xtra xtra

xtra xtra is a digital resource distributor for hometown news, photos, and milestone announcements.

At xtra xtra, users can read, create, and share free announcements and events with all of their favorite communities. xtra xtra was founded by Paul Rooney, an entrepreneur with roots in South Boston who wanted a better way to stay connected with his community. The site launched in April of 2009, and extensive user testing ultimately led to a complete redesign of xtra xtra in the winter of that year. The result is a sleek and comprehensive website for local announcements and events that features stories from every ZIP code in America as well as over 28,000 schools. With only a few clicks, users can create a free posting and instantly link it to different communities. xtra xtra is like an online version of a local newspaper with stories written by people in the community. The site helps people celebrate, honor, remember, and reconnect with community members and classmates. There is no required registration to view content on the site, and users choosing to create their own milestones can choose from a comprehensive list of milestone categories. All news is big news at xtra xtra, so users are encouraged to post all of the milestones that are important to them. There are many benefits to sharing announcements online versus creating them elsewhere. There are often delays when one publishes an announcement in a newspaper since printers and publishers work according to their own schedules. xtra xtra posts are instantly available, and one milestone can appear in dozens of communities with one click after users tag their posts to different towns and schools. xtra xtra also adds social media to traditional announcements since milestones can be emailed or shared on Twitter, Facebook, and other sites. Finally, the site is eco-friendly since news can be shared with a wide audience without using any paper. xtra xtra is moving forward with plans to create co-branded partnerships with newspapers. The site has finalized an agreement with Boston.com, the website for The Boston Globe, and relationships with other publications are in the near future. This strategy will benefit the newspaper industry as they rush to deliver hyperlocal content to their online users, and it will also help to expand xtra xtra's brand visibility across the country.