When I was a little girl, I read the Anne of Green Gablesseries by L.M. Montgomery. It was my favorite. I formed an abiding love for Anne’s spirit and her desire to collect like-minded friends, kindred spirits.
Though I have few similarities with Anne, outside of the red hair (and perhaps the occasional temper), I do share her love of kindred spirits. This week, I was lucky enough to speak on a panel at Haven with two lovely friends. Bloggy kindred spirits, Heather, from At the Picket Fence, and KariAnne, from Thistlewood Farms.
Sidenote: When it comes to kindred spirits the proof is in the pudding. Heather and I wore nearly the same outfit two of the three days we spent together, without any advance coordination
We addressed a series of basic blogging topics, sharing fifteen steps to blogging success. Today we’re each sharing our specific portion of the class.
You can visit KariAnne to learn more about the five keys to a successful site through your design.
While, Heather is sharing five tips to growing your audience and community.
I will be sharing a five steps to successfully working with brands.
Five Steps to Successful Work with Brands
Great brands have that “thing.” You know, the thing that makes them special. It’s like the creamy filling of an Oreo cookie, the amazing return policy at a Nordstrom department store or the melt in your mouth joy of a Utah Truffle.
Know Who You Are
I love blog conferences, I truly do. I think there are few things that can help a blogger gain traction more. What I hate however, is hearing the same information repeated over and over on the show floor. This is what it sounds like…
“Hi. My name is Sally. I blog at Heavenly Home, where we’re transforming our home one room at a time.”
It’s a great description, but there is nothing original about it. Not only that, it’s the same thing nearly 25 other bloggers are saying.
If you’re true to yourself, you will have something original to say. Know what it is and share it in an elevator pitch in person and a media kit via email.
Finally, have a firm understanding of the numbers behind your site. I am not talking about your monthly pageviews. It’s far more important to dive into things like bounce rate, pages viewed per visit, time on site and geography.
If you’re new to working with brands, there are a few things you should consider before reaching out. You can find a little food for thought here: https://taunieverett.com/working-with-brands/
Know Your Worth
Before we dive into what you should charge and how you should figure it out, I’d like to clarify one small thing. There is a difference between a review and a sponsored post.
A review is when a brand sends out product in hopes that the blogger will use it and consider posting. The product should be offered with no strings attached and the review should be honest and open. When I review a product, it’s always for free. I don’t know that I could have an unbiased opinion of a product I was paid a healthy amount to use.
Having said that, most bloggers review product somewhat infrequently. Most bloggers work with brands on sponsored posts. A sponsored post is a paid relationship, where the blogger is paid to post specific information about the product on their site during a specific time frame.
A small distinction, but an important one I think…
Anyhow, now that we’ve got that out of the way…let’s talk a little bit about income.
Your time is valuable. You are worth something. It doesn’t matter how small you are, you have worth. You have a blog. You have influence.
A VERY general rule of thumb that I like to use is $100 for every 100,000 monthly pageviews. It is of course, simply a rule of thumb, but it generally works.
Recently, one formula has been circulating on the web and among agencies. It’s listed on the slide. Try it out and see what you think!
Responding to a Pitch
I know that responding to pitches is a pretty straight forward exercise, but I think it’s valuable to review and stick to best practices.
One of the most important things that I can share with you is to respond to EVERY brand that contacts you. Yes. I know that many of you get dozens of emails and many of them sound a little ridiculous, but it’s very important to respond politely to each and every one (outside of spam).
Really, we’re talking about the no responses, right?!
Often times saying no paves the way for you to have a whole lot more yes.
Think about it this way. If you’ve said yes to a smaller opportunity that doesn’t quite fit with your brand and a company comes to your site to check it out, they may not feel like you are going to be the right person for them.
Consider reading up on when it’s right to say no.
There are a few possible ways you can respond to the email:
- Thank you for your email. This post doesn’t fit my site right now, but I have attached my media kit for your files and would love to work with you on a future project.
