first edition of the Sunday National, we delivered 20,000 free copies of The National to Yes Groups across Scotland, who then put those papers into the hands of potential new readers. Our circulation director believes that initiative could have been responsible for anything up to 5000 extra sales of the paper.
It’s difficult for us to know for sure. But we do know that after Yes Oban delivered 2000 copies (thanks!), of The National in their area, we sold out in many shops who hadn’t even STOCKED The National before. There was a clear correlation between the groups who took the most free copies and how much sales increased in that area the next day.
What’s in it for you?
IT is much easier to get the indy message out there armed with newspapers rather than just leaflets which people are likely to throw away. We can also offer a 20% discount on all our digital subscription offers, and 10% on our merchandise, for every Yes group which gets involved.
Who's already signed up?
November 14: Airdrie for Independence
November 24: Yes Kirkcaldy
December 1: Yes Elgin
December 8: Yes Kelty
December 15: Yes Monifieth
January 12: Yes Stirling
January 19: Yes Bellshill and Mossend
January 26: Yess Ross and Sutherland
February 2: Yes Oban
February 9: SNP Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh
Contact us today at: community@thenational.scot
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
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