From Blog to Business by Jen Motley

FROM BLOG

TO BUSINESS written by

ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

GLAD YOU’RE READING We are thrilled you downloaded From Blog to Business. We are confident our e-book full of practical tips will create a noticeable difference in the way you run your blog as a business and how you approach revenue generating possibilities. Please pass along the link to this FREE e-book to all of your friends - our goal is to help as many bloggers achieve their dreams as possible! The reason we decided to write From Blog to Business is because we know there is a way for every single blogger to earn an income if that is your goal. Although this may sound simplistic, making money on your blog must be one of your blogging goals in order to have objectives to achieve. Otherwise, the remainder of this book will be a jumble of meaningless words, senseless graphs, and purposeless samples.

“Let’s get it started in here” BLACK EYED PEAS

Here’s some inspiration for you: As successful web entrepreneurs we have worked intimately with leading brands and innovative PR teams, are sought out as consultants, are frequent speakers, and earn revenue for our respective sites through paid advertising, spokesperson and brand ambassador jobs, and devise and facilitate custom digital campaigns for brands. If we can do it, so can you. Let’s get started!

- Esther & Jennifer page

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Esther Crawford is a mom to a toddler and the editor behind She Posts – the first news site for the mom blogging space. After video blogging her 70lb weight loss journey with Weight Watchers in 2006 she became an online spokeswoman and content creator for the company. In 2007 she was chosen as an official video blogger for YouTube’s community and attended the CNN/YouTube presidential debates, which led to a series of political commentary pieces on FOX News. In 2009 she codirected the social media initiatives for Kmart’s design related webisodes. On various projects she has coordinated primary research, targeted paid placements, in-person events, blogger outreach and helped companies think through new policies and procedures for online interaction.

Esther Crawford sheposts.com

She has been featured on AdWeek, CNET, AOL, and FOX News. She holds a MA in International Relations, loves traveling off the beaten path, and blogs on her personal site FaintStarLite.com about parenting, adoption, health and fitness.

@sheposts

Jennifer James is a mom of two and the founder of the Mom Bloggers Club, one of the largest social networks for mom bloggers at over 10,000 registered members. She is also the founder of other niche social networks for moms from gamer moms to moms who vlog. The Mom Bloggers Club has been featured on AOL, CNN.com, BrandWeek, NPR, and was included in Nielsen Online’s Spring 2009 Power Moms 50 List. Jennifer consistently works on implementing successful digital campaigns bringing together Mom Bloggers Club members and leading brands. Jennifer has been creating niche sites for moms since 2003, started blogging in 2004, and entered the world of social networking in 2007. In addition to blogging at jjamesonline.com and running the Mom Bloggers Club, Jennifer also serves as a new media strategist to individuals, small companies and large brands. page

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Jennifer James

mombloggersclub.com @mombloggersclub

ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS

3. GETTING STARTED

4. SELLING YOURSELF

DEVELOPING A MEDIA KIT

MEDIA KIT SAMPLE

5. MONETIZING YOUR BLOG

6. MONETIZING YOUR VIDEOS

7. OFFLINE OPTIONS

8. KNOWING YOUR WORTH

IAB AD UNIT GUIDELINES

GENERAL GUIDE TO COMPENSATION

AD RATE SHEET SAMPLE

9. CRAFTING YOUR PITCH

FINDING COMPANIES TO PITCH

CAMPAIGN PITCH SAMPLE

10. SETTING YOUR PRICES

SAMPLE BLOGGER RATES

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

11. GENERATING REPORTS QUALITATIVE VS. QUANTITATIVE DATA

REPORT SAMPLE

12. PROTECTING YOURSELF

SIMPLE CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT SAMPLE

FORMAL CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT SAMPLE

INVOICE SAMPLE

CONFERENCE SPONSORSHIP CONTRACT SAMPLE

13. INVOICING CLIENTS

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40 41

14. TYPICAL WORKFLOW

WORK FLOW CHART

15. DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE

16. CLOSING THOUGHTS

17. CONNECT WITH US

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

GETTING STARTED This is a fantastic time to be a blogger. The digital space is expanding so rapidly that there are opportunities at every turn. If you aspire to flip your blog into a business there is no better time than now to do it. Why? Brands are clamoring to work with influential bloggers and digital influencers like never before and they are racing to get to popular bloggers before their competitors. Brands are hiring bloggers to write original content for their brand sites and campaign micro-sites. They are tapping bloggers to be the face of campaigns and new product lines. Brands are also hiring bloggers as consultants and navigators of their social media strategy, hiring teams of bloggers to be ambassadors and street team enthusiasts, and are partnering with bloggers on custom sponsorship opportunities from advertising to whole site sponsorships. Before you think about turning your blog into a business you must make sure you have an audience for brands to tap into. Brands are all the same: They go where eyeballs and influence live. That means, either you need sustained traffic to turn your blog into a business or you need to exhibit influence in order for brands to court you for business opportunities, whether that is through advertising options or some other paid job such as a spokesperson or brand ambassador role.

1. SUSTAINED TRAFFIC AND NICHE COMMUNITIES One of the easiest ways to create a recognized blog is by narrowing its focus into a niche. Not only does niche blogging help you focus your content, it also helps brands better connect with you. Instead of having a hodgepodge blog where content varies, focus your content in specific topic areas. For example, your niche may be green and eco blogging, gaming, parenting, sports, fashion, or fitness. Niche blogging entices readers to continue coming back to your blog for specific content. The more you blog in your niche and engage in social media, your traffic numbers will gradually rise and you will become more recognized in your field thereby raising your influence meter. Becoming noted in your niche, whether your blog has phenomenal traffic or you are extremely influential, or both, affords you the promising opportunity to work with brands. Brands generally prefer working with bloggers who have core readers that rely on you for specific content. If you have an exceptional parenting blog with an engaged audience, for example, brands that focus on your demographic will be more apt to choose you for advertising campaigns or other paid opportunities because you focused your blog into a niche that they can relate to and can envision will produce measurable results. Â page

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

“You have to be unique and different, and shine in your own way” LADY GAGA

2. DESIGN MATTERS You may not realize it, but brands like to work with bloggers who have put thought, effort, time and even money into their blogs’ designs. Well-designed blogs will always have a leg up on the competition when vying for advertising dollars and paid opportunities. We cannot stress enough to you how crucial it is to break away from the norm and establish your blog’s own look. It is often extremely easy to use a blog template and think that will be enough. But until you put some oomph into your blog’s design it will blend into the sea of other bloggers who use templates. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but in order to really stand out from the crowd, make sure to hire a professional to design your blog. Surprisingly, blog designs are not very expensive. In fact, freelance designers generally work at reduced rates to fill their portfolio and build their client base. Ask around and find a designer whose work you admire. Always remember, you won’t be able to really turn your blog into a business until you first put your best face forward with a professional blog design that appeals to your readers’ eyes and loads quickly.

