Instagram vs. Website for City Guides - Which Makes Money?
You've decided to become your city's go-to voice. Great. Now comes the question that stops most people: should I just start an Instagram?
Because Instagram is free. It's fast. Everyone's on it. You can post a photo of the new coffee shop, tell your followers why it's amazing, and boom — you're the person who knows.
So why would you build a website instead?
Here's the thing: Instagram is renting. A website is owning.
Instagram posts disappear.
They get buried under other posts. Your best content from three months ago? Nobody finds it. The algorithm decides if people see your stuff or not. You have zero control.
A website is permanent.
An article you write about the 10 best restaurants in your city lives on the internet forever. People find it on Google. AI recommends it on ChatGPT. A year from now, when someone new moves to your city and asks "where should I eat," your article shows up.
That's not just a nice-to-have. That's the difference between a side hustle and a real business.
And here's the money part:
Instagram doesn't pay editors. You get a small cut from ads if you have a huge following. A website? Businesses pay you to be featured. Restaurants pay $500-$3,500 to get a write-up. Tourism boards pay to sponsor features. That's real revenue, not pennies from the algorithm.
One editor in our network just sold a $9,000 feature to a local tourism board. That deal doesn't happen on Instagram. It happens when you have a real publication with real authority.
So the decision isn't "Instagram or website."
It's "do you want a real business, or do you want to be an influencer renting space on someone else's platform?"
If you want the website, the next question is: do you build it yourself, or do you have someone build it for you?
Let's talk about that trade-off.
The Real Decision: DIY or Done-For-You?
Before you start, ask yourself these three things:
1. Do I want to design the site myself, or have someone build it for me?
Building it yourself means you're picking a Squarespace template, customizing colors, writing your own branding copy, creating launch content, setting up your Instagram, figuring out the playbook... basically, doing all the setup work yourself. It's doable (Squarespace templates are easy), but it's time.
Having someone build it means the site is designed and branded for you, launch content is ready, you have a proven playbook, and you can start showing up in your city on day one instead of fiddling with Squarespace settings.
2. Do I want accountability and community, or do I work better alone?
Real talk: most people think they work better alone and then stall in month four because it's lonely. A community of people doing the exact same thing, plus monthly check-ins, changes everything.
3. How much time do I actually have right now?
If you've got 20+ hours a week to spare, DIY is fine. If you're already busy and you need to launch fast and stay consistent, done-for-you saves you weeks of setup time.
Answer those honestly, and the decision becomes clear.
Why Instagram Alone Doesn't Cut It
Before we talk about DIY vs. done-for-you, let's address the elephant: most people start with Instagram because it's free and easy.
Instagram works. You can build a following. You can get people excited about your recommendations.
But here's what Instagram can't do:
It doesn't pay.
You're making pennies (or nothing) from Instagram ads. Businesses aren't going to pay you $1,000 to sponsor a Reel. They might not even see your content. The algorithm hides you.
It's not searchable.
When someone new moves to your city and Googles "best restaurants in [your city]," your Instagram account doesn't show up. Your website does. That's traffic you're just leaving on the table.
It's owned by Meta.
One day Instagram changes the algorithm (again). One day they shut down a feature. One day your account gets hacked. You have zero control. Everything you built disappears.
It doesn't look like a media business.
A photo on Instagram is content. An article on a beautiful website is journalism. One looks like an influencer. The other looks like a real publication. Guess which one gets taken seriously by tourism boards and brands?
The Instagram + Website combo actually works.
You post on Instagram to drive traffic to your website (where businesses find you and pay you). Your website gets discovered on Google and AI (where new people find you organically). Your Instagram is the breadcrumb. Your website is the real asset.
That's the play.
The Two Paths: DIY or Done-For-You
Path One: DIY Squarespace
You pick a Squarespace template (they're gorgeous), customize it with your colors and copy, write your own launch content, set up your Instagram on your own, figure out the playbook yourself, and build your business alone.
Pros: Cheap ($15-50/month). You own every decision. You learn design and copywriting in the process. It's totally doable.
Cons: Squarespace setup takes time (design, branding, launch content, Instagram, systems). No playbook means you're figuring out monetization from scratch. No accountability or community, which is where most guides stall in month four. It's lonely.
Best for: People with lots of free time, design experience, and the discipline to stay consistent without someone checking in on them.
Path Two: Done-For-You with City Living Network
We build your Squarespace site for you (custom design, branded, ready to go). We create your launch content. We set up your newsletter and lead magnet so you can start building email revenue from day one. We give you sales templates and a media kit so you can actually pitch to businesses (most people don't know how). We give you the playbook we've refined across 25+ guides. We put you in a community of other editors doing the same thing. We check in on you monthly and coach you through the hard parts.
Pros: Launch-ready (week one, live site). You skip the design work and go straight to showing up in your city. You have a proven playbook, sales templates, and the tools to pitch businesses immediately, not a guessing game. Accountability and community prevent the month-four stall. Coaching means you're not figuring out partnerships and pricing alone.
Cons: Higher upfront cost ($5,000 + $400/month for a year). You're launching within our system (though the site is 100% yours). Less design customization — the foundation is structured, but your voice and content are entirely yours.
Best for: People who want to launch fast, value accountability, and want to skip the learning curve so they can start building relationships in their city and pitching businesses immediately.