- Thank you for your email. This particular campaign isn’t a good fit for my site right now, but I would love to work with you on…(be specific!)
- Thank you for your email. Your product isn’t a very good fit for my site. I’d love to save you some time, please remove my email from your mailing list.
Consider your options before you say no right off the bat. Companies can nearly ALWAYS negotiate and will likely work with you if asked.
How to Pitch a Brand
It would be delightful if we all received hundreds of high-level, worthwhile pitches every single day, however most of us will need to do a little pitching to drum up business.
I think this is one of the scariest steps you can take in blogging and as a result it seems very confusing and hard to do, but to be honest? Pitching a brand is relatively simple.
Try connecting with the brand personally before you pitch them on a product. Conferences are one of the VERY best ways to do this, but social media is a great second options. My favorite tools for rocking outreach are Twitter and LinkedIn.
Be specific in your request. Generally when you’re pitching the brand it’s for an exchange of product. Be very specific about what you’re looking for.
Follow-Up
One of the most annoying things? Bloggers who don’t follow directions. It happens during every campaign and takes the emphasis off of the things that really matter.
You will really stand-out if you write the company a follow-up email regarding how you feel the campaign went. Every PR agency needs to send numbers on to the client. At the end of that email, ask for more work!
I enjoyed chatting with the bloggers at Haven immensely, but I didn’t have time to cover it all. Got questions? I will do my best to answer!
In the meantime, let’s have a fun giveaway shall we?
Eliesa says
I would love to know what I can do to take advantage of all the traffic to my site. With as many new people coming to my site everyday, I should be adding followers like crazy, but it’s not quite happening that way. Loved getting to meet you, by the way. I really hope I can make it to SNAP this year!
katie | deranchification says
Tauni, thanks so much for posting your notes! I really enjoyed your session at Haven and left with a million to-do’s 🙂
Kim @ Colors Mixed Together says
Hi Tauni, I love all the information you presented here. I’m especially grateful as I was supposed to be at Haven but at the last minute had a change of plans. I don’t think I’m anywhere near close to approaching a brand but I still love to read about it for the future. I would love to have someone look at my blog and tell me what 3 glaring errors I’m making. Have a great day!
Tauni says
Oh gosh Kim, I bet you could work with brands in a second 🙂 xoxo Tauni
FrancesSuzanne says
Transitioning from blogger to wordpress and organizing a bit during the process!
lina@fancyfrugallife says
Thanks so much! I’ve been struggling with what to charge for sponsored posts! Thanks for the formula!!
Best article I’ve read about this topic in a awhile. pinned!
Lina
http://www.fancyfrugallife
Summer says
I would love help on how to build my audience and traffic to my blog. Thanks for the tips Tauni – love them!
Beth@Unskinny Boppy says
All great advice, Tauni. So glad you are sharing this for those of us who were not in the class. Even for an older blogger this is still relevant- not just the NKOTBs!
Tauni says
Beth, it was SOOO great to finally meet you in person. You’re absolutely AMAZING! You know, I think we could all use a refresher on the basics every once in a while…I know that I actually learned/re-learned/picked up loads of tips from KariAnne and Heather. xoxo Tauni
Angel Peterson says
It’s nice to get a few formulas that you can present and use. Love those tips!
Thanks!
Rosemary palmer says
The best blogging class I attended.
Mandy @ Sugar Bee Crafts says
I would love help building traffic and readership – it used to be up and up, but feels stagnant lately.
Vicki O'Dell says
I’ve read all of the posts in this series. Very helpful. Thanks to all of you for the information. 🙂
Holly says
This was great info! My sister and I are just in the process of combining are blogs into one. How to best merge the business’s/name on the new blog is what we’re struggling with.
Tauni says
Holly, that’s a hard one because it’s so stinking personal! Let me know if you need to bounce any ideas around though…xoxo Tauni
Katie {Sweet Rose Studio} says
I would really love to chat about growth and the best ways to make that happen.
