What we learned about Taproot’s audience

In early 2025, we surveyed our audience to better understand who Taproot is serving. As we said at the time, we don’t track our readers the way social media platforms and many other websites do, so if we want to know more about you, we ask.

Before we get into the results, let me tell you: It’s lovely to have to ask. When Mack and I started this company in 2016, and for a few years after that, we literally knew most of the people on our mailing list. It wasn’t that challenging to speak with authority about who the typical Taproot reader was. But I’m proud to say we have grown far beyond our own pretty sizeable personal networks, and I don’t know most of the people who read Taproot anymore. That’s awesome.

Hundreds of people filled out the survey we sent in February. Here’s what we found out:

Taproot readers love local

Based on that aforementioned knowledge of Taproot’s early adopters, I have long said that Taproot readers tend to be the kind of people who seek out local goods and services — they know the benefits that come from investing in our own community. Now we have the numbers to back that up: Given a choice between a local product and a non-local one, 76% told our survey they would pay slightly more for the local product, and 15% said they would pay significantly more.

Further to that shop-local ethos, 82% said they had dined at a local restaurant in the past month, and 76% said they had bought something from a locally owned business within the same period.

Our readers are an artsy crew, too. In the previous six months:

• 52% attended a concert;
• 50% attended a play, musical, or opera;
• 46% went to a museum, art gallery, or science centre;
• 45% attended a festival.

These activities aren’t exclusively local, but where we live, they often are. Interestingly, in this hockey-mad city, only 29% of our respondents said they had attended a professional sports event in the past six months, and 13% said they had never done so.

Taproot readers are grateful to those who support our work

One of Taproot’s revenue streams is sponsorship and advertising, which is another reason we sent this survey. Companies with marketing budgets want to know who they will reach if they buy space in Taproot, and now we have better answers.

We also have evidence that Taproot readers feel warmly towards those who help make all of this information available to everyone. Almost three-quarters said they feel positively or very positively toward the sponsors whose logos appear in every edition of our weekly newsletters. And more than half said that if a company supports Taproot through sponsorship, advertising, or membership, they are more likely to consider their product/service for future purchases.

Taproot readers have deep roots in Edmonton

More than three-quarters of our respondents said they have lived in the Edmonton region for more than 20 years. This surprised me a little, given the population influx we’ve seen over the past few years, and it points to some room for improvement. Reading Taproot seems like a great way for newcomers to get a crash course on Edmonton. We’ve clearly got some work to do to increase awareness among recent arrivals.

Given those demographics, it’s perhaps not surprising that 79% own their own home, and 32% said their annual household income exceeds $150,000 a year. About two-thirds of our respondents are employed, and 26% are retired. They’re educated, too: 45% have an undergraduate degree, 30% have a graduate degree, and 16% have a college diploma or certificate.

Taproot makes a difference

We asked readers to indicate the degree to which they agreed with a series of statements, and the results were gratifying:

• 95% said Taproot helps them be engaged citizens;
• 87% said Taproot makes them think;
• 87% said Taproot pays attention to things they care about;
• 82% said Taproot gives them something to talk about;
• 78% said Taproot provides information they can’t find elsewhere;
• 77% said Taproot helps the Edmonton region work better;
• 61% said Taproot saves them time.

That’s what we’re going for, so it’s good to see we’re succeeding in the minds of many readers. There’s some room for improvement here, too, which is helpful to identify.

The point of the survey was to up our quantitative game, but I’m going to conclude with some qualitative data. The survey included an open-ended question: “What else would you like us to know?” Here’s a small sample of what people said:

• “I love Taproot, it has made me more engaged in the city I love. Thanks for all the wonderful work!”
• “I am so grateful for the local, insightful coverage you provide of things happening in the city. Your city hall reporting is stellar and your support of local entrepreneurs, artists and social causes is the only way I keep in touch with what’s new and important to me. You help me stay connected, interested and engaged.”
• “I love having the daily local perspective of Taproot. I feel like a part of my community.”
• “So grateful Taproot exists so I can stay in the loop on everything Edmonton! Thank you for your engagement and effort.”
• “I love Speaking Municipally and The Pulse… both make me feel much more connected to and aware of important things happening in the city. Thanks for all that you do.”
• “I love this as a resource and I share it often, especially to peers and colleagues at work. It’s literally a great way to keep a ‘pulse’ on things without feeling draining. The focus on local news is refreshing and incredibly important.”

These comments are particularly loving, but we also heard about things we could do better, and that’s beneficial, too. Thanks to all who let us know more about who you are and what you care about.

One more thing

A few readers told us that as much as they love Taproot, they can’t afford to pay for a membership. “I really value Taproot and, when I make more money, I intend to support y’all financially,” said a student who responded to our survey. We heard similar sentiments when we asked about membership benefits in 2024.

If you can’t afford $100 a year or $10 a month for Taproot, that’s OK. We have no paywall on purpose. Our mission is to inform, connect, and inspire the Edmonton region, and making our work available only to those who pay would work against that. So don’t fret. You can help us in other ways:

• Share our work.
• Recommend Taproot to a friend. There’s a referral link at the top of every email we send.
• Encourage your employer to buy ads or an organization-wide membership.
• Let our sponsors and advertisers know you appreciate their support.

If you can afford to pay for a Taproot membership, please do. Our work is free to read, but it’s not free to make, and we all benefit from a more informed, connected, and inspired community.

Paid members get other benefits, too. Members recently got a chance to win tickets to a concert, and there are more perks in the works. But the main thing is that you’ll be helping that student know what’s going on, even though they can’t spare the cash quite yet. And your money stays here in Edmonton, making it possible for us to keep doing what we do.