This week's podcast is all about how to launch a citizen journalism website that actually gets read. Joining us this week are the creators of In This Economy, I Live in Dallas, and Five O'Clock Dallas. During the podcast, they all share their experiences, from the inspiration behind launching the sites, to the tools used for marketing and promotion, and even some unexpected results.
About In-This-Economy.com:
in-this-economy.com is a blog designed to take the ridiculousness of the economy and spin it into something that can entertain and even distract folks from their problems for a while. We cover everything from national news to free stuff to completely random Internet finds. We
rant and rave about the economy, and when we’re not crying we’re laughing. ITE’s co-creators are art director Rondo Estrello (
@rondostar) and copywriters Rachel Pinn (
@rachcreative) and Derek Rundgren (
@drocolate). Our other contributors include Stephanie Berlin (
@sberlin), Logan Finklestein and Zack McLain (
@SurlyZ). We’re also (clearly) passionate social media advocates. Follow ITE on Twitter at
@inthiseconomy.
About FiveO'ClockDallas.com
Five O'Clock Dallas is a community website for
Dallas bars and happy hour listings, that tries to take the work out of the after work drink. Five O'Clock Dallas goes beyond simple bar and happy hour listings by providing video reviews, news, events, and a new series called
Happy Hour at Home. Five O'Clock Dallas focuses on showing people that it's possible to have some classy fun in Dallas without breaking your budget. The website was founded at the end of 2008 when co-creators Colin Alsheimer (
@levelten_colin and Alyssa Gardina (
@agardina couldn't find a good resource online for finding happy hours in Dallas. Five O'Clock Dallas can be found on Twitter (
@dallashappyhour) and
Facebook.
About ILiveInDallas.com
ILiveinDallas was launched in March 2008 to promote
art and culture events in Dallas, Texas. Dallas is beginning to be recognized as a centerpiece in the US for hosting world-renowned artists, intellectuals, musicians and activists in the city. With many resources in the Dallas area for like events, ILiveinDallas stands out to be the go-to calendar for young thinking professionals interested in the ideas and culture of many. The goal is to get people out of their house and experience the world, without having to pay for the ticket around the world. The Creator of ILiveinDallas,
Jennifer Conley, is an advocate for local arts and education. She believes the Arts promote creative and expansive growth in a community, and brings the thinker out in all of us.
@iliveindallas
@jenniferconley
Power Tip
Make sure you are passionate about the content you're creating for your website. Don't worry about monetizing it, because you probably won't make much money. If you're able to pay for your website's hosting through your website, you're in a great position.