3. PROFESSIONAL CLUES Did you know brands look down upon bloggers who do not have their own URL? It’s true! It’s a subtle clue to them that you are not taking your blog seriously. Brands depend on working with bloggers who have a sense of professionalism and seriousness about their work. Once brands or PR professionals land on your blog make sure they get a true sense of who you are with your own domain name.

image: flickr.com/photos/fontplaydotcom/506815640

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

There are several places where you can purchase your own domain. All blog platforms from Wordpress to Blogger to Typepad make it extremely easy for you to create your own unique URL and attach it to your blog. Make sure to check out the paid options on the blog platform you use for more information. Domain names are also very inexpensive. Expect not to pay any more than $15.99 per year. Additionally when choosing your domain name ensure that it is the same as your blog’s name. Make it easy for PR professionals and brands by keeping your brand consistent. That is, if your domain name is www.bloggerxyz.com, the name of your blog should be “Blogger XYZ”, not something entirely different like “Blogging in Florida”. While this example may seem a little extreme, it is useful in making the point that brand consistency is crucial. And the last point about professional cues is all about your contact and about pages. Make sure to have one of both. Brands and those who represent them will never be able to contact you if you do not make your contact information and your bio easily accessible. Avoid making people hunt on your sidebars for your email address or dig in your links to find out more about you. Make it easy and provide a page detailing the best way people can get in touch with you and learn all about you as a blogger.

“I recommend biting off more than you can chew, I certainly do” ALANIS MORISSETTE

image: flickr.com/photos/pshan427/1358194906 page

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

SELLING YOURSELF

For many bloggers the idea of becoming a salesperson - who sells yourself - is a very scary proposition. And while it may sound uncomfortable, it truly is a necessary requirement when turning your blog into a viable business. If you’ve got a great site with an audience that’s plugged in but aren’t making money then all you’re missing is a good salesperson. Bloggers who have managed to create mini-media empires all have one thing in common: they can sell. Making a full-time living wage from blogging doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, only a small number of bloggers have put in the time, effort and creativity that it takes to become a successful business. While luck may get you traffic - a sustainable business model requires more than any one specific event will generate. It takes a commitment to consistently pound the pavement and a willingness to be rejected over and over. It might be helpful to think of all potential income as falling into one of two categories: ACTIVE INCOME and PASSIVE INCOME. Active income streams generally pay a lot more but that’s because they require more work such as selling, and then upselling. Getting paid in cash instead of products, experiences or trips takes an entirely different mindset. In fact, once you consider your site a business it’s likely you’ll find it’s necessary to turn down a lot of fun requests that take up time but don’t PASSIVE INCOME

ACTIVE INCOME

AD NETWORKS

SITE SPONSORSHIPS

MONETIZATION WIDGETS

DIRECT AD SALES

AFFILIATE LINKS

SPONSORED POSTS

GIVEAWAYS

SPOKESPERSON ROLES

PRODUCT REVIEWS

EVENT SPONSORSHIPS

BRAND EVENTS + AMBASSADOR ROLES

MERCHANDISE SALES

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Things you’ll need, or need to develop: ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

logo consistent messaging marketing plan accounting skills

generate a profit. Passive income: sales that are generally set up and/or run by a third party who gets a significant cut of the revenue. They’re easier to set up but have a lower rate of return Active income: requires a more personalized sell. They’re administered by the blogger or the blogger’s representative.

ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

A media kit is necessary for bloggers building a business. It’s a snapshot of your site’s story and provides statistics so potential advertisers can see if your audience is the right match. Remember that your media kit is a pre-screening tool for companies, so make sure it’s easy to understand and is put together well. Bloggers often complain that the same people are chosen to work with brands, but if you’re not providing information that PR and marketing representatives need - you’ll be overlooked. This is a chance to showcase why they should work with YOU. One word of caution: be concise. Creating a 20-page media kit is unnecessary unless you’re a large organization or are running several sites that work in conjunction with each other.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your media kit stand out: ๏ A consistent look. Make sure your branding is uniform across all of your platforms - from your site to your business cards to your media kit. ๏ A section describing the site + your niche. ๏ Introduction to you. ๏ Editorial calendar (if available). ๏ Audience information (if available). ๏ Advertising sizes and options. ๏ Rates and any applicable guidelines. ๏ Contact information. ๏ Payment information. ๏ Screenshots of work or sample mock-ups. (not required, but helpful) METRICS: Be honest - do not inflate your numbers. Do include: ๏ Site statistics: unique visitors, page views, feed subscribers ๏ Social statistics: Facebook fans, YouTube subscribers, Twitter followers ๏ More options: Alexa ranking, Google Page Rank, Technorati rank, and any notable site awards or media mentions

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

SAMPLE:MEDIA KIT page 1 LIZZIE

BERMUDEZ ELEVATOR PITCH - WHAT MAKES YOUR SITE UNIQUE Consectetuer arcu ipsum ornare pellentesque vehicula, in vehicula diam, ornare magna erat felis wisi a risus. Justo fermentum id. Malesuada eleifend, tortor molestie, a fusce a vel et. Mauris at suspendisse, neque aliquam faucibus adipiscing, vivamus in. Wisi mattis leo suscipit nec amet, nisl fermentum tempor ac a, augue in eleifend in venenatis, cras sit id in vestibulum felis.

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR AUDIENCE

Award-winning former TV news anchor who spent 15+ years reporting from San Francisco, California

• Ages 25 - 45

• Attended College XX%

• Married Women XX%

• Children In Household XX%

• Average Income $XXX+

INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR REACH IN SOCIAL MEDIA • XXX Twitter followers • XXX Facebook fans

Website: lizziebtv.com

• XXX YouTube subscribers

Twitter: @lizziebtv

EDITORIAL CALENDAR

Email: lizzie@lizziebtv.com Delivering “views of a real mom” through web videos, blog posts, tweets, and more...

WEEKDAYS

WEEKENDS

SPECIAL

Mondays: Recipe

Saturdays: Video tip

Mother’s Day

Wednesday: Photo

Seasonal

Friday: Current events

Conference

PAYMENT OPTIONS Consectetuer arcu ipsum ornare pellenvehicula, in vehicula diam, ornare magna erat felis wisi a risus. Justo fermentum id. Malesuada eleifend, tortor molestie, a fusce a vel et. Mauris at suspendisse, neque aliquam faucibus adipiscing, vivamus in. Wisi mattis leo suscipit nec amet, nisl fermentum tempor ac a, augue in eleifend in venenatis, cras sit id in vestibulum felis.

AS SEEN ON:

ADVERTISING / GIVEAWAY POLICIES WHAT OTHERS SAY “Working with Lizzie was such a pleasure - by advertising on her site I am now complete.”

