On the internet, quality content does not necessarily translate into a high number of hits. For hyper-local bloggers just getting their foot in the door, social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook can often amount to a whole lot of work with very little payoff. Although both websites boast many users, they’re just not designed to spread the word about the kinds of neighborhood events and locales that are our stock and trade. As a blog dedicated in part to highlighting what the Flatiron District has to offer, we understand this better than anyone.

For every 5,000 Twitter followers you cultivate, perhaps a handful will bother to click on your link. For better and for worse, conventional social media platforms cater to casual conversation, at the expense of those looking for in-depth and/or specific information on, say, local pawn shops or concert venues. The end result? Lots of wasted hours promoting articles that may not receive the attention they deserve. That’s where Romio comes in.

A startup founded by Tarik Sansal, the man responsible for onTargetJobs, this innovative new service aims to connect you with the best your neighborhood and city has to offer as recommended by local experts. Local experts are handpicked by Romio, many of them local bloggers who already post and write about the things they love in NYC.

As a result, visitors to Romio are guaranteed quality recommendations they can trust. Bloggers and residents are able to connect with each other and their neighborhood in a new and fun way. To this end, Romio provides a way for bloggers and people passionate about their community to showcase their hard work in a context where they can make the most impact. After creating a profile, you’re invited to seek out what will soon grow into an exhaustive database of like-minded people, all with a hyper-local focus. You can access content on a wide range of topics and businesses on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis.

Romio is an ideal venue to work out arrangements to cross-publish content, exposing the best local businesses and services in a neighborhood to networks of readers. That means more traffic for your articles and business without having to pay a cent for advertising. It also means a steady stream of quality content from other blogs, allowing you to offer a breadth of information on relevant local topics that you may not have the time or resources to cover yourself.

In short, Romio is a valuable tool for bloggers and local businesses, as well as a source of information for anyone seeking out information on what their neighborhood has to offer. This is apparent in the website’s mission statement: “We are focused on revealing hidden treasures — from the independently-owned mom and pop shops to talented local artisans and freelancers. Our passion rests on the idea that neighborhoods are meant to be vibrant and involved, both online and off.”