For 10 years and counting, American Community Journals has been a force in helping its affiliate partners achieve their marketing goals through impactful storytelling and audience engagement.

The ACJ formula — sharing positive, upbeat stories that resonate with the community and amplify the messaging of its affiliate partners — is simple but powerful. And a wide range of businesses, nonprofits, and universities have been utilizing it for marketing success for more than a decade.

ACJ’s network of hyperlocal news platforms — VISTA, MONTCO, DELCO, BUCKSCO, and PHILADELPHIA Today — are prime channels for brand storytelling. The company’s methods go beyond traditional advertising to create genuine, long-term engagement.

ACJ’s affiliate partners understand that connecting with their audience on a personal level is key to increasing their visibility and breaking through the noise generated by traditional media. For the YMCA of Greater Brandywine — an association of nine YMCAs that offer life-changing programs for children, families, and adults throughout Chester County — VISTA Today has provided an effective way to communicate its mission, build relationships, and increase its support.

Through targeted storytelling and a focus on community-driven content, ACJ helps the YMCA, one of the founding partners of VISTA Today, extend its reach and cement its position as a vital resource for local families.

“The YMCA is fortunate to have strong brand recognition,” said Jenny James Lee, the YMCA of Greater Brandywine’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “However, prior to our partnership with VISTA Today, we knew that we had work to do to increase awareness of our wide variety of offerings and even more so around our mission and impact programs. Annually, the YMCA provides upwards of $2 million in financial assistance to the Chester County community, and we needed better pathways to tell that story.”

The YMCA aims to strengthen the foundations of the community by being a catalyst for improving people’s quality of life and well-being through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

“Having a partner like VISTA has been incredibly valuable in telling that story and building stronger awareness of the YMCA’s mission,” said Lee. “By leveraging their media platforms, we have been able to highlight the Y’s unique impact within the community. VISTA’s ability to share our stories and connect with readers through authentic storytelling has amplified our message and helped us to reach new audiences.”

Lee said she appreciates the metrics, particularly pageviews and impressions, that ACJ provides its affiliate partners and how they can offer useful insight.

“That’s tremendously helpful for understanding what stories and content readers find most engaging,” she said. “We have seen steady website growth for the past several years, and part of that is due to our work with organizations like VISTA. There is such value to building partnerships with reputable brands in the community and the boost that it brings to our work around SEO (search engine optimization).”

Lee — who has spent her entire career working for nonprofits, which face fierce competition for attention — realized just how many people within her personal and professional network read VISTA Today when, in 2023, she was honored as a VISTA Millennial Superstar.

“It demonstrated to me how positively people see VISTA within the community, how wide of a reach it has across industries, and how engaged of an audience they’ve built,” she said.

Learn more about how the YMCA of Greater Brandywine connects people to their potential, purpose, and each other through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body.

Don’t miss this opportunity — fill out the form below to discover how American Community Journals can spread your organization’s news across Chester County and the Delaware Valley!

Boost Your Brand’s Visibility with American Community Journals

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