All fueled up from the fabulous lunch atop the Doubletree Campbell Center.
This post is a “live blog” of the Business of Blogging session at Bloggy Boot Camp Dallas. Please excuse all typos and format issues. We’re live!
Presenters: Laurie Turk @TipJunkie, Tiffany Romero @TiffanyRom, and Allison Talamantez @AzTalamantez
This is a Break Out Session. The other session, Writers Workshop, is being lead by Francesca Banducci @FranBanducci and Kathy Bouska @mamakatslosinit (sorry peeps, I can’t be in two places at once!
First up, Tiffany Romero.
Tiffany says that making a living from blogging is probably not happening with side bar ads. You have to know where you want to go and HOW you want to make your business. “Where you put your attention is where you get results.”
You also cannot compare yourself to other bloggers who have a different circumstance. If you have three kids under the age of 6 and no outside support, you can’t follow the same business model as a mom with older kids and a stay at home husband.
On working with other bloggers – “You need to have met them if you are going to share $ with them.”
Know your goals and throw out anything that doesn’t match. If you can spin it to match, or re-propose something that is a good fit, that’s good, but don’t do extra work to try to make something fit when it won’t. Don’t try to please EVERYONE. Please the people who are important to you, and please them first.
Tiffany says, “My husband is much happier if I have sex with him. It’s ok to schedule this in your mind. When the kids are going to bed, you’re getting on the computer, and your husband is giving you the stink eye, go ahead and have the sex.”
Manage your life with a schedule. Set office hours, and schedule when you check your email. You don’t need to check your email all day long.
“Business Opportunities are like buses. there is always another one coming.” -Richard Branson Be respectful and stay on the radar, but don’t feel like if you miss an opportunity, that you won’t get the next one.
It is more important to keep our integrity than it is to bring in $. Don’t sell out for less than you are worth. If you can avoid desperation, avoid it. Saying yes to everything isn’t going to work.
Laurie says, If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. Saying no to money is really hard, but you have to put value on your integrity.
Tiffany – The perceptions of what blogging is will test our integrity. My personal blog doesn’t make any money. It’s the launchpad for SITS girls, which I created to fill a need in the community, not to make $.
Behave like a professional, and people will treat you like one. You have to have business cards. You have to set up a corporation (LLC) to project yourself. This conference is a tax write-off. This is a business expense. You need to run as a business. Learn accounting, or get an accountant. Get a lawyer.
Most likely ways to actually make $$ from blogging:
- Brand Ambassadorship
- Social Media Consulting
- Paid Blog Posts
“A man should never neglect his Family for business” – Walt Disney You have to schedule out time for your business AND schedule family time.
Laurie Turk says that she incorporates her family into the housework so that they are bonding over all working toward the same goals. They schedule things like Family Game Night as a reward for everyone getting their tasks done.
If you’re going to go into a partnership, you need to first have an exit strategy. Keep your partnership to only two! More than that causes problems. Especially if you are partnering with moms, keep in mind you are also partnering with their husbands.
Go into a partnership with a contract that has been reviewed by attorneys on both sides.
If someone is unhappy that you’ve gone into business with someone else, or if they are jealous of the jobs you are getting, that’s a big sign that you don’t need that negativity in your life. Surround yourself with people that are thrilled for you and are happy with your success. You determine how people treat you. You have to take responsibility for that.
@AngEngland shares a quote she heard: “never compare your insides to someone else’s outsides.”
Best investments in gaining opportunties:
- Meet other bloggers/agencies/brands in person
- Go to blog conferences (to meet people in person)
- Create a “tribe” of 3-5 people that are working in blogging/social media and have similar amounts of experience as you have. Find people who are in the same place in life as you are, but it’s great to have different interests. You gotta love the person, but also gather a writer, a photographer, a coder, etc (different interests).
18 Ways to Make Money from Your Blog (from Laurie Turk, @TipJunkie)
- EBook
- Traffic ~ google adsense/ad network
- Brand Campaigns
- Sell a Product
- Consulting
- Endorsements
- Licensing designs
- Giveaways
- Ad network
- Tribe collaborations {with other bloggers}
- Facebook amplification
- Sponsor posts
- Affiliate links
- Conference sponsorships
- Hosting live events
- Re-selling product ~ Amazon.com
- Newsletter sponsors
Allison @AzTalamantez is going to talk about Media Kits and PR now.
Allison is not a big fan of blogger media kits. Most bloggers are making income by engaging with brands.
How do you stand out from the crowd?
– Know Thy Self
- Who are you online & offline? And who is your audience? Offline is VERY important. Combining online and offline is a seamless way is the key to success.
- What do you have to offer a brand? What do you do that is special
- Where will your sponsored content live? Your need to be honest and upfront about this.
- Why are you worth the investment?
- How often are your readers open to sponsored content?
– Watch, Listen & Learn
- Who is on your brand wish list and why? Make a list of 25 people you want to work with.
- What are they currently doing in social media? If they are already working with bloggers, email them and ask to work with them.
- What are they NOT currently doing in social media? Contact them and tell them how you can work with them.
– 5 Successful Pitch Strategies
- Brevity is welcome in email. Close with the Q, “If you aren’t the right person to contact, who is?” If you are brief and you are clear, you are much more likely to get a response.
- Media kits are useful. Phone calls are better.
- Switch it up: Email-Phone-Email (one every three days) If you need an email, google “[company name] press release” and get a contact off the press release. Follow marketing/pr folk online.
- Start a pitch calendar. You have to be thinking a full quarter or two ahead. Companies are working on New Year’s campaigns now. In January, you should be pitching for Mother’s Day.
- Figure out how to be a brand’s hero. Figure out what brands need and how you can help them attain that.
- Never bet against yourself. Know your value. Know you can’t give yourself a raise from $0.
– Plan and Strategize
- Know who you want to be when you grow up.
- Have idea starters.
- Make a pitch calendar.
- Ask questions and build relationships.
If a company responds that they don’t have a budget, ask if you can chat with them for 10-15 minutes about how you might work with them in the future.
When you are small, you are much better off working with small, local businesses to start with. Those businesses can make decisions and write a check much faster than a large corporation.
This session is being blogged to you live by Fawn Rechkemmer, who blogs at Instead of the Dishes. Special thanks to Petit Jean Meats for sponsoring Fawn’s attendance at Bloggy Boot Camp. Did you know you can heat a Petit Jean ham in your dish washer? That’ll free up some oven space at Thanksgiving!
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