CHS HAPPENINGS.
Advertiser Case Study
Opt Alternatives · Full-Service Accounting · Spring 2026

From a cold name in April to a familiar one by June.

Opt Alternatives is a full-service accounting firm that was new to Charleston and missing one thing: enough of the right people knowing they existed. Over nine weeks inside CHS Happenings, they put their name in front of a deeply engaged local audience — on repeat — and walked away recognized.

51,281
Emails delivered across the run
37,403
Opens with their ad inside
~73%
Avg. open rate per issue
+17%
Audience growth during campaign
The Story

Brand awareness isn't built in one big splash — it's built by the right people seeing the same name, again and again. That was the whole play: five placements across five issues, landing in inboxes that actually get opened.

Midway through, we retired our shared sponsor board. Rather than scale Opt Alternatives back, we moved them up into the main body of the newsletter — their own standalone ad with full creative and a call-to-action button, including one premium top-of-issue spot — at no extra cost. Over-delivering is just how we like to run a partnership.

The result: a firm that started as a cold introduction in April was a familiar name to thousands of Charleston readers by June.

In Their Words
CHS Happenings has been phenomenal in supporting my business growth. As a new company, I really appreciated the proactive approach and guidance to help me put together the right marketing strategy to maximize my impact in the newsletter. Incredibly responsive, supportive, and actively engaged in the community.
Kait FarielloFounder, Opt Alternatives

Why It Works

10K+engaged Charleston subscribers, growing every week
70%+open rates — most newsletters live in the 30–40% range
Fria standing 7 AM habit readers actually look forward to

The Playbook

  1. Show up consistently across multiple issues, not just once.
  2. Land inside the read — native placement, not a banner to scroll past.
  3. Grow with the list so each week reaches more people than the last.

Want a run like this for your brand?

I'll show you exactly which slot and message would fit — no pressure, just a quick look.

Let's talk →