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Consectetuer arcu ipsum ornare pellentesque vehicula, in vehicula diam, ornare magna erat felis wisi a risus. Justo fermentum id. Malesuada eleifend, tortor molestie, a fusce a vel et. Mauris at suspendisse, neque aliquam faucibus adipisc-

tesque

SITE TRAFFIC Monthly page views

XXX

ad impressions

XXX

unique visitors

XXX

rss feed readers

XXX

average time on site

XXX

Alexa ranking

XXX

ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

SAMPLE:MEDIA KIT page 2 LIZZIE

LEADERBOARD 728 X 90

BERMUDEZ

Award-winning former TV news anchor who spent 15+ years reporting from San Francisco, California

MEDIA KIT #2

MEDIUM RECTANGLE 300 X 250

Website: lizziebtv.com #1 #2 160 X 600 160 X 600

Twitter: @lizziebtv Email: lizzie@lizziebtv.com Delivering “views of a real mom” through web videos, blog posts, tweets, and more...

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AD UNIT

MONTHLY PRICE

3 MONTH PRICE

LEADERBOARD 728 X 90

$XX

MEDIUM RECTANGLE 300 X 250

$XX

WIDE SKYSCRAPER #1 160 X 600

$XX

WIDE SKYSCRAPER #2 160 X 600

$XX

RSS FEED 120 X 60

$XX

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

MONETIZING YOUR BLOG There are literally dozens of options for making money through a website - some are tried and true, while others are just being developed. The key is to make sure everything you do fits within the voice of the site. If you’re a craft blogger it probably won’t make sense for you to try and sell yoga mats through a storefront shop, however, if you’re a fitness blogger it’s likely your audience will be interested in buying the yoga mats you’re using. The following chart gives you a quick glance at the most popular forms of monetization: 1. AD BANNERS (PPC + CPC)*: Advertisers only pay bloggers based on the number of clicks on the ad. Ads displayed are related to keywords on the site, so a photography site is likely to generate ads for cameras or lenses while a mommyblogger will generate ads for baby products. The three biggest providers for PPC ads are Google AdWords, Yahoo! Search Marketing and Microsoft adCenter - all of whom operate under a bid-based system that allows advertisers to bid on keywords, making some keywords more competitive and expensive than others. Another option is Chitika, which checks to see where the visitor came from to help provide a more relevant ad. *PPC = Pay Per Click; CPC: Cost Per Click

2. AD BANNERS (CPM)*: Advertisers pay per thousand views in this model. Rather than requiring clickthroughs on the ad, the blogger is paid simply for hosting the banner - typically at a fairly low CPM such as $.50 - $3 per thousand impressions. Popular networks that use CPMs are BlogHer, Glam, BuzzLogic, and Federated Media. This method requires a high number of pageviews in order to make much money. As an example, if the CPM is $1 per 1,000 impressions and the number of impressions is 100,000 the total made for that ad would be $100. *CPM = Cost Per Mille [Latin for thousand] 3. AD BANNERS (DIRECT SALE): Bloggers who choose to sell their ads directly can either: 1) use a service such as BlogAds to help facilitate the transaction (in exchange for losing a percentage of the sale); 2) hope advertisers stumble upon the site; or 3) pitch potential advertisers. By selling ads directly bloggers are typically able to make more profit, but it takes more sweat. Direct ad buys are often bundled with other offers such as a sponsored post or as part of a larger campaign. One challenge is there are no hard and fast rules about what to charge.

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

4. AFFILIATE LINKS: Many popular bloggers choose affiliate links, particularly if they are a trusted source of information on a particular topic. It’s essentially a commission-based model where the blogger sells products or services on behalf of a merchant, who then gives the blogger a cut of the total sale. The ultimate goal in affiliate marketing is to use your site as a launching pad to take readers to another site where they will purchase said product or service, like through Amazon’s affiliate program. One reason marketers like this approach is because it doesn’t cost them any money upfront - they only pay when someone else completes a sale. 5. WIDGETS: Monetization widgets have increased in popularity and continue to try and provide more engagement and interactivity through polls and videos. One example is Juice Box Jungle which pays based on page impressions and the size of the widget. 6. TEXT LINK ADS: Text link ads are typically purchased for a month at a time and at a flat rate depending on traffic, topics, ad position and link popularity. The goal of the static html link is to drive targeted traffic to another site and to increase the search engine optimization (SEO) for the advertiser. There are services such as text-link-ads.org where bloggers and advertisers can connect, or they can be sold directly. However, not all search engines like text link ads and your ranking could be penalized. Make sure to read Google’s policy on paid links before deciding to sell them - it may change your mind. 7. SPONSORED CONTENT: Sponsored content can come in a variety of forms - an entire series related to a topic or event, a specific part of your site, or one particular post. It also looks different based on who is hosting it - sometimes it is written up as an advertorial while other times it’s more organically woven into the site. The key to sponsored content is making sure it’s clearly disclosed. Simply having a blanket statement of disclosure such as “this site accepts sponsored content” is not good enough, especially since the FTC revised their Endorsement Guides for bloggers.

“I wanna be on the cover of Forbes magazine - smiling next to Oprah and the Queen” TRAVIE MCCOY

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

8. GIVEAWAYS: Not all bloggers charge for hosting giveaways but it can be a steady source of revenue for sites where product giveaways mesh with the content. The host is often in charge of using a service like random.org to choose a winner. That information is then forwarded on to the company who takes care of shipping the item. Some bloggers also require the company provide an extra product they are able to keep as well.

9. STORES: A new wave of storefronts seems to be hitting the blogosphere thanks in large part to OpenSky, a new company that has created an easy-to-use solution for those wishing to make a profit on product sales. OpenSky connects people with existing relationships, they call them Influencers (sellers), to people who make products, they call them Innovators (suppliers). The transaction occurs in a cart that doesn’t take users away from the site where the content about the product and relationship originated. OpenSky deals with the sourcing, delivery, customer service and payments. There’s a 365 day return policy and the profits are split 50/50 with the blogger. 10. MERCHANDISE: Depending on your niche or size it may make sense to sell merchandise, either through a site like Etsy if you have handmade products or through a site like Zazzle or CafePress if you have an audience interested in buying memorabilia.

11. E-BOOKS You no longer need an agent or a publisher to write a book that sells. What you do need is something compelling to say and a fan base or topic that’s large enough to make the effort worthwhile. In certain niches e-books are all the rage and have provided a lucrative source of income for bloggers who crank them out at regular intervals. A good example is Chris Guillebeau who has produced a series of ‘unconventional guides’ that range from $39 to $297.

“Working 9 to 5 what a way to make a living, barely getting by it’s all taking and no giving” DOLLY PARTON

image: flickr.com/photos/pshan427/1358194906 page

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

MONETIZING YOUR VIDEOS Making money from your videos is not much different than monetizing your blog and although there are currently fewer options, the growth of long and short format videos continues to explode. Presently there are a few mainstream ways to turn a profit including: 1) participation in a revenue sharing program like the YouTube Partner Program; 2) creating content that can be syndicated to video portals; 3) making videos for a company directly; 4) campaigns that generally involve product placements; or 5) advertisements. For many, gaining entry into the YouTube Partner Program has proven elusive in large part because Google has chosen to remain tight-lipped regarding the specific criteria, largely because accounts are added on a case-by-case basis.