Tauni says
My lovely friend Katie, did you click through this post to Heather’s? She covered this topic during our presentation and was AMAZING. I picked up a few things from her and really enjoyed it! xoxo Tauni
MommaHen says
Great information AND giveaway!!
Andrea Worley says
would love to learn more about a migration from blogger to wordpress and if it’s really needed.
Tauni says
Andrea, I think that’s a great question, but it’s also a super-personal choice. Here’s a post a while back I wrote on the topic: https://taunieverett.com/blogger-or-wordpress/
I love WordPress and wouldn’t ever go back, but to be honest I think you can be totally and completely successful on Blogger too. xoxo Tauni
Krista O'Byrne says
I would love to learn how to grow my site and build traffic!
Tauni says
Krista, Did you click through to Heather’s post? This is exactly what she covered in her portion of the presentation and it was AMAZING. I picked up quite a few tips from her. xoxo
Tauni
Shannah @ Just Us Four says
These are really great tips! I know I am definitely super nervous about pitching a brand.
amanda jones says
what a great post for those of us that couldn’t be there!! I love learning new tips and ideas for working with awesome brands! Thank you so much!! {bookmarked!}
ps. I hope you had a great time at Haven!!
Tauni says
Sweet Amanda, it’s so great to see your name pop up! I had a great time at Haven. Sometimes it’s really nice not to be the one in charge, KWIM? xoxo Tauni
denise says
man…I could use a lot of help. Ha!! What i need the most is increasing my stats. When I look on compete.com (which I know several brands review), I don’t even show up. Great article. Tips are very helpful.
Nat & Holly says
These are such great tips (many I hadn’t even thought of!) What do we need…hmm…how about a complete overhaul of our design? 😉 We had a designer make us a great logo and then the rest that we were supposed to do on our own kinda stinks!
Debra says
I would love ad placement help!
Carolina says
One thing I’d love more help on: Getting in front of more readers. There are so many (awesome) blogs out there, sometimes I feel like I get a little lost…
Tauni says
C, I totally agree. It can be a bit overwhelming can’t it. I can’t help but think of some of the comments Heather made during her portion of the presentation. Though I am sure you’re familiar with many of the items she shared, you should click through the post to hers. It’s always great to take a fresh look at things and I picked up a few fun tidbits from her during the conference. xoxo Tauni
Melissa says
Thanks for the insight – I have no problem pitching myself, but I struggle with pricing. Great tips here.
Kendra says
Thanks so much for this post! It is helpful as I am just beginning to reach out to brands.
Jessi @ Practically Functional says
I really need to get my post categories and tags organized! I have the hardest time figuring out the best way to organize my posts so people can find the older ones!
Ange says
I’d love help with facebook outreach!
Meredith @ Wait Til Your Father Gets Home says
There are so many little things I’d love some help/advice on for my blog. To even think about the chance to work with all of these talented ladies is amazing! WONDERFUL post, Tauni!! 🙂
Courtney says
I would love some blog design help. I feel like this is one of the things holding me back from progressing.
Emily says
I really want help with optimizing my site, making it quicker and easier for readers!!!
Amanda {A Royal Daughter} says
I’d love to learn how to retain search engine traffic. I’ve tried a few things, but they still seem to go just as quickly as they come! Thanks for this giveaway.
Lindsey Johnson says
Everything! 😉 I really need some help learning how to really build my audience or tips for things I’m doing incorrectly. Gah. I need so much help! I’m pinning this so I can keep referring back to it. Crossing my fingers for this one!
Tauni says
Hey Lindsey, Click through this post to the link I provided to Heather’s. She’s got some great tips for growing your audience. I actually picked up several tips from her. xoxo Tauni
Chelsey Patti says
Coming up with a professional looking design, and how to start advertising, in a classy way.
