8 Ways to Build Community with City Living Network

Welcome back to the City Living Network where we help you launch, manage and monetize city-specific publications like Laguna Beach Living and Lexington Living Magazine. 2023 is the year we’re taking over the tourism boards and sharing a local’s side of our favorite places. So if you love your community, have a passion for creating connections, and want to start a thriving business from home, you’ve come to the right place. 

Learn how you can get started launching your own city-specific publication in just 30 days, by booking a free consultation with our founder Lindsay. She can create a media kit for your city which will give you an idea of what your publication would look like – and answer any questions that you might have. Book your call → here. 

Today we’re going to talk about using your city-specific blog to build a community in your hometown and with your readers. Blogging can be a lonely job, especially if you’re not used to working from home, but with a city-specific publication, you’re going to be out networking, creating connections, and building a community a lot more than sitting behind a desk at home. 

So let’s dive in and explore how you can build a thriving community in your town, with your city-specific blog. 

8 ways to build a community with your city-specific blog

From encouraging engagement to hosting giveaways and contests with local businesses, these strategies will help you create a sense of community and belonging amongst your readers and your hometown, keeping everyone coming back to you for more. 

Be yourself

With the City Living Network, we’re teaching you how to create a blog that isn’t some virtual machine. This is a hangout spot, a clubhouse, and a place for people who love your city to congregate. And you’re the leader of the online hub. So it’s your job to create connections and be yourself within this community. We truly believe that the days of totally curated content are gone, people want to know YOU. They want to talk to you, connect with you, hear your opinion, and see what life is really like in your city. Your city-specific publication is the perfect place to do that. 

Network with local businesses

One of the first things we teach you within the City Living Network is how to work with local businesses to monetize your blog. Networking with these local businesses will also help you create a sense of community. You’ll know everyone in town from the local coffee shop to the yoga teachers to the favorite chefs. And the more you use our strategies to network, the more money you’ll make with your blog as well. 

Host a launch party

Once you’ve started to establish yourself and your new blog within the community, you’ll be able to work with local businesses to host an incredible launch party. Our editors have had fun and free launch parties with our help. From catering to event spaces and goodie bags – this is going to be the launch party of the year for your community. And as people come together to celebrate what you’re creating, you’ll be able to make lasting connections in your community. 

Collaborate with people in your community

Collaborating with other people in your community can be a creative way to reach their audiences and make more connections. You can guest post on someone’s blog, use the Collaborate feature to share a video on Instagram or host a joint giveaway. 

Host giveaways and contests 

Hosting giveaways and contests is a great way to build community and increase engagement. You can host a giveaway on your blog, podcast and social media – this strategy helps you reach new people online, and can open a lot of doors for working with local businesses. 

Give back to your community 

Giving back to your community is a great way to build community and increase engagement. Since you’re starting a business in your hometown, you’re likely going to be the first to know who needs help and that will give you an opportunity to be there for them. You can encourage your audience to shop products that donate to a local charity or you could even host a charity event in your town and invite your followers to attend. 

Encourage engagement 

It’s important to make it easy for your readers and followers to leave comments and engage with your content. Also, you need to always respond to comments and actively seek feedback from your readers. Give people a chance to have their questions answered and submit guests to your podcast – ask your listeners who they want to hear from in your community. 

Create useful + consistent content

Give people something they can depend on. If your site lacks commitment, it will be hard for your audience to commit to you too. By sticking to a consistent posting schedule, you’re letting your readers know they can depend on you. On that note, it’s so important to create the most useful content you can. Remember that you’re writing for real people, so the more value you add, the more likely they are to stick around for the ride. 

By implementing these 8 strategies for building a community with your blog, you’ll be able to increase engagement, build relationships with your readers and grow a dedicated community of loyal followers who always bring their friends along for the ride. 

When you launch a blog with the City Living Network, we teach you how to network, grow and most importantly, monetize your content. If you want to learn more about how much money you can make with a city-specific publication, read this post next. 

And if you’re ready to take the leap and start a thriving business from home, book your free consultation with Lindsay here. We can’t wait to have you in the Network.