Tips for getting into the Partner Program: ๏

๏ ๏

Only people who create original content can apply. You must own the rights to everything you upload - music, events, etc. A common mistake is uploading content that has copyrighted music in the background or includes footage from sporting events, TV shows, or concerts. They're looking for video bloggers with an established community, meaning that every video uploaded gets views. (It seems at least 500 - 1,000 views a video is required.) There is no magical threshold of 100 subscribers or 1,000 subscribers but they do want to see steady subscription growth.

REMEMBER: Persistence pays off!

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Once you're an approved YouTube Partner you are eligible to begin making money by monetizing your videos. There are several ways to do this:

1. OPT-IN TO ADVERTISING: You'll notice on YouTube videos that two kinds of ads exist: banner ads and Google AdSense ads.

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๏

BANNER ADS: Are sold directly by YouTube staff. They are attached to videos based on category, video vertical (as determined by metadata) and custom packs. Example below:

๏

GOOGLE ADSENSE: Served based on video metadata - meaning all the text you include (title, description + tags). Example below:

๏

CUSTOM PACKS: YouTube's staff also sells custom advertising packs and hand-selects Partners whose demographics align best with the individual advertiser. The CPM is much higher if you are selected for a custom pack.

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

2. CUSTOM CONTENT CREATION + PAID PLACEMENT: If you have significant traffic and are on YouTube's radar you may be selected to create content specifically for a campaign. An example is when Carl's Jr. commissioned video blogger Ryan Higa to make this video.

3. YOUTUBE VIDEO RENTALS: YouTube allows Partners to now let viewers rent their videos. The rental program is only a few months old but has the potential to make video bloggers a lot of money. Keep in mind that YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world and all rentals are searchable. Since most bloggers aren't going to switch to making feature films successful rental videos are likely to be tutorial in nature (a video version of an e-book) or paid access to special footage. The minimum purchase is $.99 for 24 hours of access to the streaming video content but can be customized beyond that base rate. For example, a blogger hosting a conference could charge $19.99 and allow for 7 days of streaming so that bloggers who didn't make it to the event could still watch the sessions.

4. VIDEO TARGETING TOOL: A little-known secret.... you can actually sell advertising on your own videos. If you have a relationship with a company you can have them serve a preroll on all of your videos or choose just a specific video through YouTube's beta targeting tool.

REVENUE-SHARING ISN’T THE ONLY OPTION If you are not approved into YouTube’s Partner Program, or don’t want to be, you can still generate an income by creating content that gets sponsored directly through your site. When creating your own package it can also include other items such as banner advertisements or giveaways. You could sell an individual video or an entire series, such as last summer's partnership between 5MinutesForMom.com and Kmart, as seen here. One last option is to sell advertising space around your video, as shown on the right at SheKnows.com. And never forget the most important rule - making money is only possible if you are consistently creating good video content. page

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

OFFLINE OPTIONS While earning money through the aforementioned monetization models is the norm, there are other off-site opportunities that can actually earn you more money. •

BRAND AMBASSADORS: 2010 definitely saw the rise of the brand ambassador. And we’ve seen the term means different things to different people. In our estimation, brand ambassadors are hired to work with brands for a short-term stint such as for a specific campaign or a designated period of time like six months or a year. Brand ambassadors are compensated for their time and generally pen blog posts on behalf of a brand whether they are centered around creative content or product information, and also funnel brand information through their individual social networks. Brand ambassadors are generally featured on the brand’s site or microsite and highlighted in press materials. Some brand ambassadors also take on limited media responsibilities such as giving interviews to traditional press and fellow bloggers.

•

CONSULTANTS: If you find yourself in the enviable position of consulting with brands, you have a greater voice in designing and targeting campaigns rather than being on the receiving end of campaigns as a product reviewer or event attendee. Brands generally work with savvy bloggers who have shown they understand the complicated digital space and have some marketing savvy to boot. This does not mean you must have a degree in marketing, it only means you need to understand how campaigns work and how brands bring messages to potential consumers.

As a consultant you can expect to be compensated very well. And if the consultation is occurring at a company HQ or PR firm away from where you live, brands will also pay for your flight, hotel, car service and sometimes meals. This is simply how business is done, so if you are approached to be a consultant for a brand, make sure you are compensated and all travel costs are taken care of.

•

SPOKESPEOPLE: Surely you have seen more bloggers getting spokesperson jobs and it’s a great thing to see. Being a spokesperson, however, may not be for everyone. In addition to being the face of a campaign or brand for a certain amount of time, you also have to represent the brand in the press. That means radio, TV, blog, and satellite interviews are the norm. If you are shy, this may not be the best paid gig for you. And if you are not 100% in love with a brand you may come off as seeming inauthentic especially with all of the interviews you will have to give.

As a spokesperson you can expect to also be paid very well for your services. All travel costs related to your spokesperson duties are also covered by the brand.

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•

BRAND EVENTS: Increasingly influential bloggers are being compensated to attend brand events. It’s not unlike celebrities who are paid to make an appearance at a launch event or industry party. As bloggers become influencers who move the dial, brands seek to provide monetary incentives for key bloggers to attend their event. However, some bloggers staunchly believe brand events are a part of the business of blogging and do not accept compensation to attend junkets save travel expenses if the event is held out of town, or car service if the event is being held in town.

“You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one” JOHN LENNON

•

On the flip side, some bloggers work closely with brands and PR firms to help determine the perfect guest list for a brand event and are compensated for their expertise. Many brands understand the need for a cohesive and amicable group of bloggers when throwing events and will often rely on trustworthy bloggers for the inside story on who should be invited, who should be left off guest lists, and bloggers who do not like one another.

EVENT CORRESPONDENTS: In the past few years iconic annual events such as the Emmy Awards, Oscars, Grammy’s, E3, Comic Con and others have broadened coverage of their events in the digital space by leveraging online influencers. This has opened up compensated opportunities for niche bloggers whose audience falls in line with these events’ core demographics. Bloggers have found themselves on the red carpet hobnobbing with celebrities and getting the royal treatment from brands who are thrilled to allow influential bloggers to represent them and share their experience with their throngs of readers and followers. As an event correspondent you can expect compensation and travel expenses paid on behalf of the brand. Brands may also provide a per diem.

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CONFERENCE SPONSORSHIPS: Conference sponsorships are typically 1:1 propositions. That is, most conference sponsorships will not net you money apart from what it costs to attend the conference. Most full and partial conference sponsorships only cover flight, hotel and conference registration leaving all incidental cash up to you. Sometimes, however, brands are generous and provide extra cash for a blogger to use at a conference. Garnering a conference sponsorship will typically pay your conference fees in part of in full.