Jennifer says
I would love any help with with my design! I don’t have a custom design, and never have, but it’s something I would love to have one day.
Rebecca Cooper says
I could use lots of help but one thing I need help with ASAP is managing my time! THanks for the giveaway!
Jessica @ Pretty Providence says
I would love help/advice on switching to wordpress or staying on blogger! Loved all the brand advice. Thank you Tauni! You’re the best!
Tauni says
Jessica, I actually shared my thoughts a while ago. You might be interested in reading: https://taunieverett.com/blogger-or-wordpress/ Personally, I switched to WP about four years ago and haven’t looked back. It’s not for everyone though. Look at someone like Thrifty Decor Chick who’s uber successful and rocks the Blogspot account. xoxo
Tauni
Lani Derrick says
I would love help with taking better pictures. I really think that pictures can make or break a post.
Jill @ BeingSpiffy says
Design. Hands down.
Sumo says
I’d love to learn more about how to expand my reach from my blog, along with more in depth on the tips you provided about working with brands; I always struggle with payment and what to ask for! I need picture help, too. 🙂
Mindy cone says
I just had a pitch meeting with a company this morning! they are local so we were able to do it in person. there are still some negotiations on the table and i am SO glad I read this. great advice and I truly appreciate it! The biggest question I had before reading this is how to price myself!
Tauni says
Good luck with the negotiations Mindy. Would love to hear how they go. xoxo Tauni
Jacque says
Creating more content … Im slacking these days
Tauni says
LOL. Doesn’t that one go on the “honey do” list? Can’t wait to start seeing some of your nursery posts even if they are just photos on FB 🙂 xoxo Tauni
Debbie @ Happy Clippings says
I wasn’t able to attend your session at Haven so I am happy you posted this. For my blog, I would love help with building community and more engagement with my readers
Deneen@dreaming-n-color says
Thanks Tauni for the advice here and at the conference! Would love to learn more about building a solid blog with solid numbers and great pictures!
Tauni says
Deneen, you bet friend. It was great seeing you again! xoxo Tauni
Danielle says
I’d love to hear more about switching from Blogger to WordPress.
Tauni says
Danielle, I wrote a little bit about making the decision a while back https://taunieverett.com/blogger-or-wordpress/ I made the switch about four years ago and haven’t looked back once, but it’s definitely not for everyone. Let me know if you have any specific questions. xoxo Tauni
Lindsay @Artsy-Fartsy Mama says
Fabulous advice! I’m always needing more tips on how to work with brands and finding my worth. I could use a little more help with is boosting my advertising income and ad placement.
Thanks for the advice and amazing giveaway!!
Vanessa Barker says
I would love to have a blog look consultation. How to make it look more appealing to both my readers and brands.
Helena Alkhas says
Thank you for all the great tips!
I’d love to be the winner and I’m looking forward to learn how to make the blog more engaging and appealing to my readers.
Jennifer says
I would love to know what I could do to improve my bounce rate and specific steps to getting more interaction 🙂 Plus I really NEED an update to my design 🙂
Jennifer Carver says
Fab tips on working with brands! Thanks Tauni!
Audra @ Painless Meals says
I’d love to know how to engage readers, and then partner with brands they care about. I love all of the comments I get from members of Facebook groups I belong to. At the same time, blogger Facebook groups appear to be my primary source of traffic [along with strange marketing scheme websites for diet pills, etc.] LOL
Becky@OrganizingMadeFun says
Oh, Tauni! You have given some amazing pointers! This is really good stuff.
Becky B.
Aimee @The Stylish Nest says
I would love more readers. But isn’t that what everyone wants? 🙂
carol garcia says
I would love a blog facelift. I think it would help convey what we are all about. Hoping to win !
Jenn says
What an amazing prize pack! I would love to have suggestions for making my blog easier to navigate.
Leisha Kelsey says
You always have such great information to share. I would love to learn more about promoting my blog and getting more readers.
