So you’ve got a website and you’re proud of it. In fact, many of you were probably excited to tell people once it was up and going. I’ve got some questions for you. What is it for? What does it do? How do people find it? How do people use it? Do you know the answers to any of these questions? Continue reading “Does your company website make sense?”
Year: 2014
Using Audio on the Internet
Here’s some of what we covered:
- Why should I be using audio?With everyone moving to video, is audio dead?
What are some good uses for audio online?
What is the best way to record audio?
What about monthly audio services?
What’s the fastest way to create an audio?
Information about the best microphones to use, Audacity, Kunaki, PLR Music and Intros and much more.
Take a listen:
What you need to know to increase reach and profitability
There are few jobs easier than blogging. In its simplest form there is little to separate the writings of a private diary to those of a blogger. With a computer, internet access and a willingness to pour one’s thoughts out over a keyboard –BLOGGING in essence is easy.
Unfortunately blogging as a business is anything but easy. Success, as we all measure it, isn’t the number of posts we write but the fans, “likes”, comments and money we get. Success rests on the fundamental understanding of the science of human behaviour, the mechanics of search engines, and that mysterious art of writing effective copy. Continue reading “What you need to know to increase reach and profitability”
Entertainment New Media Conference
We had a chance to take some of the messaging from Blogging Concentrated to the Entertainment New Media Conference in Anaheim this week. These are just four take away tips gleaned from my experience in sunny Southern California.
1. Explore out of your own niche. My site, Finding Joy, is typically a place where I share thoughts about motherhood, intentional living, and living a life gluten free. This conference, while full of blogs with similar themes of motherhood (and traveling to Disney with kids), was not specifically designed around my niche. And that was awesome. I was able to learn about the travel and entertainment industry and their standards, protocols, and expectations. In that process I was reminded once again about the absolute importance of constantly being aware of one’s brand and message. For instance, messaging percolates far beyond just the posts – it’s evident on our social media streams, our offline interactions, our messaging, and more. Once the message/brand gets tarnished it’s hard to regain.
So in the process of listening to tales and tips about how to maintain good relationships on publicity tours I was able to see direct evidence of the value of preserving one’s brand. These gals would share about how certain behaviors, lack of courtesy, and failure to complete deadlines resulted in loss opportunities for those who didn’t “play by the rules” during press trips. As professional bloggers who want and deserve respect, we too, must exude excellence at all times. It really goes back to Tom Jackson’s words in the video shared during Blogging Concentrated One about exceeding expectations. So the question to ask is truly, “am I exceeding expectations?”
2. It’s excellent to make money. I know Dan will chat about this more in depth (and you can read his recap ENMN Conference Insights), but honestly, one of the most powerful take aways that I want all to know is that making money is excellent. At Blogging Concentrated we are consistently going back to the question, “what will you do when you run out of time?” Making money allows for freedom, growth, and the bit of margin that we all need in our lives. There were many examples of doing things for free – press trips, vacation trips, etc… and for me the thing to remember is that if those things can contribute to the bottom line and for growth then that’s excellent.
For example, I’ve written for The Huffington Post and have not been compensated, but the ability to now list myself as a featured writer for them has instead resulted in new opportunities and additional money making ventures. However, we must remember that making an income as a blogger is for many not a luxury, but a necessity. Blogging takes time – time from other things that we could be doing. In our industry I believe it to be strongly integral for us to value each other and time. It’s easy to glean information from others, but we must also always remember time equals money which in turn equals margin which equals freedom.
3. Your time is worth money. Several times it was mentioned the price for consulting with individuals. Erica Pena-Vest would talk about her hourly PR rate or consulting fee and shared examples of other leaders in our field. That is good. Sometimes I believe that we look at leaders in our industry and because they’re friends/colleagues we remove the element of compensation from our line of reasoning (Read Dan’s article on Adrienne Graham’s site to learn more). Money pays the bills. In order to keep us all on the professional level we need to be reminded that time is worth money.
It made me think about where I’m spending my time – is it the wisest use? Does it promote my message? Is it respectful of others in our field? Success built on the back of others who are not fairly compensated is not really true success. So value and get paid what you’re worth and reciprocate that value to others. It’s all to easy to just dismiss worth or value, but at the end of the day, when we forget that core element we are in essence, removing freedom from not only our lives but from those with whom we work with as well.
4. You must carve out breathing space. The last day in California, after the fabulous ENMN Conference I was almost free. Well, except for the moments where we were dealing with the airport and all of that. That time no matter how much cushion one builds in, is never really free nor relaxing. However, in my free time, I had moments of simply sitting on the edge of the ocean and listening to the waves crash ashore while the sun set. I had a time of laughter sitting around a table with heat lamps above sharing Thai food with friends. I was able to rest. To breathe. And for those that know me you know how incredibly hard that is for me to do. It’s ridiculous how difficult it is for me to unplug, to leave the phone off, to not check Facebook messages, to not make sure I’m missing a tweet, and all of that.
I truly believe it’s critical for us as professionals in a media rich environment to cultivate space where we feel no guilt in unplugging. I know it’s not really a blog tip, but in reality, it’s a life tip. One must make it a priority to carve space within the never ending cycle of busy to simply breathe, sit back, and be grateful for the gift of today. And if we don’t do the second point – the making of money – then those moments of breath are far in between. If we burn out, then we are not serving our families well. So cultivate space to breathe.