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SPEAKING: Once you have attained a relative level of expertise in your blogging niche you can share what you know with peers, brands, and industry leaders by speaking on conference panels or giving presentations at private meetings. Depending on your level of experience and expertise you may or may not be compensated for speaking at a conference depending on your arrangement with the event coordinators. The goal is to be compensated each time you speak because your time and preparation are worth more than nothing. As a speaker you can expect compensation or free conference registration, hotel and/or flight.

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FREELANCE WRITING: At some point in your blogging career you may be approached to pen original content for a larger site. When this happens you must understand your rights as a writer. Make sure to thoroughly read your contract. Understand your rights at the start so you will not be surprised if you read your work on another unrelated site or in a book. Some publishers place syndication rights in their contracts. In cases such as this, you should demand more for your work or suggest a re-writing of the syndication clause.

As a freelance writer you can expect compensation, although it varies. Large media sites with tons of blogs are moving to pay bloggers little to nothing for articles. Still there are other media outlets that pay a fair wage for writing, although it is not nearly the rate of print articles.

“It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine” REM

All of these off-blog opportunities are stepping stones to creating a steady flow of income. Make sure, however, that you diligently keep up with all the income you earn for tax purposes next year.

image: flickr.com/photos/fontplaydotcom/506702218/ page

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KNOWING YOUR WORTH Personal brands need to be consistent, nurtured, coddled, and kept safe. It’s how brands differentiate you from another blogger whose blog may be eerily similar to yours. Think of the products you love most and think about how they approach branding. No matter where you are in the world or where you see Coke products, for example, Coke will always be Coke. They never waver from their branding and their messaging. Take cues from some of the largest brands in the world and whittle it down to your size. Make sure your brand is consistent across all platforms. That is, make sure your blog name and logo are the same on your blog, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Also, make sure your persona is the same across all platforms. Do not act differently on Twitter than you are on your blog. In doing that, your brand automatically becomes inconsistent and your authenticity wavers. In other words, be and look the same across the web and that even means when you meet people in person. When your personal brand is solid then you can demand more for your services, advertising, consulting, and spokesperson jobs. A consistent brand is easy to follow and more believable. TAKING A HOLD OF YOUR WORTH Never allow brands to determine your worth. Take the reins and determine it yourself! This is crucial. Sometimes knowing your worth means taking risks. If a brand asks you how much you charge to be a brand ambassador and all parameters of a campaign have been described quote a rate based on what you can deliver and how much you feel your time, talent, and expertise are worth. Most times brands will accept your rate, but sometimes they may counter and ask for another rate or pass altogether. At that point, you can either also pass on the opportunity or negotiate another rate. In order to be successful, you have to be willing to walk away from partnership opportunities that do not pay enough or aren’t the right fit. Do not take all jobs just because you can. Err on the side of selectivity.

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STANDARD AD SIZES: When selling direct advertising on your site it’s important to not reinvent the wheel. It’s easier for both you and brands if you simply use standard ad sizes, a decision you’ll need to make when your site is designed.

Leaderboard 728 x 90

Medium Rectangle 300 x 250

Rectangle 180 x 150

Button #2 120 x 60 Micro Bar 88 x 31

Wide Skyscraper 160 x 600

Half Page Ad 300 x 600

MEDIUM RECTANGLE

300 X 250

RECTANGLE

180 X 150

LEADERBOARD

728 X 90

WIDE SKYSCRAPER

160 X 600

HALF PAGE AD

300 X 600

BUTTON #2

120 X 60

MICRO BAR

88 X 31

*ads not to scale

The IAB Ad Units are updated annually to reflect changes in the industry and include units that make up at least 5% of the market’s impressions and are being served up by a large number of trusted publishers and networks. Creating a system of standard ad units helps companies, agencies and bloggers - it also means that bloggers should be careful when considering and pricing non-traditional ad sizes. The four bolded units in the box above make up the Universal Ad Package (UAP), created by the IAB in 2002 to assist in the packaging of online media campaigns. One notable size that’s missing is the 125 x 125 button - while it’s a favorite for badges it’s still not recognized as a a standard ad unit. page

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Many bloggers undervalue their platform and/or are confused by what constitutes ‘paid’ or ‘unpaid’ work. What’s most important is that you are satisfied with the amount and type of payment received, whether it’s in the form of cupcakes or in the form of cash.

General guide to compensation: CASH

PRODUCT REVIEW GIVEAWAY

MAYBE

BRAND EVENT BRAND AMBASSADOR

MAYBE

WRITING / VIDEO / CONTENT CREATION

Sponsored Post

1 month

$ XXX

Giveaway

2 products: 1 to review $ XXX and keep & 1 to giveaway; $50 per giveaway post

$ XXX

Site Sponsorship: Leaderboard, Medium 1 month Rectangle, 2 Wide Skyscrapers, RSS Feed + 1 Sponsored Post

$ XXX

Consulting and/or Blogger Outreach

$ XXX

1 hour

$ XXX

All packages can be tailored specifically to meet your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs. Feel free to reach me on my phone (212) 555-1234 or by email email@yourname.com to answer any questions.

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CRAFTING YOUR PITCH Every pitch should answer the question, “Why you?” Make sure you know precisely what your hook is - you need a fast and efficient way of describing your site, audience, and the service you provide. Think of your pitch as the one opportunity to showcase how working with you benefits their company. Everything should be framed in relation to what they need. Here’s the secret to pitching: It’s not about you, it’s about them. Offer case studies and samples of how you’ve worked with other companies and what it did for them. If you aren’t keeping track of your metrics or asking for campaign results such as sales generated from campaigns you’ve participated in - start today. FINDING COMPANIES TO PITCH The goal is ultimately to connect with companies who are likely to be receptive to your pitch - whether it’s just a simple advertisement or an entire campaign.

Basic tips for pitching: ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏

Tailor the pitch to the company. Attractive + simple design. Solve their need. Stay concise. Know your hook. Use visuals and screenshots. Proofread what you’re sending. Nothing is worse than a pitch with a ton of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. ๏ Be ready to answer their questions. REMEMBER: Make sure you’re sending pitches to decision makers. Don’t be afraid to ask who that is and to ask if they’re open to your pitch first. It’s better to get the ‘no thanks’ early on. page

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Ideas to help you find the right match: 1.If you have any prior relationships with companies, now’s the time to connect! 2.Go through your inbox and create a contact list of all the brands and PR companies who have sent you pitches - if they’ve pitched you, you are free to pitch them. 3.Look at similar blogs reaching the same demographic. Note who their sponsors and advertisers are and consider them. 4.Search for keywords related to your blog in search engines such as Google, then look under the ‘sponsored’ links. Those are companies who you should build relationships with. 5.Ask friends and other bloggers in your niche for help. It’s very possible they will forward your name on or remember you when companies approach them for opportunities that involve multiple bloggers. 6.Notice the Facebook ads that target you or your fan page? Those are possible advertisers too. 7.Connect in person at conferences and events. There’s a lot of value in meeting brand representatives face-to-face. 8.Go local. There are plenty of small businesses that would love to advertise online but are often intimidated and unsure where to start. If you’re a food blogger, approach local bakeries or restaurants who would be a natural fit on your site. Use the opportunity to create original and valuable content like going behind-thescenes and showcasing an unusual decorating style or recipe.

