Can you DIY your own City-Specific Publication?
Welcome to the City Living Network! We’re a web design and creative agency that helps you launch and manage a city-specific publication in just 30 days. From your new website to branding and social media, the City Living Network helps you grow a successful online business, so you can add “Editor-in-Chief” to your resume. If you want to learn more about how you can launch your own city-specific business with the City Living Network in 2023, book a free call with our founder here.
Launching a city-specific business with the City Living Network is an investment. We’re gift-wrapping a business for you, all while providing you with a course to teach you how to run it and email templates to help you start to monetize it from day one.
But what if you want a ‘do it yourself’ option?
Building your city-specific publication on your own can be a rewarding and frustrating learning experience. It can also be intimidating if you don’t know where to start but that’s not to say it can’t be done. In this article, we'll explore the pros and cons of DIYing your own publication and what the City Living Network brings to the solution.
Pros of DIYing your own city-specific publication
One of the pros of DIYing your own publication is that you can have complete control over every aspect of your site. This includes the design, functionality, and content. At the City Living Network, we build you a website with certain pages, elements, and design aspects. You do have a lot of customization, but not as much as if you were to do things completely yourself.
If you’re a developer, like our founder Lindsay, or someone who is comfortable with coding, building your own publication can be a fun and rewarding way to express your creativity. But if you’ve never coded or worked on websites, it can be frustrating to have to learn an entirely new language and bring your ideas to life.
Another pro of DIYing your own publication is the cost savings, which is usually the top reason people consider a DIY option. Building your own publication from scratch can be cheaper than working with the City Living Network. However, if you’re completely new to web development, you could end up spending more hiring an expert to help you customize or fix things that you haven’t learned how to do yet.
Cons of DIYing your own city-specific publication
While DIYing your own blog can be rewarding, it's important to be aware of the potential downsides. Building a publication from scratch can be time-consuming, especially if you're not already familiar with web development. You'll need to spend time learning new skills and figuring out how to put everything together.
In addition to the time commitment, building your own publication also requires a certain level of technical expertise. If you're not comfortable with coding or web development, you'll need to either learn these skills or hire someone who is. This can be an additional expense that you might not have considered.
DIYing your own blog means that you'll be responsible for everything, including hosting, security, and updates. This can be a lot of work, especially if you're not used to managing a website. And while there’s a lot of information on the internet to help you learn these things, that information isn’t usually packaged up beautifully in one place, for free. So you’re going to end up spending a lot of time researching and money learning how to build your website.
Finally, you won’t have any support. When you work with the City Living Network, you have Lindsay, our founder for support. Lindsay has 10+ years of experience working with magazines, years of experience working with Squarespace, and a wealth of knowledge about working with brands, landing press trips, and managing a team.
When you DIY your own blog, you may not have this level of support available, which can be frustrating if you encounter problems or need assistance. You may need to rely on online resources or hire a professional to help you troubleshoot any issues that arise.
How to DIY your own city-specific publication
If you are interested in DIYing your own blog, here are some steps you can take to get started:
Choose a domain name and hosting plan. Your domain name is the web address that people will use to access your blog, and your hosting plan is where your website will be stored. There are many options available for both of these, so it's worth taking some time to research and choose the best option for your needs.
Choose a content management system (CMS). A CMS is a platform that allows you to create, manage, and publish content on your blog. Some popular options include WordPress and Squarespace. Each CMS has its own set of features and capabilities, so it's worth taking some time to research and choose the one that best fits your needs.
Design and build your blog. This is where you'll get to put your creativity and technical skills to work. You can use a pre-existing template or design your own from scratch. Either way, it's important to create a blog that is visually appealing and easy to navigate.
Publish your content. Once your blog is set up and looking good, it's time to start creating and publishing content. This can be anything from written articles and videos to photos and audio recordings.
Promote your blog. Once you have some content on your blog, it's time to start getting the word out. You can promote your blog through social media, email newsletters, and other channels to attract readers. You can also use SEO (search engine optimization) techniques to help your blog rank higher in search engine results, making it more visible to potential readers.
In conclusion, DIYing your own publication can be a rewarding experience, but it’s not for everyone. It requires a time commitment, technical expertise, and a willingness to take on a lot of responsibilities. If you’re up for the challenge and have the skills and resources to build your own blog, it can be a great way to have complete control over every aspect of your online presence.
However, if you're not comfortable with web development or don't have the time to devote to building and maintaining your own blog, it’s a much better option to work with us here at the City Living Network. Not only do we launch your business in just 30 days, but we also provide you with beautiful branding, templates for social media, and a course that teaches you how to manage and monetize your business. On top of all of that, you also get coaching calls with our founder Lindsay, and networking opportunities with our entire network of Editors-In-Chief who’ve already launched their publications.
The biggest difference between working with the City Living Network and “doing it yourself” is the time that you’ll save. And when you’re working to launch a business and start making money from it as soon as possible, time is money. The second biggest difference is the level of support that you’ll have with Lindsay. Overall, support and time = money around here, especially when you’re trying to do big things in 2023.
What are you waiting for? Save time, headache, and money in the long run by launching your city-specific publication with the City Living Network this year! Book a call with Lindsay to learn more and get started right away.
