Type-A Mom – Earning Money via Blogging

Here we are at the Earning Money via Blogging session featuring Cecily Kellogg and Janice Croze.

Thanks so much to WorldWinner for sponsoring me at the Type-A Mom Conference!

Before you even think about making money with your blog, concentrate on building your value first. You have to build your following, your authority, and your content. Build first!

Cecily talks about establishing your credibility, whether or not you belong to Blog with Integrity. (Like I do. <— Look over there.) Don’t be a shill for companies. Be authentic. Be yourself.

“Blogging is not the route to instant wealth.”

Cecily tells us how she got fired by Google Ads for posting pornographic content. Laughter ensues. She talks about how ad networks have many content restrictions and take a large cut of the money. Lifetime Moms, which just started, does not have the same content restrictions as BlogHerAds. (Yay for LifeTime Moms. <— See my sidebar!) I raised my hand to give a shoutout to Lifetime Moms ads for being so awesome and sending me more traffic than BlogHerAds ever sent me. (BlogHerAds is awesome for a lot of people, but  it just wasn’t a good fit for my blog.)

Watch out those paid text ads. Google can slam you with the Google hammer. Add the nofollow attribute (rel=”nofollow”) to your links to avoid the penalty that will kick you out of the Google index for not playing by their rules.

Don’t forget that you can place ads at the end of your RSS feed. You can sell that to advertisers in your ad package.

PR companies have more access to media money in 2009 than they had in 2008. Branding partnerships work when you become a brand ambassador for the companies.

Cecily talks about how she got a gig with a genetic testing company because she is a “genetic freak.” It worked better for her when she blogged about it on the company’s Web site, but she got a lot of backlash when she posted about it on her site. Her credibility came into question because the post was paid for. BE PICKY about the brands you partner with. PBS Sprout loves working with her, foul-mouthed and all. That’s teh kind of partnership you want, a company that wants to work with YOU because you love them and they love you for who you are and what you bring to the table, even if it’s just tweeting that Caillou rocks because it stops your kid from being a whiny [brat]. Hehe.

Don’t just jump after the money.

How do you find the PR reps for each company? It can help to join your local social media club. (In the NY Capital District, we have Social Media Breakfast.) Talk  to people. Chat them up on Twitter. Build relationships and share contacts. Go to tweetups. Get on the lists: Momfluence, MomSelect, The Product Review Place. (I’m a member of all three groups.)

But how do you find PR reps for specific companies? Google it. If they’re good agencies, they will have their client lists available online. If you can’t find a PR rep, see if they have a social media rep.

Be creative with your pitches. You can use your blog to get other writing opportunities and other gigs. (SO true! Blogging helped me get Phenomenal Content started, and I’m doing very well!) Look at your strengths and use your blog to market the best part of you. Write for social sites.

Cecily doesn’t write for less than $50 per post. Good for her! (I charge $100 per post. She can probably raise her rates.)

Don’t look for blogging gigs on Craigslist. If they ask for a “sample,” they’re looking to steal your content and never hire you for paid content. Scam!

Mommy blogging consulting. Don’t give away your knowledge and connections for free. If you’re consulting, you deserve to be paid. You’re part of a community of mommy bloggers. You have connections. You have valuable information. People pay for knowledge like that. You are an expert in your field! You know something that the 23 year old guy with the marketing degree knows nothing about.

If you don’t have a social media club in your area, start one. Throw a tweetup and invite local business owners to stop by.

Have different expectations for newbie bloggers versus established bloggers. If you have one blog post and no following, getting a free Swiffer and and giveaway is pretty awesome. Once you’re established, you can request an administrative fee for running a review/giveaway because you’re providing a service. You won’t always get it, but you can make the decision based on your relationship with the companies and how beneficial it is for you and your blog.

(Note to self: Pitch some PR companies for holiday gift guide to post on Type-A Mom to get Christmas presents for TJ!)

Good idea to tell PR companies up front how long it will take to post product reviews. Could be 6-8 weeks, though some companies want them within two weeks!

Christina Gleason (976 Posts)

That’s me: Christina Gleason. I’m a writer, editor, and disability advocate. I'm a multiply disabled autistic lady doing my best in this world built for abled people. I’m a geek for grammar, fantasy, and casual gaming. I hate vegetables. I cannot reliably speak, so I’ll happily conduct business over email or messaging instead.