image: flickr.com/photos/fornal/424716302/ page

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SAMPLE:CAMPAIGN PITCH page 1

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SAMPLE:CAMPAIGN PITCH page 2

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SETTING YOUR PRICES For those of you who may be looking for exact rates to simply plug into your media kit, these tips will not help you only because there are so many factors to weigh first before coming up with precise ad rates such as your monthly page views, unique visitors, reader loyalty, your popularity in your niche, and ultimately how much you want to earn. We are providing hypothetical examples for blog rates. From here you can find the precise rates that work best for you. SELLING ADVERTISING: Unless you have a ton of traffic -- well over 100,000 page views per month -you should be selling your advertising packages in flat rates as opposed to CPM rates. In fact, most small to medium-sized businesses don’t know what a CPM is and it takes too long to explain it and almost all large brands exclusively go through ad networks to advertise. So, as a general rule, be sure to sell your space based on flat weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly rates. TALKING NUMBERS: In order to sell advertising you need to know what your blog has to offer. ๏ What is your blog's best selling point? ๏ Do you have a steady flow of traffic? ๏ Do you have a stellar number of repeat visitors? ๏ Do you have over 100,000 page views per month? ๏ Is your blog a leader in its genre? Before you can come up with rates you need to be able to prove to advertisers why they should buy ad space from you. COMING UP WITH RATES: As strange as it is there is no industry rate card for bloggers. It would be nice, but in all honesty ad rates are so blog-specific that what might work for your blog will be completely wrong for another.

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That said, though, let’s take three hypothetical bloggers and look at their numbers.

Blogger A • 500 unique visitors each month (16 visitors a day/1,100 page views month) • Up and coming blogger with growing readership • Active in social networking circles (1,500 Twitter followers, 1,000 Facebook Likes) • Blogs at least five days a week • Is clearly creating a niche blog about parenting Selling points: This blogger may have small numbers now, but she’s creating a niche blog that is picking up steam and getting linked to by other bloggers. Advertisers will probably be willing to pay small rates to establish brand awareness with her niche readers. This blogger could potentially charge $10 - $15 per month for 125 x125 banners , $15 - $20 a month for a leaderboard advertisement (728 x 90), $15 - $20 month for 160 x 600 banners, and $15 - $20 a month for 300 x 250 banners.

Blogger B • 3,500 unique visitors each month (112 visitors a day, 10,000 page views per month) • Has a loyal following of readers • Has been blogging steadily for two years • Active in social networking circles (5,500 Twitter followers, 2,500 Facebook Likes) • Blogs for two group blogs • Has a personal blog and review blog • Blogs for a major eco site Selling points: Her main selling points are she blogs for group blogs including one major eco site and she is easily recognized in green blogging circles. Although her numbers aren’t huge she is a steady blogger with a growing brand. This blogger could potentially charge $20 - $35 per month for 125 x125 banners , $25 - $50 a month for a leaderboard advertisement (728 x 90), $25 - $50 month for 160 x 600 banners, and $25 - $50 a month for 300 x 250 banners.

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Blogger C • 15,000 unique visitors each month (483 visitors a day, 45,000 page views per month) • Has a popular fashion blog • Gets invited to blogger corporate events • Has been blogging for five years • Highly recognized fashion blogger • Google PR 5 • Active in social networking circles (11,500 Twitter followers, 3,500 Facebook Likes) Selling points: Her primary selling points are she garners 45,000 page views per month and she is a popular and influential fashion blogger. This blogger could easily charge up to $100 - $150 for advertisements above the fold, that are not in rotation with other ads particularly leaderboard ads. Smaller ads can be $75 or more above or below the fold.

Consulting Rates: Hourly consulting rates vary greatly and are the most difficult to pin down. Bloggers who are also consultants typically charge between $100 - $1,000 per hour. Yes, that’s a huge range but it’s true! If you have creative and innovative ideas brands are more than willing to pay for your expertise.

WORD OF CAUTION: These are only examples of blogs and ad rates. We encourage you to put together a media kit and use trial and error to determine your individual advertising rates. If you have an up-and-coming blog chances are you have already been approached by advertisers. Determining your perfect ad rates will be difficult at first because you don’t want to scare advertisers away because your rates are too high and you don’t want to sell yourself short either. You are simply going to have to tweak your rates until they are right for your blog.

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

GENERATING REPORTS Most companies who consider purchasing advertising space or enlisting you in a campaign will want to see results in some way, shape or form. While not everyone will require you to generate a fancy report - clearly stating what you will provide in the form of statistics and metrics is very important. Whenever possible try to make yourself stand out by adding value to the companies you’re working with make their jobs easier and they’ll become repeat customers. SOURCE FOR METRICS Possibilities include: ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Google Analytics for site traffic Bit.ly: link tracking + graphs available Hootsuite: link and tweet tracking + graphs available search.twitter.com: tracking tweets and/or a hashtag Facebook: statistics available for Page owners on activity including shares, Likes and comments YouTube Insight: detailed video analysis dashboard within account settings for video owners TubeMogul: detailed video analysis across multiple video hosts SocialMention: monitor online mentions Google Alerts: monitor online mentions

What’s useful to put in a report? ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏

Overview of what you provided. Screenshots + visuals. Numbers like: impressions, click-throughs, video views, picture views Audience sentiment. Select a few comments and/or tweets to highlight. Total number of responses or entries. Number of retweets.

REMEMBER: Say thank you to companies and individuals who may have played a role in connecting you with the opportunity.

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When considering what metrics to include on your report, make sure that you’ve got a mix of quantitative and qualitative data. QUANTITATIVE

QUALITATIVE

WHAT YOU’RE PROVIDING:

- advertising space - content (posts, tweets, videos, etc.)

- access to an engaged audience

WHAT THEY’RE RECEIVING:

- click-throughs to their site - comments - video views - user-generated content - new followers on Twitter - new fans on Facebook

- customer satisfaction - product feedback - buzz

RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI):

- sales - referrals - use of coupon codes

- exposure - success stories

“The future is no place to place your better days” DAVE MATTHEWS

image: flickr.com/photos/fontplaydotcom/2395222442/ page

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SAMPLE:CAMPAIGN REPORT Campaign Report From April 1 - April 30, Brand XYZ ran a 300 x 250 ad on the front page of [MyBlog].com, which resulted in: - 50,000 impressions - 20,000 unique visitors - 500 clicks

Medium Rectangle 300 x 250

When your company was mentioned on the site it generated: - 15 comments - 10 tweets - 5 shares on Facebook - 3 likes on Facebook The giveaway produced: - 250 entries - 40 tweets

Link tracking report from Bit.ly shows clicks, referrers and location

Person A commented, “I love Brand XYZ - they have the best customer service!” Person B commented, “I’ve never tried Brand XYZ but now I’m excited because it sounds like what I need!”

