If you're a blogger wanting to make an income from your blog - one way is by working with brands in a sponsorship capacity. Advice from Problogger Training Event 2012. Full audio available here: http://www.probloggerevents.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=stylingyou

1. How to get brands
knocking on your blog
door
… and paying for the privilege to come inside

2. The panel
Moderator:
Nikki Parkinson | Styling You | @stylingyou
Panelists:
Lorraine Murphy | The Remarkables Group |@theremarksgroup
Eden Riley |Edenland | @edenland
Mrs Woog | Woogsworld | @woogsworld
© www.stylingyou.com.au

3. Value your blog
 Every blog has a value.
 Your blog is your real estate and
your readers help set your
market value.
 Rates are based on readership
statistics and your blog’s
demographics.
 Google Analytics is the universal
stat counter that brands use
when looking at the digital
space.
Buy here
© www.stylingyou.com.au

4. The stats that count
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5. Options for paid brand work
Nikki Parkinson was engaged
as Big W’s talent for advertorials on The
Morning Show and The Circle, February 2012
© www.stylingyou.com.au

6. PR
 PR agencies are contracted by
brands to garner FREE editorial
coverage.
 They will send press releases
and/or product or provide
“experiences” and giveaways
which you may or may not
choose to write about.
 They are unlikely to have a
budget to share with you in
regards to sponsored posts.
 PR agencies can be the conduit
to working with their client.
 If a PR representative is based
in-house at the brand they may
have more scope to source a PR organised experience: Eden visits West Africa fo
budget for sponsorship.
© www.stylingyou.com.au

7. Marketing/Agencies
 Most large brands outsource their digital marketing budget
to a media agency.
 Bloggers are starting to get a slice of that digital marketing
budget.
 You may also work direct with the marketing team within a
company.
© www.stylingyou.com.au

8. How to get your blog noticed
 Talk and get to know brands and PRs via their social media
networks.
 Attend events hosted by brands or consultants who are
paid to bring bloggers together for an event.
 Attend blogging conferences and meet-ups.
 Monitor Source Bottle, an online site that connects
journalists with credible sources for their stories. Coverage
in mainstream media does get you noticed.
 Enter credible industry-based blog competitions.
© www.stylingyou.com.au

9. Pitch your blog
 Pitch your blog direct to a brand or brands that you love.
 Approach as you would a job application.
 Get on the phone and find the person who you need to
email your media kit and intro letter to.
 Keep it short and sweet.
 Say upfront who you are and what you’re looking for.
© www.stylingyou.com.au

10. Which brands to work with?
 YOUR brand and your readership (your value) depends on
the brands you associate with.
 Is it a brand you already know, love and buy or a product
you can relate to?
 Is it a brand your readers already know, love and buy?
 Can you tell a “story” about the brand or product?
Nikki Parkinson: official blogger for Maybelline at
MBFWA ’12. Photo: Business Chic
© www.stylingyou.com.au

11. Your media kit
 The key blog business tool is your media kit.
 A good media kit is short and succinct.
 Get your point of difference across on the front page.
 Know your reader demographic (survey or Facebook
Insights)
 Include up-to-date stats across your blog and major social
media networks. Don’t be misleading about your stats.
 Include prices for sponsored posts and any banner
advertising you might offer.
 Include ways that brands can be involved in giveaways and
other editorial (free) opportunities.
 Include your contact details.
© www.stylingyou.com.au

12. How to get paid
 If you want your blog to be a business, treat it as one.
 Get advice from an accountant.
 Register your blog’s name as your business name. There is
a new National Business Names Registration System.
 Get an ABN: this can be done online via the ATO. Make
sure your “entity name” matches your registered business
name as some large company’s accounting systems will
not pay you if these don’t match.
 Consider using cloud-based accounting software such as
Freshbooks, Xero or MYOB Live Accounts. Otherwise create
an invoicing system using excel or word.
 Keep ALL expense receipts.
 Register for GST – and charge it on your invoices - when
you know your turnover is going to exceed $75,000 a year.
 Outsource if words are more your thing!
© www.stylingyou.com.au

13. What can you expect to get paid?
 Nicole Avery will talk more about
what rates are being charged and
paid for in regards to sponsored
posts in Australia in the next
session
 Bloggers can be paid on a scale
ranging from $200 for an email
newsletter inclusion through to
$15,000 for a print advertising
campaign.
 Readership numbers are
important but marketers also
want to know who’s behind the
“eyeballs”.
© www.stylingyou.com.au

14. 6 key points
1. Value what your blog and your blog’s readership offer a
brand.
2. Have the professional tools in place to be a business.
3. Know the difference between PR and marketing.
4. Build your blog’s profile outside of your blog.
5. Choose to work with the brands that are a right fit for you
and your readers.
6. Have fun.
 These slides and notes will be available on Slideshare and
via tomorrow’s blogging post on Styling You.
© www.stylingyou.com.au