Those are just four of the many take away items that I learned while in sunny California. Well, besides remembering that conference rooms are not kept at warm outside temps and that it’s wise to pack like one still lives in the tundra so you keep warm. No joke. I was given a blanket the second day. Yeah. The Minnesota gal was the cold one.
Bottom line? Just keep learning. Growing. Cultivating relationships. Keeping your voice. Guarding your message. Valuing others. Finding time to breathe. Taking time to learn outside of your industry. And making money.
That equals margin.
And solves the “What do you do when you run out of time?” question that we all must answer.
ENMN Conference Insights
I was honored to have a chance to speak at the Entertainment New Media Conference, the premiere blogging event for entertainment and travel bloggers. 
One of my favorite activities is meeting with bloggers who have a different paradigm view of blogging. I absolutely love that. Sometimes it’s just bloggers of a different niche that are interesting, like the genealogy bloggers conference I attended, but this time it was something else entirely.
While travel, fitness and entertainment bloggers weren’t new to me necessarily, the culture in which they operate as bloggers was somewhat novel. But I didn’t “feel” it until several bloggers asked me what niche you had to be in to make money the way I help bloggers do.
Learning about that “mindset” was my favorite part of the weekend.
(Don’t let me fool you, meeting Mr. Sean Astin, hanging out with Erica I. Pena-Vest and meeting new people like Pilar Clark and Lisa Robertson were pretty darn awesome times, too. And meeting entrepreneur Andrea Schroder. . . come on. . super awesome. But that’s another story for another time.)
So let’s tackle that mindset.
Some of ENMN’s goals are to create industry-smart bloggers who know how to act around celebrities, what to ask of travel partners and how to be provide content that truly adds value. And they hammered it home all weekend using stories of great blogging experiences and great bloggers (and even throwing in some not so good examples).
During the training it was made clear that you’re not going to get paid cold, hard cash from hotels to blog about them, not that you won’t get unbelievable perks and value from them. But ENMN’s goal wasn’t discouragement by any means, rather education about the industry standard and expectation. With appropriate expectation comes grace and appreciation. Bloggers who lack this whine and make life harder for the rest of us.
[Tweet “With appropriate expectation comes grace and appreciation”]
But that in no way means travel and entertainment bloggers can’t blog profitably. In fact, unless you are independently wealthy or a spouse makes the income, you are ethically bound to produce revenue from that much work.
Take a look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Making sure that your family is loved, has shelter and enough food is the base of the pyramid. If you have no way to pay for groceries, spending 8 hours/day blogging for nothing isn’t in the cards.
How do we make money, exactly?
So the question was “how”? They asked me how they make money if the travel industry doesn’t pay. And the answer is simple as pie. The travel industry is the content you deliver. It is the goods. The money doesn’t have to come from the travel industry at all. The money comes from the readers . . . not only that but when your readers are also customers you have a lot more influence.
Readers not only will pay but they want to pay. You and I are one of them. We love buying stuff. We buy books while we’re at the airport, we buy umbrellas when it rains, we buy shoes because we want to, we buy tickets when we travel, we buy egg timers for the kitchen. When we spend money. . . it is because we WANT to spend money. If it makes our life better, we want it.
Let me give you some examples of things your audience would love to buy. Many would be excited to know that the product even exists
1. Ebook of your most popular tips
2. 1 tip per day travel club membership
3. Phone apps they can use to make their photos better
4. Insiders secrets club
5. Any “much needed” product via Amazon
6. Sample budget and vacation budget calculator
7. Your Guide to “____________” (Example Lisa’s Best Disney Secrets)
8. Book review videos where you review every travel book on the subject
9. Calendar of your favorite picks form some place
10. Your favorite niche “sayings” on shirts and hats from Zazzle or Cafe Press
11. Adsense and other advertising networks
12. Site, clothing, trip or event sponsorship
13. 21 Day Challenge to do something
14. Guide to saving $2,000 through phone apps and coupons
15. Webinar and interactive discussion with your favorite guru (Wouldn’t you pay $5 to be in a webinar with Bono?)
16. Complete budget, itinerary, grocery and shopping list
17. Printable coloring pages for kids to take on the plane
18. 30 Minute Strategy session with you to learn how to get the most out of . . .
19. Your actual book that you wrote
20. Audio Guided tour of a place they can listen to with their earbuds
The only thing you have to do as a blogger is serve. Serve them awesomeness. Make them better, make them smarter. And when you do charge money for your efforts. You, as the CEO of your company, are no different than Barnes & Nobles, Stephen King, Burger King, Fodor’s, or Nike.
[Tweet “The only thing you have to do as a blogger is serve.”]
When you produce value and others recognize it, they will trade their dollars for it. Gladly.
Remember. . . . There are no retired bloggers.
And guess what you get to do with the money. You get to bless your family with the rewards of their sacrifice. You get to bless another family if you hire a housekeeper. You get to donate to church and charity. You get to lend money to friends.
Be the professional you are. Your efforts deserve revenue. And that makes everyone happy . . .even the people paying you.
ENMN was great in its focus that you should learn what the industry is all about. You need to heed all that was said, listen to all whose experiences come before yours. Be the expert Erica expects you to be in her industry.
And make money doing it.