Rachel MacDonald

Last Friday I attended my first blogging event and I loved it. It was actually the first conference I’ve (ever) been to where I thought time was going too quickly and where I wasn’t pretending to go to the bathroom at regular intervals so I could kill some time/ ring someone/ stretch/ have a micro-sleep/ eat something horrific from the vending machine/ get the hell out of there. Which obviously speaks volumes.

I’m going to break my wrap up of the event into two parts because I took A LOT of notes and I don’t to bombard you all too much, so I’ll kick off today by summarising the most important bits from the talk the inimitable Phoebe Montague of Lady Melbourne fame gave on ‘Monetising Your Blog.’

Before I start, can I just say Phoebe was one of the most engaging speakers I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. There were several breakout sessions throughout the day and the room was packed for hers, so in a limited timeframe Phoebe zoomed through her presentation with a whole lotta sass and a healthy dose of tough love. Her advice was it was insanely practical – she used real numbers, detailed her own stats and prices for advertising, and showed us her current media kit as an example. As a newbie blogger, I found this really helpful. There wasn’t ‘pie in the sky’ advice – it was realistic and actionable. The best part was seeing someone deliver their talk with conviction on a topic they are clearly very passionate about.

How to Make Moolah From Your Blog With Advertising

1. Build Your Audience First

This is a given, but if you’re asking yourself what that magic number of hits is that advertisers are looking for before spending money on your site, as a general rule, you’ll need at least 10,000 hits/ page views per month.

2. Get Your Network On

Walking into a crowded room by yourself and walking up to a stranger can be nerve-wracking. I get that. I actually did this on Thursday night at the Problogger event pre-drinks and the first person I met was Emma Merkas from $30 Date Night who totally took me under her wing and introduced me to a bunch of people, for which I’m extremely grateful. That’s the thing with networking though, everyone is in the same boat and that person you’re nervous to meet is probably nervous about meeting people sometimes too. As someone wise once said: “Get amongst it.”

The next step is to pimp your blog out, and not just at networking events. Anywhere. Get business cards made up with your URL, your Facebook page and your Twitter username (you might like to include your Instagram name or Pinterest profile as well). Always be ready to let people know that you have a blog and would love them to check it out. Phoebe made an awesome point when she said that no-one else is going to do it, it’s up to you. Your mum might tell the world about your blog but that’s about it. You need to be out there spreading the word. Amen.

3. Finding Advertisers and Responding To Emails From PR’s

Finding Advertisers

1. Look who is out there targeting and advertising on other blogs as they’ll have a better understanding of working with bloggers.
2. Go local.
3. Look at other bloggers – they may be willing to advertise on your site, especially if they have a store attached to their blog (EG: Etsy)
4. Cold call: email businesses/ brands and let them know you already use their product and would love to work together on a giveaway or build a mutually beneficial relationship.
5. Ad agencies like NuffNang in Australia, BlogHer or Google Ad networks can help you find advertisers and cut out a lot of the work – but remember you may lose some control over your content and you will be paid on a 30-90 day basis.

Working with PR Reps

1. Be extremely clear about what you will and won’t do from the outset.
2. Do not work for free.
3. Get used to saying no more than you say yes.
4. Answer every email.
5.  Be polite. If the brand isn’t the right fit for your blog and won’t add value for your readers respond by saying: “Dear X, Many thanks for considering me for your latest campaign. The XXXX looks gorgeous but it’s not the right fit for my audience. Many thanks for thinking of XXXX blog name. Warmest, Your Name.”
6. Think of all the added extras you can include – tweets, Facebook updates, newsletter mentions.

4. Developing A Killer Media Kit

Your media kit is designed to entice advertisers into advertising with you so ensure it looks as professional as possible. Hire a graphic designer and think about including the below:

1. Overview of  who you are and what your blog is about
2. Facts and Stats
3. Why You’ll Love {insert blog name}
4. Testimonials
5. As Seen In – include any press clippings
6. Rate Card At A Glance – see Lady Melbourne’s condensed rate card
7. Advertising Options
8. Terms and Conditions
9. Contact Details

5. Giveaways and Sponsored Posts

For giveaways on Lady Melbourne, Phoebe charges $150 (her fee), and says that the brand needs to provide her with the product (for testing) as well as the product for the winner. She also emphasised that the brand must send this product out to the winner and advises saying to the client that if they post overseas, they’ll get a better result overall.

For sponsored posts, Phoebe charges $1000 (for long posts) and she says to do them well you need to:

1. Write in your natural voice.
2. Include loads of pictures.
3. Be honest.
4. Be enthusiastic – but not fake.
5. Only take sponsored posts where you would use the product yourself – readers will see through it otherwise.
6. Ask “Can we add value for my readers?” by doing a giveaway/ providing an experience for them.

+ And that concludes my first wrap up! I hope you find this information useful. Let me know if you have any questions and be sure to check back for Part II of my Problogger Event wrap up later in the week.

+ Check out Part II of my recap.

Image: TW Collins

Posted on: 25 October, 2011 | Filed under Blogging // Business, Round Ups // Resources | 6 Comments | ADD YOURS
Tags: bloggers, helpful resources