Guest Post: Monetizing Your Blog from Heir to Blair

It’s always really awkward, this whole “guest blogging” thing.  Because I kind of feel like that rude baby shower guest that walks in sans invitation in SWEATPANTS when everyone else is dripping Ann Taylor & mimosas.  & then she sits down in the middle of the room without a gift & by the grace of who-knows-what, she wins one of the cheesey games the hostess forced us to play & then she’s like, “I don’t drink coffee” when she realizes that the prize is a Starbucks gift card.

OH, WAIT.  That actually happened at my baby shower.

But I hope y’all won’t feel like that when I’m done.  Because I may lack social graces & basically invited myself to MomComm, but I think I’ll be able to put together a few sentences that will fit in to the theme.  You know, once I’m through talking about my husband’s great aunt, the shower-crasher.

I’m done now.  I promise.

& I’m going to start talking about monetizing your blog.  It’s kind of a delicate situation because the first question is always, “So, Blair, how much do you make?”  & it’s kind of like asking a lady’s age or wearing white after Labor Day – you simply do not do it.  Because if I told you, I’d have to kill you & I’m really not into joining a prison gang.  I actually wrote a bit about monetizing your blog back a few months ago, but I’m not even going to link to it because a) it’s embarrassing & b) I’ve learned A LOT more since then.

I am going to start with the best & most IMPORTANT piece of advice in the entire blogging universe – DO NOT BLOG WITH THE SOLE INTENTION OF MAKING MONEY.  There is only one Dooce in this universe – I’m not her, & you are not her.  She’s in Utah with a weird haircut, frolicking her smart ass around on HGTV with her cute kids.  Do not begin blogging with dreams of being interviewed by Oprah for your refreshing outlook on life, or buying a mountain house in Aspen with the cash money that will roll in.  But if you can make enough to cover the cost of your domain, design, & maybe even throw a few Pumpkin Spice Lattes in?  So worth it.

To start supporting your java addiction, there are a few key pieces:

• Know your statistics.
  • Use Google Analytics!  They can tell you how many unique hits versus page views you receive, & your loyalty of readership.
    • I tend to be of the opinion that readership loyalty is FAR more important than unique hits.
    • WordPress.com folks, you have built-in statistics!
• Know your demographic.
  • Are they women?  Are they mothers?  Are they adventurous or fashion-conscious or really into home design?  (more than likely, this has a strong correlation to what you write.

I had an established following prior to selling advertising, which made me feel more confident in contacting companies.  & I made a point to contact companies that I use, enjoy, & appreciate.  My relationship with Jockey started when I found myself buying Jockey shapewear after delivering Harrison.  & I realized, “How cool is it that I wore Jockey as a little girl & now I’m wearing it as a mother?”  I own product of most of my advertisers.  I carry their bags & wear their jewelry with pride & on my own dollar.  Stand behind your advertisers for their trust & the trust of your readers.

• Figure out what you are worth. These are EXCELLENT sites to explain how to do this:
  • ProBlogger
  • KaiserMommy
  • One more for kicks & giggles

Make a media kit listing your credibility, demographics, statistics, testimonials. Add your rates & size options (mine includes actual pictures of the sizes!).  & I’m a big fan of an “About” personalized page that makes you seem more…well, you.  THEN MAKE IT A PDF THAT CANNOT BE ALTERED.

• Set up a way to pay.

I like PayPal because I can set up invoice templates & most folks are on PayPal in some way, shape, or form.  It also helps me check out faster on Etsy, but don’t tell my husband.

• Don’t sell out.

This past year held a lot of “growing pains” for my blog as I navigated this fresh new world of blog sponsorship.  I adjusted my rates & my attitude several times.  In the beginning, I was rabid for anyone to throw me some cash money.  $20 for a year of a text link ad that had nothing to do with my blog?  Sure!!  In the past, I answered every. single. request. for my media kit.  & I ended up staying up until 11pm on a Tuesday night, trying to decide if people would think it was weird to have USB Cable ads running amuck under yesterday’s post.  It made me seem money-hungry & like I was skirting away from actual writing & blogging.

& I never want to be seen that way.

These days, I do not fear the “delete” button on Gmail.  In fact, there’s a dude yapping about some kind of new-age kitchen gadget that will never get a response from me.  I have now been known to say, “I am sorry, but it is not a fit.  I suggest that you contact Blogger XYZ & I wish you the best!”

Keep a focus of why you started blogging.  Why you started writing & sharing & communicating.  After all, it’s the reason people hang out with you on the internet to help support that coffee addiction advertising.