Tauni says
My dear Leisha, sometimes I have really lame things to share…It’s true. In the case of promoting your blog, I am going to refer you to my sweet friend Heather from At the Picket Fence. She had some great tips during our session and I definitely learned a few things from her. Pop over to her site and check out her slides – there’s a link in my post. xoxo
Tauni
Wendys Hat says
Now that I have switched over to WordPress I really need help with technical things. Not just telling but really showing the how to’s and things a beginner might miss. FUN prize! Thanks!
Tauni says
Wendy, so much of it is trial and error, but I think you will really love WordPress! xoxo Tauni
Sabrina says
Oh my I need so much help! I’m so thankful for your awesome class at Haven! I’ll be switching from wordpress.com to ,org but then after that I’m kinda intimidated – starting from scratch!
Tauni says
Sabrina, Don’t be intimidated friend. You can do it!!! I am super-excited to hear about your move and the new site. I hope you will stay in touch and send me a link when you’re ready! xoxo Tauni
Kelley says
Great article and I can’t wait to go to SNAP again!!
niki meiners says
The advise you gave was spot on. I work with several manufacturers to find bloggers for their product and open and honest communication really is key.
Tauni says
Thanks Niki. It’s nice to hear from someone else in who’s working as a connector. I sincerely appreciate your comment. xoxo Tauni
niki meiners says
Can you fix the advise to advice…
Ginger says
I would love more help how to make & keep a blogging schedule. It seems like my blog takes so much time, and I’m tired of staying up all night blogging! 😉
Tauni says
Ew. I feel the same way most days. What is sleep anyway?! When I am on top of things, I use both a paper planning calendar and a WordPress plugin called Editorial Calendar to keep on task. What do you think is the most time consuming part of your blogging? xoxo, Tauni
Kara says
Such a great post Tauni! I learned so much & feel much more confident about approaching brands.
For the giveaway comment- I would love help with the design of my blog. I recently moved to WP from blogger & I need a pretty makeover 🙂
Laurie @ Gallamore West says
What a fabulous prize- I’d be thrilled to win!! I would love to have specific help on putting together a rockin’ Media Kit for my blog. And I would jump up and down with excitement over the SNAP ticket!!
xoxo,
Laurie @ Gallamore West
Chrissy says
The design, I like my logo but need a sprucing up!!
Sarah says
Great points Tauni! Love this post. I would love to know how to personalize my wp design more – I find it frustrating coming from blogger where I knew the ins and outs of the design aspect.
Tauni says
Oh goodness Sarah. You’ve asked the one question that is a mystery to me. I used to do all of my own coding on Blogger, but I don’t do much of anything on WordPress. It’s just not as easy. What sort of tweaks are you looking to make? I do have a few posts on the site that might help…xoxo Tauni
Taylor @ Pink Heels Pink Truck says
I would love help on getting over a specific page view hump.
Kimberly @ A Night Owl says
I’d love advice on pitching large brands – how to make your proposal stand out from the crowd. Thanks for the fab tips/giveaway! xo
Cheryl @ That's What Che Said... says
I would love to have help getting my design converted to a responsive design!
Liz @ Lizzie Jane Baby says
Such great tips for pitching brands. And what an amazing giveaway! I would love my site to be inviting and encourage people to stay and look around. Not just look at one post they saw through Pinterest and leave.
Tauni says
Liz, Have you been over to Kari at Thistlewood Farm’s site? She’s a master at speaking conversationally and leaving a trail of word crumbs to other posts that will make you stay for hours. Go check her out if you haven’t (link is in the post) and try to emulate her style. xoxo, Tauni
Amy* says
These are really great tips Tammy! Pinning for reference :). Thanks for sharing your tried and true methods!
