my blog as a business - getgood strategic...
TRANSCRIPT
My Blog as a Business
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Morning Workshop & Discovery
LIANNE FARBES Digital Girl Media, @themakeupgirl
SUSAN GETGOOD BlogHer, Inc., @sgetgood
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Agenda
1. Who we are
2. Why we’re here
3. 10 Guiding Principles
AM: #1-4
PM: #5-10
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Lianne Farbes
Blogger
Entrepreneur
Beauty Expert
Brand Ambassador
Digital Consultant
Founder, Digital Girl Media
Photo source: Lianne Farbes
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Susan Getgood
Blogger
Author, Professional Blogging
For Dummies
VP Influencer Marketing,
BlogHer
Co-Founder, Blog With
Integrity Photo source: Susan Getgood
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Disclaimer
Some of the content in this session relates to financial and legal
matters.
We are not accountants. We are not lawyers.
Nor do we play them on the Internet or at blogging conferences.
We will share with you our perspective on certain financial and legal
topics, but the only ADVICE we will give you is to please get the
appropriate credentialed professionals to advise you on financial and legal matters.
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10 Guiding Principles for Successful Professional
Blogging
1. Begin with the end
2. Why do you blog?
3. The dreaded elevator pitch – differentiating yourself
4. Paths to monetization
5. See and be seen
6. Credentials. A.K.A. What have you done for me lately?
7. Business basics when going pro
8. “Find your tribe”
9. Ethics, disclosure and other best practices
10. Do it because you love it!
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1. BEGIN WITH THE END: objectives, tactics, strategy
Source: “Notorious” via wikimedia commons
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2. WHY DO YOU BLOG?
Photo: tobinblack on Flickr
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A Marathon, Not a Sprint
Photo: PeanutButterRunner
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3. THE DREADED ELEVATOR PITCH
Differentiation in a
sea of sameness
Source: Kevin & Amanda, kevinandamanda.com
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Exercise: About Your Blog
Your Proposition __________________
Your Audience ___________________
Your Niche or Category _______________________
My blog is [what is it?] which offers [unique perspective] for [specific
audience]
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"Hi, I'm Lianne Farbes.
I write a blog called The
Makeup Girl. I've been in the
beauty business for 20 + years
and am considered an expert
on all things beauty."
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Exercise: About Your Blog
DIVAS CAN COOK: Old fashioned cooking for the modern super woman.
STEAMY KITCHEN: A food blog featuring fast, fresh, and simple recipes easy enough for
tonight's dinner.
BETTY CONFIDENTIAL: “Your best friend and confidant,” Betty Confidential is the go-to-
girl for celebrity news, style and beauty tips and relationship advice for like‐minded
women in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
COOL MOM PICKS: A cheeky shopping, trend and design blog for parents, which
offers indie-minded products and resources for a dedicated audience of shoppers
and influencers.
YOUR BLOG: ?
My blog is [what is it?] which offers [unique perspective] for [specific audience]
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Exercise: About Your Blog
Your Proposition __________________
Your Audience ___________________
Your Niche or Category _______________________
My blog is [what is it?] which offers [unique perspective] for [specific
audience]
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Monetization
Source: Controlling My Chaos, http://www.controllingmychaos.com/
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4. Paths to Monetization (there’s more than
one!)
• Advertising
• Affiliate
• Sponsored
• Hired
Source: Ilva Beretta, Lucullian Delight
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Lianne’s Path
Photo source: Lianne Farbes
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Advertising
• Ad Networks
• Google AdSense
• Remnant providers such as
Double Click
• Sell your own
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Affiliate
Amazon, the big Kahuna of affiliate programs • Low barrier to entry
• Has not been available in the “tax nexus” states that treat the aggregate of
state-based affiliates as a “physical” presence in the state for the purposes of
state taxation, leading Amazon to shutter the program for residents of those
states to avoid the taxation.
• This situation is very fluid. Amazon continues to make deals with affected states such as CT to collect sales tax in those states
• Good Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_tax
Retailer Affiliate Programs • Most are managed by affiliate networks such as Rakuten LinkShare,
ShareASale and Commission Junction
• You need to join the network, and then apply to each individual retailer
• Tax nexus usually not an issue because most stores have bricks and mortar
presence already
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Sponsored
Sponsored Content • On your blog
• Using your social graph (Twitter,
Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram,
Google+)
Securing opportunities • Through your ad network
• On your own, proactively
• Pitches from PR
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Hired
• Freelance opportunities On other blogs
For companies/media properties
• Book Deal
• Consulting
• Spokesperson/Speaking
• Full Time Employment
“BlogHer is a snake meal
of ideas in a wonton
wrapper of love.
