#BlogISA5 event

1. Turning a Passion Project
into a Profitable
Business
#BlogItSA5
By LAURA LOREK
Founder of SiliconHillsNews.com

2. The key to success? Ask yourself this everyday
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

3. Don’t Build it and Think They’ll
Come: Have a Strategy
from the start
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA
This Photo by Unknown Author is
licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

4. About Silicon Hills News
• Independent Media
• 40,000 unique monthly visitors
• 20,000 + Social Media followers
• Run by Veteran Tech Reporter Laura Lorek, worked at 5
newspapers, 1 Technology magazine before launching
SiliconHillsNews.com in 2011

5. Management
Laura Lorek, founder – journalist with more than 20
years of experience, primarily covering technology
and half her career spent in the Austin and San
Antonio region. Founded Silicon Hills News is 2011.

6. SiliconHillsNews.com
More than 2 million page views
More than 2,000 signed up for Silicon Hills News newsletter
including two local billionaires.
Produced six editions of a 32 page print magazine
Created five annual technology calendars
Completed three successful Kickstarter campaigns
Launched the Ideas to Invoices Podcast

7. Silicon Hills
News
Business
Model
Sales
Ads/Sponsors
Specialty
publications
Events
Members

8. Silicon Hills
News Cash
Sources
$12,000 grant from New Media Women’s
Entrepreneurs
$400,000 in Sponsorships, Sponsored Content and
Advertising
$20,000 in crowdfunding
$20,000 in subscriptions and donations
$30,000 in events
$5,000 merchandise sales and misc.

12. What makes
money in
media
today?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

13. Affiliate Marketing
Programs
• Amazon.com Associates – Amazon’s affiliate
marketing program
• Affiliate Networks: Rakuten/Linkshare,
Commission Junction, Avangate, Clickbank,
Shareasale
• Google a store and “affiliate program” to
find out if it has one
Pros: Generate an income stream right away
Cons: Commissions can be small

14. Crowdfunding
Projects
• Kickstarter
• Silicon Hills News has
completed three successful
crowdfunding projects on
Kickstarter
• Our first project launched
our print magazine
• Our second one created an
annual tech calendar
• And our third one launched
our podcast
• IndieGoGo
• Equity-based
crowdfunding platforms
(First Democracy VC –
collaboration between
IndieGoGo and
Microventures)

15. Subscriptions, Memberships and Paywalls

16. Another Key
to Success?
Streams of recurring
revenue
•From affiliate programs
•Subscriptions
•Patreon supporters
•Renewing ads and
sponsorships
•Regular events

18. Other Ways to
Generate Funds
• Online Courses
• Books
• eBooks
• Consulting
• Merchandise
• Grants
• Donations/Nonprofit Status

19. Where to go
for more
info?
Problogger.com (website and podcast) Event in Dallas in
October
Smart Passive Income Podcast by Pat Flynn (website and
podcast)
Authorityhacker.com – Make money blogging – great report
https://www.authorityhacker.com/make-money-blogging/
Book - “How to Make Money Publishing Community News
Online” by Robert Niles.
Niche Media – online webinars and events on generating
more money for publisher. https://www.nichemediahq.com/

21. Thank You
Geekdom
Webtegrity
All of Silicon Hills News’ advertisers,
sponsors, supporters
All of you for coming today!
To contact me:
LauraLorek@gmail.com

22. Laura Lorek
Silicon Hills News
@lalorek
@SiliconHillsNew
210-413-3955