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PROTECTING YOURSELF WHY USE CONTRACTS? A contract is useful for two main reasons: 1) they help clarify the project and make sure that both parties are on the same page; and 2) they provide legal proof that the arrangement was made which is important if you are ever left without payment. Obviously if all that’s at stake is $50 over a banner ad (which should be pre-paid anyways) then a contract is not necessary. However, for larger campaigns that involve hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of dollars - a contract is really a must. Many companies will provide you with a contract, although not all. If a company does provide the contract, read it over very carefully. Don’t be afraid to push back. The more money that’s at stake the more you should consider having a lawyer look it over. Spending $500 to make $5,000 is a good investment any day of the week. One sample is enclosed. It’s a potential contract for the sponsorship of a conference. WHY USE CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS? While using a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) isn’t always necessary, it can be helpful - especially when considering potential business partners or vendors. The goal is to ensure that your ideas, plans, and business information are treated as confidential information by all the parties involved. For instance, if you are considering partnering with another blogger on a project where you find it’s necessary to disclose details about your business - even though you likely trust each other - taking the time to sign confidentiality agreements can prevent frustrations down the road. By entering into a nondisclosure agreement a confidential relationship is created between the person who has a secret and the person to whom the secret is revealed. Mutual confidentiality agreements assure both parties that information will remain safe. Lawyers can write or review NDAs, although the language is fairly standard. Two samples are enclosed. The first is a very simple mutual agreement, while the second drills down using more formal contract language. page

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SAMPLE: BASIC CONTRACT SAMPLE Conference Sponsorship Contract [Your business] (hereafter called Contractor) agrees to provide the following products and/or services to [Their business] (hereafter called Client): 1. As part of the sponsorship agreement for the Blogging Conference, Contractor agrees to: a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

post an advertisement 300 x 250 for 4 weeks, beginning October 2010 create two videos about the event between October 15 - October 31, 2010 write and post 2 articles between October 15 - October 31, 2010 host 1 product giveaway between October 15 - October 31, 2010; Contractor will use random.org to determine winner and shipping will be handled by the Client tweet about the sponsorship before, during and after the conference (a total of 5+ times) use approved links + keywords promote the sponsor on-site at the event when appropriate

2. Each article will indicate the series is sponsored by the Client. 3. Each video will run a 6 second pre-roll & provide a description that indicates it is sponsored by the Client. 4. Client agrees to: a. b.

supply all advertising banners; Contractor has the right to refuse any banner pay Contractor a fee of $XXX for services rendered. Payment to be made 50% upfront prior to launch, and 50% within 14 days of campaign completion.

____________________________________ Contractor Signature

____________________________________ Print Name/Title

____________________________________ Date

____________________________________ Client Signature

____________________________________ Print Name/Title

____________________________________ Date

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SAMPLE: BASIC NDA SAMPLE Confidentiality Agreement I agree, that in consideration for access to information both parties will: 1. Keep all information provided relating to business and/or marketing plans and processes in strict confidence. 2. Disclose this information solely to individuals who have also signed a confidentiality agreement or who have express approval to receive this information.

Understood and agreed this __________ of _______________, _________. [day] [month] [year]

____________________________________ Signature

____________________________________ Print Name/Title

____________________________________ Date

____________________________________ Signature

____________________________________ Print Name/Title

____________________________________ Date

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SAMPLE:LEGAL NDA SAMPLE Confidentiality Agreement THIS MUTUAL NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT is made and entered into between [Your Company] (the “Company”) and the undersigned entity (the “Undersigned”). Regarding a possible business relationship, each party may disclose its Trade Secrets or Confidential Information to the other party. For and in consideration of the disclosures to be made hereunder, the parties agree as follows: 1. For purposes of this Agreement, “Owner” means the party disclosing Trade Secrets or Confidential Information hereunder, whether such party is the Company or the Undersigned, and “Recipient” means the party receiving any Trade Secrets or Confidential Information hereunder, whether such party is the Company or the Undersigned. 2. Recipient acknowledges and agrees that Owner claims that the Trade Secrets and the Confidential Information of Owner are the sole and exclusive property of Owner (or third party providing such information to Owner) and that Owner claims all rights therein. 3. Recipient acknowledges and agrees that the disclosure of the Trade Secrets and the Confidential Information of Owner to Recipient does not confer upon Recipient any license, interest or rights of any kind. 4. Recipient will hold in confidence and, without the consent of Owner, will not reproduce, distribute, transmit, directly or indirectly, in any form, for any purpose, the Trade Secrets or the Confidential Information of Owner. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Recipient may disclose to its employees and advisors with a need to know such information, provided each such employee and advisor shall be obligated to comply with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. 5. Upon request by Owner at any time or in the event the parties do not enter into a formal business relationship, Recipient agrees to return to Owner any physical embodiments of the Trade Secrets and Confidential Information of Owner provided By Owner to Recipient. 6. As used herein, “Trade Secrets” means information, without regard to form, including but not limited to, technical or nontechnical data, methods, techniques, processes, financial data, financial plans and projections, product plans, proprietary ideas, research and development, production, costs, profit and margin information, customers, clients, suppliers, marketing, and current or future business plans, which: (a) derives economic value, actual or potential, for its Owner, from not being generally known to, and not being ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use; and (b) is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy. As used herein, “Confidential Information” means information, other than Trade Secrets, that is of value to its owner and is treated as confidential, including but not limited to, any of the above-listed data that does not rise to the level of a Trade Secret. 7. Wherefore, the parties acknowledge that they have read and understand this Agreement and voluntarily accept the duties and obligations set forth herein. [Your Company Name]

[Their Company Name]

Signature: _____________________

Print Name: ____________________

Title: __________________________

Date: _________________________

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INVOICING CLIENTS Getting a check or seeing a payment come through to your bank account is the reward for all the hard work you’ve put in to building and managing your blog. The problem is that little step between getting the job and getting paid - requesting the money. For bloggers who weren’t previously small business owners, the act of invoicing is usually new. While it’s a fairly simple and painless process it helps to have a plan. Keep in mind that if you have an ongoing relationship with a company, it’s likely they’ll want you to invoice on a regular schedule - whether that is monthly or quarterly - it just needs to be consistent. In order to know what to invoice, you need to make sure you’re successfully tracking all business purchases. In fact, you should have a separate checking account specifically for your business. If you don’t, stop reading so you can go open one. There are a lot of popular software options, many of which are free, that help you manage your finances. ๏ Intuit QuickBooks ๏ Mint ๏ Outright There are also online services for generating invoices and tracking expenses - some have free components while others cost roughly $12/month: ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏

Billing Boss Fresh Books Invoice Machine Less Accounting

Options for getting paid:

Don’t assume the accounting department will know who you are, or what the project involved. If it’s a large corporation it’s even more important that you include all the details, such as your point of contact on the project. page

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1. Have a check sent to you 2. If available through their company, fill out a form for a direct deposit 3. Use an online service such as: ๏ PayPal: charge 3.1% ๏ Google Checkout: charge 2% processor fee, plus $.20 per transaction ๏ Intuit Payment Network (IPN): flat fee of $.50.

ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

SAMPLE: INVOICE SAMPLE Invoice Attn: Jane Doe, Accounting Brand XYZ 123 S. Park Street New York, NY 10001 Project Title Project Description: P.O. Number: Invoice Number: Federal Tax ID Number: Terms: Description

Quantity

Unit Price

Cost

300 x 300 banner ad

$100.00

Project consultation re: ABC campaign

$100.00

$200.00

Subtotal

$300.00

Tax

$0.00 Total

$300.00

When paying by check, please attach the form below and send to the address provided.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Payment [Your name] [Your company] 123 S. Broadway Street Portland, OR 97321

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Customer: Brand XYZ Project Description: Invoice Number: Amount Enclosed: $_________

ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

TYPICAL WORKFLOW One of the primary points you need to remember is that PR professionals and brands work on an entirely different schedule than bloggers. While we can turn around projects rather quickly because we work in the digital space, it takes brands much longer to make decisions and to launch campaigns. Oftentimes, the PR firms you are working with have to go through several rounds of approvals before anything pans out. Remember that the next time you are working with a brand and it seems like they are taking forever to give you next step details.

BRAND-BLOGGER SCENARIOS:

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A PR firm or digital agency requests a media kit. What should you do? Respond within 24 hours. If you haven’t heard from the firm or agency in two to three business days after you send the media kit, it is perfectly fine to follow up.

You meet a brand representative at a conference and have a great conversation with her. What should you do? Follow up with an email no more than one week (preferably no more than three days) after the event.

A brand comes to you for suggestions about a campaign launch. What should you do? Follow-up with your rates and detailed information why you are the best candidate to consult on their campaign launch.

You pitch a brand about running a campaign on your blog. What should you do? Give the brand or PR firm at least a week before following up. After a week, feel free to follow up with the media kit again with renewed information on why your blog is a great fit for their brand.

A brand casually connects with you on Twitter and then asks you to retweet their messages. What should you do? It all depends on what the brand wants you to retweet. In general, it’s never a good idea to randomly retweet brand messages that mean nothing to you or your blog in hopes that retweeting will one day turn into a paying job. However, oftentimes you can build a business relationship on Twitter with brands. Twitter provides ample opportunity to network virtually.

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So you want to pitch a company?

yes

Keep creating great content

Have built an audience

Get paid

yes

Stop reading & go work on that yes no Send invoice

Know your unique hook

yes

Send report & thank you yes

Have a media kit

They say “No” Fulfill your agreement

yes no

yes

Agree to contract terms Found a company to pitch

They say “Yes” yes Tailor your pitch & send it

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DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE Confident bloggers are always the most successful! Being a confident blogger means: ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏ ๏

You understand personal branding You are not afraid to play around with content ideas or be innovative in your approach If you hear “no” once you know there will be other opportunities around the corner You are not afraid to demand what you are worth You are comfortable in how you portray yourself online You go after opportunities instead of shirk away from them You take risks and are the better for it You understand the value of networking not only online, but in person as well

If you do not have confidence in your work, in your blog, in your ability to work with brands, and in your ability to connect your readers with brands you are going to be in for a long ride. It is confidence that will sustain you through the ups and downs of blogging and will help you keep a level head when presented with opportunities – either those that are in your best interest or those that are not.

HOW DO YOU BUILD CONFIDENCE?

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THROW ENERGY INTO YOUR WORK: Brands, readers, and your peers always recognize hard work. Working hard inevitably draws opportunities to you. And when opportunities come your way, there is no other course of action than to grow in confidence. Always remember to be diligent in your work and purposeful in your approach and good things will always happen.

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WORK ON THINGS YOU EXCEL AT: It is smart business to focus on things you excel at instead of working on things that require a steep learning curve. If you are deeply engaged with your followers on Twitter, then concentrate brand opportunities there. If your blog has a lot of loyal readers, swing your traffic to your advantage instead of concentrating on other platforms. Dwell in what you do best and your opportunities and subsequent outcomes will help you build confidence faster.

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

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SET ATTAINABLE GOALS AND STRIVE FOR THEM: There is great merit in taking baby steps. It allows you to set smaller, easily attainable goals and strive for them daily. Setting daily goals and then reaching them gives you a feeling of accomplishment that instinctively turns into confidence. Before setting long-term goals think about setting small goals to help you build the confidence necessary to go after larger brand partnerships.

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PITCH OFTEN: The best way to become confident in your ability to partner with brands is doing it often. When you first start pitching brands some companies may not respond to you and others may flat out say “no”. At that point it is incumbent on you to continue trying. You may need to go back to the drawing board and hone your pitch, work on developing your blog, or build your readership to increase the potential of successfully and effectively working with brands. Once you have partnered with brands, devise ways to expand your partnership opportunities by going after bigger brands and upping your rates. In order to really build confidence you have to be willing to take risks. Risk taking allows you to grow and also brings bigger and better opportunities your way.

“When a problem comes along, you must whip it”

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NETWORK IN PERSON: Another way to build your confidence is by networking DEVO with other bloggers and brands in person. This is why conferences and brand events are so crucial to partnership possibilities. Some bloggers connect best in person as opposed to online. If this is you, make sure to attend as many blogger conferences as you can afford. The person-to-person interaction will be well worth the money and will pay off in brand partnerships if you allow your confidence to shine through and valuable relationships are forged.

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GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE: To boost your confidence, try something you have been afraid to do. Let’s say you want to try speaking at a blogger conference, but you are shy and are afraid of public speaking. Put your fears aside and instead go for it. What you’ll learn from conquering your fear in one day can immensely alter your confidence.

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

CLOSING THOUGHTS Thanks for taking the time to read From Blog To Business. We hope you picked up some new information and got the wheels churning for how you might be able to make your blog business more successful. For those who are feeling overwhelmed right now - no worries. Making a full-time living from your blog doesn’t have to be the goal and if it is, then you should know it is a lot of work. It will take time to build your business, and be prepared for a whole lot of “no’s” - but that’s the reality every entrepreneur faces. Keep pushing on and finding new + creative ways to develop your brand, and remember that your audience is what’s valuable... and they’re only there for your content.

Esther Crawford sheposts.com @sheposts

Treat others with respect and go out of your way to help people - no one wants to work with someone they can’t trust. Thanks again for reading, and please pass along the link to this FREE ebook to all of your friends - our goal is to help as many bloggers achieve their dreams as possible!

- Esther & Jennifer

Jennifer James

mombloggersclub.com @mombloggersclub

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM

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ESTHER CRAWFORD : SHEPOSTS.COM & JENNIFER JAMES : MOMBLOGGERSCLUB.COM