Afterwards you need a 2-
day nap, then it nourishes
you for a year.” – @debontherocks
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Afternoon Workshop & Journey
LIANNE FARBES Digital Girl Media, @themakeupgirl
SUSAN GETGOOD BlogHer, Inc., @sgetgood
PATHFINDERS
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10 Guiding Principles for Successful Professional
Blogging
1. Begin with the end
2. Why do you blog?
3. The dreaded elevator pitch – differentiating yourself
4. Paths to monetization
5. See and be seen
6. Credentials. A.K.A. What have you done for me lately?
7. Business basics when going pro
8. “Find your tribe”
9. Ethics, disclosure and other best practices
10. Do it because you love it!
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5. See and be seen: Be easy to find
Display your email address on your
blog. In a visible place. Dump the
impersonal contact form.
Be an active participant in social
networks. Try ‘em all, but focus on the ones where your peeps are
Invest time (and even money) into
Search Engine Optimization Use the right keywords Title and first paragraph match
Submit to speak at appropriate
conferences
Network!
Source: Momma Go Round,
http://www.mommagoround.com
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Networking works!
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6. Credentials!
A.K.A. What have you done for me lately?
Source: Pinterest, pinned from H&M website
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Exercise: What’s Your Awesome?
Establishing You:
Share one thing that you think would be good to tout on your blog.
Establishing Your Expertise:
I am an expert in __________________ because of _____________.
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Resource: about.me
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7. Business basics when going pro
Source: hesaidteeshed poster
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Tips
Act like a pro - Meet deadlines. Create a simple media kit and have a clear idea of your
rates, but don’t publish a price list.
Look like a pro – Invest in a professional logo.
Contracts – Read and don’t be afraid to negotiate
Understand your value – What’s the return on investment for a marketer that works with
you? Understand your Google Analytics (uniques, pageviews, time on site, bounce rate, referrers)
Know how your site works – Don’t become a hostage to a web developer to change
every little thing.
Don’t WORK for free -- That’s volunteering, and you should only volunteer for causes YOU
care about.
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8. “Find your tribe”
Photo: Kevin & Amanda http://www.kevinandamanda.com
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9. Ethics, disclosure + other best practices
Source: ragtrader shop: ragtrader.etsy.com
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9. Ethics, disclosure + other best practices
Disclosure & the FTC Guidelines
Copyright & plagiarism
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The FTC Guidelines
Help advertisers comply with Section 5 of the FTC Act, which broadly
prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce”
• Apply to all types of marketing, including viral, word-of-mouth, blogs, etc.
• Require disclosure of a “material connection” between a seller
and an endorser
• Impose liability for false statements on both seller and endorser
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Bloggers must:
Disclose compensated relationships such as:
• Product reviews
• Paid posts or tweets
• Post about a free trip or other benefit
• Consulting or employment
Follow their stated policies. Failure to do so could be considered “deceptive business
practice.”
Strive for accuracy.
If you are compensated, you are liable for false statements. Protect yourself:
• Tell the truth. Don’t say you used it if you didn’t, and if you don’t like it, say so.
• Get the information you need to be accurate
• Read agreements carefully
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The Bottom Line
Does the audience understand the relationship between the
writer/speaker and the company whose products are being
discussed or reviewed?
If it’s not clear from the context, the connection must be disclosed.
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Copyright and Plagiarism
Copyright and Plagiarism content developed for BlogHer Pathfinder
11 by Sara Hawkins (www.savingforsomeday.com) and used with
permission.*
*See how we did that? Not plagiarised!
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Definitions:
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution for
original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression.
Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.
Plagiarism is the wrongful appropriation or close imitation and
publication of another person’s language, thoughts, expressions or
ideas AND representing them as your own.
Copyright and Plagiarism content developed for Pathfinder 11 by Sara Hawkins,
Saving for Someday (www.savingforsomeday.com) and used with permission.
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Copyright Best Practices
Just because it’s on the internet DOES NOT mean it’s in the public
domain.
Citing your source, giving a link back or mentioning the author’s
name or blog in YOUR post does not mean you can use their
copyrighted material!
Obtain permission before using someone else’s copyrighted work.
Always. Every Time!
Copyright and Plagiarism content developed for Pathfinder 11 by Sara Hawkins,
Saving for Someday (www.savingforsomeday.com) and used with permission.
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Protecting YOUR Copyright
Put a copyright statement on your blog
Creative Commons
Watermarks on photos
42
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10. Do it because you love it!
Photo source:
Meg Duerksen, whatever
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10. Do it because you love it!
Photo source: Lianne Farbes
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10 Guiding Principles for Successful Professional
Blogging
1. Begin with the end
2. Why do you blog?
3. The dreaded elevator pitch – differentiating yourself
4. Paths to monetization
5. See and be seen
6. Credentials. A.K.A. What have you done for me lately?
7. Business basics when going pro
8. “Find your tribe”
9. Ethics, disclosure and other best practices
10. Do it because you love it!
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Thank You!
LIANNE FARBES Digital Girl Media, @themakeupgirl
SUSAN GETGOOD BlogHer, Inc., @sgetgood
mobile 617 967 0169
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