The Real Comparison
Let's say you're serious about this. You're going to spend real time, real money, and real emotional energy. Here's what actually matters:
Time to launch:
DIY = 3-4 weeks (Squarespace template setup, branding decisions, writing launch content, getting Instagram set up). Done-for-you = 1 week (we handle design, branding, and content, you just approve and launch).
Time per week to run it:
Both are similar — 8-15 hours depending on how active you get. The difference is what you're spending that time ON. DIY = you're also troubleshooting design stuff. Done-for-you = you're 100% focused on showing up and building relationships.
Support when you get stuck:
DIY = Google, YouTube, and hope when you need to figure out pricing or how to pitch a partnership. Done-for-you = monthly calls with me, access to playbooks, and a community of editors who've already solved this problem.
Launch content:
DIY = you write it yourself. Done-for-you = we create it for you.
Branding:
DIY = you design it yourself or hire a designer (add $500-2,000). Done-for-you = we build it as part of the package.
Cost year one:
DIY = $180-600 for Squarespace, potentially $500-2,000 if you hire a designer + your time. Done-for-you = $5,000 + $4,800 ($400/month x 12).
Revenue potential:
Both are identical. Your revenue comes from your relationships, your consistency, and your audience. The service doesn't determine that.
Here's the part nobody wants to hear: the guides that stall aren't stalling because they picked the wrong platform. They're stalling because they went quiet in month four and nobody noticed. Accountability matters more than saving $5,000 upfront.
So the real question isn't "which is cheaper?" It's "which one will actually keep me going?"
FAQ
Why do I even need a website if I can just use Instagram?
Because Instagram is free but it doesn't make money. A website makes money. Businesses will pay $500-$3,500 to be featured on your site. They won't pay you much (if anything) for an Instagram post. Plus, your website content lives forever and shows up on Google and AI search, while Instagram posts disappear. A website is a real business asset. Instagram is just renting space.
Can't I just use TikTok instead?
Same issue. TikTok is fun and it can drive traffic to your website, but it doesn't monetize and you don't own it. The algorithm owns you. Use TikTok and Instagram to drive people to your website (where they can actually read long-form content and see why they should hire you), but your real business lives on your website.
Do I really need the done-for-you service? Can't I just build it myself?
Yes, you can totally build it yourself. Squarespace templates are beautiful and easy. The question is whether you want to spend 3-4 weeks on design and setup, or whether you'd rather start showing up in your city on week one. If you've got the time and you enjoy design, DIY is great. If you're busy and you want to launch fast, done-for-you saves you the setup work.
What if I start DIY and then want to switch to City Living Network later?
You can absolutely do that. If you've built your site on Squarespace, we can migrate your content, redesign it with our branding framework, and get you into the community and accountability structure. You keep your domain, your business name, everything. Switching isn't painful.
Is Squarespace actually good enough for a city guide?
Yes, absolutely. We use Squarespace for all our CLN guides, and the sites are beautiful and fully functional. Squarespace is the right tool for city guides. The question is just whether you want to customize a template yourself or have someone do it for you.
Do I own my site if I use City Living Network?
100%. Your Squarespace site is yours. Your domain is yours. Your brand, your content, your followers, your revenue — all yours. We're just the ones who built it and coach you on running it.
What happens after the first year?
After year one, you can stay in the network for $97/month for ongoing community, coaching, and exclusivity, or you can leave and run your guide independently. Either way, you own everything you built.
Can I make money on Squarespace?
Yes. Whether DIY or done-for-you, your revenue comes from partnerships, sponsored features, and relationships. Squarespace has nothing to do with that part.
Honestly, which path is right for me?
If you hate design and you want to launch fast and you like having accountability, done-for-you. If you enjoy the design process, you've got tons of free time, and you work well alone, DIY. If you're on the fence, try DIY first and see if you stick with it through month four. You can always switch.
What This Means for You
Here's the bottom line:
You can start an Instagram for free. But Instagram doesn't pay you and you don't own it.
You can build a Squarespace site yourself and save $5,000. But you'll spend 3-4 weeks setting it up, writing copy, designing, and figuring out how to feature businesses. That's time you could be spending showing up in your city.
Or you can have someone build your Squarespace site for you, come into an accountability community, get a playbook, and launch in one week. You own the site, you own the business, you own the revenue. You just don't own the setup work.
Both work. The question is what's worth your time and what fits your life right now.
Here's the truth: the people who succeed aren't succeeding because they picked the perfect platform. They're succeeding because they showed up consistently and they owned a real asset (their website) instead of renting space on Instagram. The platform is 5% of the equation. Ownership and consistency are 95%.
Ready to Pick?
If you want to see exactly what the done-for-you path looks like, the free "5 Steps to Becoming Your City's Go-To Guide" playbook walks through real timelines, real costs, and what each path actually involves.
I HAVE A THING FOR YOU.
Grab the playbook and see what you'd be signing up for with either option. Real stories from women who picked each path. Real numbers. Real timeline. Zero pressure.
Hey! I'm Lindsay, founder of City Living Network. I started Laguna Beach Living in 2019, and I've built Squarespace sites for 25+ editors since 2022. I handle the design, branding, and launch content so editors can spend their time showing up in their cities instead of fiddling with website settings. If you're deciding between DIY and having someone build your site for you, grab the playbook above. And if you want to see what one of our CLN guides looks like, check out the guides we've launched.
P.S. The platform doesn't matter. Showing up for 90 days straight does.
