Guest Bio
Michael Shapiro is the founder and CEO of TAPinto, one of the largest hyperlocal news franchise networks in the U.S., and the founder of Hyper Local News Network, a tech and digital services platform helping legacy publishers modernize. Over 17 years, Michael has grown TAPinto from a single community news site to 99 franchise locations nationwide—empowering local owners to revive news deserts through sustainable local reporting.
Episode Overview
Local news is collapsing—but Michael Shapiro is rebuilding it from the ground up.
In this powerful conversation, host Josh Anderson sits down with Michael to unpack how a personal turning point—his infant son’s need for open-heart surgery—sparked a complete life pivot and birthed TAPinto. What began as one small-town news site grew rapidly as neighboring communities asked for the same thing. But with only so many hours in a day, Michael needed a new model.
The solution? A franchise system—one that had never been applied to journalism before.
Michael breaks down what makes a great local publisher, why “giving back” is the best marketing strategy, and how AI can support operations without compromising editorial integrity. He also shares the hard-earned lessons from 17 years in the trenches: hiring mistakes, early capital struggles, and the moment he learned he wasn’t the company’s best writer—but he was its best salesperson.
This episode is loaded with insights for anyone building a community-focused business, scaling a service in a tough market, or balancing mission with sustainability.
Key Takeaways
- The best marketing is giving back. Sponsorships, nonprofit partnerships, local events, and showing up build deeper trust than any ad campaign.
- Franchising can scale localism. TAPinto empowers local owners to serve their own communities through a shared tech, training, and revenue platform.
- AI should support—not replace—journalism. TAPinto uses AI for headlines, SEO, transcripts, and branded content, but not for news reporting.
- Your business has multiple customers. TAPinto serves franchisees, advertisers, and readers—and success means balancing all three.
- Persistence wins. Most great ideas are dismissed early. The people who break through stick with it—without becoming annoying.
Favorite Quotes
“I wanted to do something where I could actually see my wife and son, and do something that would help the community.” — (01:37)
“Showing up is 90% of the battle.” — (08:57)
“The best marketing a local publisher can do is giving back.” — (07:32)
“I’d never sold anything in my life. But he said, ‘You’re the best salesperson the company has.’” — (20:31)
“Be persistent—without being annoying.” — (18:57)
Playbook: How to Apply
- Show up—physically and digitally.
Attend local events, chamber meetings, launches, and council sessions. Pair that with a consistent presence on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, and a daily newsletter. Visibility = credibility. - Lead with community value.
Partner with nonprofits, sponsor 5Ks, highlight local issues, and give small businesses affordable ways to be seen. Generosity compounds into revenue. - Use AI to boost efficiency—not replace humans.
Use it for headlines, meta descriptions, social snippets, transcripts, and ideation—but keep human judgment on reporting, editing, and local storytelling. - Know when to pivot—and when to persist.
If a strategy isn’t working, change the model (like Michael shifting from writer to salesperson). But if the vision is strong, keep going until the market catches up.
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🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Michael Shapiro on Making Big Shifts—available on YouTube and Spotify.
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