Working with publicists, brands and networking are all fantastic ways to grow your audience and sometimes, monetize your blog. This panel will take you beyond basic research and simple affiliate programs. Here you will have the opportunity to engage with four women from varied facets of the blogosphere and different PR niches. Find out what brands are really looking for in a blog and what you can do to make your site even more attractive for PR. We’re not holding anything back! Come with questions – we promise you’ll walk away with a light bulb over your head (figuratively, of course… unless you’re a magician in which case, you’re pretty awesome).
2. AJ FEUERMAN
@AmandaJoy
Founder, Confessions of a Fat Girl
Online Publicist, Think Jam
BARBARA JONES
@BarbaraJones
CEO, Blissful Media Group
ANGELA SUSTAITA-RUIZ
@LatinaMomBlogs
Co-Founder, Latina Mom Bloggers
Founder & Co-Organizer, Hispanicize 2013
STEFANIA POMPONI BUTLER
@CleverGirlsColl, @CityMama
Co-Founder, President + Chief Evangelist
Clever Girls Collective, Inc.
4. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s
Purpose
Passion
Platform Let’s Get Started
Prepare With the Basics!
Pretty
Prioritize The 10 P’s
Plan
Produce
Progress
Promote
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
5. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s
Purpose Why am I starting a blog?
Passion
Platform What do I want to put into it
Prepare
Pretty
and hope to get out of it?
Prioritize
Plan Do I want this to be a hobby
Produce or a business?
Progress
Promote
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
6. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s What am I passionate
Purpose about?
Passion
Platform What kind of content am I
Prepare going to focus on?
Pretty
Prioritize What niche or niches do I
Plan fall under?
Produce
Progress
Promote Who is my audience?
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
7. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s
Purpose What type of blogging
Passion
platform is best for me?
Platform Wordpress? Blogger? Tumblr?
Prepare
Pretty What social media
Prioritize platforms make most sense
Plan for me and my audience?
Produce Twitter – Facebook – Pinterest – YouTube - Instagram
Progress
Promote
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
8. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s
Choose a blog name that
Purpose reflects your content
Passion
Platform Have your own URL and
Prepare
Pretty
implement
Prioritize
Plan Public vs. Private – What’s
Produce your policy?
Progress
Promote
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
9. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s Add a Search Bar
Purpose Add Google Analytics
Passion
Platform Newsletter Sign Up
Prepare
Contact Form or Info
Pretty
Prioritize About Page
Plan
Produce Media Kit
Progress
Promote
FAQ
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
10. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s
Purpose Ugly Blogs Hurt People.
Passion
Platform Stop The Madness.
Prepare
Pretty
Prioritize Design Matters.
Plan
Produce Make The Investment.
Progress
Promote
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
11. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s
Purpose Set your goals.
Passion
Platform Make them realistic.
Prepare
Pretty
Prioritize Meet and Exceed Them.
Plan
Produce Update Them Regularly.
Progress
Promote
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
12. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s
Purpose
Passion Create an Editorial Calendar
Platform
Prepare
Pretty
Helps You Organize
Prioritize
Plan Plan Weekly Content
Produce
Progress
Promote
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
13. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s
Write.
Purpose
Passion Shoot.
Platform
Prepare
Pretty
Film.
Prioritize
Plan Write.
Produce
Progress Produce Content Regularly.
Promote
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
14. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s
Measure Everything.
Purpose
Passion Readership
Platform Referral Traffic
Prepare
Pretty
Keywords
Prioritize Comments
Plan Entries
Produce Shares
Progress Engagement
Promote
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
15. The Basics
Your Blog: The 10 P’s
Purpose
Passion You Got The Basics.
Platform
Prepare
Pretty
Now It’s Time To Promote.
Prioritize
Plan And Get Noticed…
Produce
Progress
Promote
Blogalicious ’12 Beginner Lab: Working with Brands, PR and Blog Networks
16. THE BASICS
GETTING NOTICED
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE
BLOG NETWORKS
• Build relationships with other bloggers, social media influencers, agencies
and brands - both on-line & off
• Invest in your site – purchase a domain (i.e. no Blogspot), hire a graphic
designer, create marketing materials, attend conferences
• Less is more – have a clean, well-designed blog that is easy to navigate
• Keep it personal – add an “about” section, incorporate your own photos
and videos, and use a conversational tone to connect with your readers
• Engage your audience – encourage your readers to share their opinions
and ideas to foster engaging and meaningful conversation
• Stay focused – don’t accept campaigns with brands/products that you
don’t believe in or that won’t appeal to your readers
• Strengthen your pitch – sell your own ideas by developing thoughtful and
creative pitches with measurable results and follow-through on what you
promise
17. THE BASICS
GETTING NOTICED
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE
BLOG NETWORKS
• Don’t by shy
• You are your own best publicist
• Seek out like/comparable brands
• Know your contact
• Follow up either way
• Plant a seed for the future/check back later
• Send links, send stats, get social
• Write regularly
• Brag
• Conferences
• Know your “competition” – what are other
people doing? What’s trendy?
• Network with other bloggers
• Don’t forget to Google
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions
18. THE BASICS
GETTING NOTICED
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE
BLOG NETWORKS
• Be professional – Stick to campaign deadlines and clearly communicate if
you need an extension, etc.
• Don't sign up for a campaign if you don't meet the requirements or can't
fulfill requirements
• If there is a problem with a product you receive, let the contact you are
working with know, so that you can work together to resolve the issue in a
professional manner
• Provide completed post URL according to deadlines (via email or enter into
form provided by network)
• If you pitch a brand/agency and they agree to work with you, be
professional; provide them with a wrap report of
your activity and include metrics – There are a lot of
free tools out there (i.e. Google Analytics)
• Show that your audience is engaged in your whole
social media footprint – what happens when you
'talk' - comments, RTs, shares, etc.
19. THE BASICS
GETTING NOTICED
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE
BLOG NETWORKS
• "Collective bargaining”— the power of many, many bloggers working on a
campaign together. Impressions are aggregated--not just relying on one
blogger. Great for smaller bloggers
• Multiple opportunities to monetize from ad networks to brand ambassador
programs
• The ability to participate in a wide variety of diverse campaign types from blog
tours to Pinterest campaigns to Twitter promotions
• Network-only perks like special in-person events, special offers, etc.
• Community support to help you learn and grow as a blogger
I’m going to quickly go over The Basics of your Blog to get it ready to then Get Noticed, Build Relationships, Act Professionally and Work with Networks.