If it’s time to for you get serious about blogging, then you are in the right place. While my full-time job is to manage successful bloggers and influencers (shout out to Parker Management) while keeping up my little blog here too, I’m still no expert. Blogging world is a very young world, and what works for one person, doesn’t always work for another. However, there are always some basics to success, and that’s what we are going to dive into.
You all sent me some really great questions, so I’m rolling this into a series. From branding and working from home to all things social, I’ll be posting a lot of this stuff over the next few weeks. Get excited!! ; )
1. Treat it like a business. This may seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but honestly, if your goal is to turn blogging into a potential business, then you have to treat it that way. That means, if you are employed full-time, you are going to be spending some late nights after your day job, working on your “other business.” It might sound a bit daunting, but don’t let it discourage you. That setup isn’t forever!
2. Subscribe and learn. I recommend downloading podcasts to help educate you. While you drive to work, fold laundry, go for a walk… it’s easier to make time for these than say, read a book. My favorites are:
The Influencer Podcast
Being Boss
Him & Her
Girl Boss
How I Built This
3. Make it look like a business. This is probably one of the most important points. If you truly hope to make this is a profitable business, it has to look that way. From your website and branding to your social media feed… it needs to look like a brand! Your own, personal, awesome brand. For something like Instagram for instance, I completely understand that “real is in” and less contrived feeds are better to some extent. However, if your goal is to profit from your business, one of the big contributors to that will be partnering with other brands. A brand needs to be able to envision their company in a post that YOU create. So in my opinion, to get paid accordingly, your images need to be top notch! Learning how to take a good photo is so important. It is also SO easy to edit photos from your phone now. And hey, if you aren’t great at creating cohesive feeds with great images, then hire some help! It will be worth it.
For example, I love @bethanmenzel’s Instagram. As a brand, you can easily see your product or company fitting in nicely with her feed; you know she will do a great job. But her feed is also not “too perfect.” It’s just simply, well done.
Remeber, a cohesive, well-edited feed doesn’t need to look forced.
4. Use your free business tools. Track your blog traffic often and upgrade to a business account on Instagram and Facebook. They are free, important tools to help you succeed. They provide you with metrics that you can keep track of and analyze, show you what performs best, and who your readers are.
5. Find your passion and run with that. The thing I love the most about blogging and social media world is that it can be WHATEVER you want it to be. We all know by now that success in this industry will never come from you trying to forcefully blog and take images. What are you excited about? Who are you? What do you have to contribute? One of my favorite questions I like to ask people is this (and I seriously want you to think about this): For most of your life, what has everyone associated you with or known you as? When I asked myself this question a long time ago I remember thinking, well, my whole life I’ve heard that I’m a great negotiator and everyone has always said that I’m good at making things look pretty/have a good eye for aesthetic. LIGHT BULB. Both qualities that I have finally translated to my career. Point being, if you’ve always had great style and loved fashion, then I think you know what you could blog about. Think it would be awesome to blog about home design all day? Ding! Want to travel the world? Perfect. Start traveling and taking great photos. You’ve got to be excited about whatever it is you blog about.
6. Have a media kit. This really important, in my opinion, if you have a blog with a larger audience and at least 5,000 followers on Instagram. This is your selling point that really shows people who you are. It’s basically your personal brand brochure. It doesn’t need to be long. In fact, I prefer a one-page media kit to show brands who you are and what you are doing.
7. Figure out how you are going to make money. Do you want to sell a guide? Offer services? Or simply just make money from partnering with brands? Make a plan and get clear on how, exactly, you are going to make your blog profitable. If your goal is to make money from partnering with brands, make a list of your favorite ones and start emailing them!
8. Get to know the top social media channels. Each channel serves its own purpose. Referring traffic from sites like Instagram and Pinterest is imperative to the success of your blog! Learn how to use them. Melissa Griffin has some great, free tips on how to do this.
9. Be consistent. There are going to be so many times that you will find yourself wondering “wait, why am I doing this again!?” Just remember why you started and know that turning this into a business is 100% possible, as so many bloggers have proven it to be. With a little bit of time and a whole lot of effort, you will get there!
10. Get help if you need it! There is A LOT to this industry. When I was trying to blog full-time, I spent so much of my time searching the internet and reading endless articles that all told me the same things. I also thought I knew a LOT, and realized I actually didn’t know much at all until I entered into influencer management. If you feel stuck and need that assistance, work with someone! It will be worth it.
Happy blogging! Feel free to continue to email or DM me your questions so I can include them in my upcoming posts!
As of September 1st, Parker Management is opening up 10 spots to help coach people and their personal brands on how to make money from blogging (or just how to grow your blog and social media, period). Email thewellhaus@gmail.com for more info.