Amy*
Jessica says
I would LOVE to know what the next step is. How should I organize what’s coming and figure out how to be more consistent? You’re the bomb.com 🙂
Tauni says
Hey Jessica, I think the secret to consistency is setting proper expectations, don’t you?! I have to tell myself that it’s okay to post x number of days and not try to take it all on. I will tell you that my favorite tool for organizing the blog is the WordPress Editorial Calendar. It’s the best. I don’t know if it’s available on WP.com though. Have you thought about switching to .org? xoxo Tauni
Lindi Haws says
I would love help with the quality of my content and keywords!
Marty Walden says
These are fabulous tips, Tauni! Thank you so much, and I know I’ll be reading them over and over again! I did touch base on a personal level with several brands at Haven and am excited about new opportunities.
It was good to meet you (last night in the hotel bar 🙂 I’m looking forward to SNAP.
Geralin @ Metropolitan Organizing says
Oh Tauni!
This is such great information. Thank you for sharing this with us; i’s really helpful.
I was hoping (at lunch) to sit close enough to you to just sort of absorb your wisdom via osmosis. Maybe next year. Or, maybe I’ll win! Yeah, that’s it! I’ll win!
Tauni says
Geralin, Oh gosh. I don’t know that you’d end up absorbing anything at all outside of the fact that I love to chat…I’ve noticed the more tired I am the more I just ramble on and on and on. Sometimes I need to learn when to shut up 🙂 Good luck though. I hope you win! xoxo Tauni
beej says
I would LOVE the social media consultation… AND a ticket to SNAP! Pick meeeee! Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
Jamie Olger says
I’m still very new to the blogging thing, but I see so many successful stay at home mom’s that do the craft/blogging thing that I’d love to have more interesting posts to get views on my page!! I’d also LOVE the opportunity to go to SNAP!
Alli Miller @ Cupcake Diaries says
I would love to learn more about gaining traffic and keeping it going up and not back down. This week has been bad that way and I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong! I would love to learn more about it!
Tauni says
Alli, Did you follow the link in my post over to Heather’s post At the Picket Fence. She talked about this very topic and has shared her slides as well! xoxo Tauni
Natalie @ A Turtle's Life for Me says
I’d love help with getting my pages in order and setting up gallery pages for them. I need to be better about keeping people on my site and highlighting related content.
Thanks so much for taking the time to outline this for those of us who weren’t able to attend Haven this year. This is invaluable information and getting pinned immediately! I definitely need to work on that elevator pitch…
Tauni says
Natalie, Are you on Blogger or WordPress? There’s a fantastic WordPress plugin for gallery pages, but for Blogger you probably have to use Inlinkz. xoxo Tauni
Kim McNaughton says
Great information! Thank you so so much!
Candace says
Thank you for the wonderful information! I’ve been wanting to set up a blog for a while, but I’ve been a bit intimidated. This is definitely helpful.
Laurie says
I need help with everything……I have no idea where to start. The writing part really freaks me out. I’d love to attend SNAP! Thanks for the awesome giveaway.
Tauni says
The good news is, experience is often the best teacher. Just keeping plugging away at things and good luck in the giveaway! xoxo Tauni
Laura / The Shed by Pet Scribbles says
I’d love help with blog design! Thanks for such a great article – I pinned this one, as there’s so many good tips here! 🙂
Jess from Cox's Corner says
This is an awesome giveaway! I would love help on how to juggle it all as well as how to drive traffic to my blog and make it pinterest friendly.
Tauni says
Jess, When you figure out how to “juggle it all” let me know, will you?! I feel like I’ve never got it all together. I will think about writing a Pinterest post soon! xoxo Tauni
Jill @ Create.Craft.Love. says
I am GIDDY with excitement about SNAP 2014! Not to mention, this is an awesome prize package! Thanks for the great giveaway, Tauni!
Sarah says
Tauni, your session at Haven was the best one I attended! I am so glad I met you, and I would LOVE to win that ticket to SNAP! Great giveaway!
Tauni says
Oh my gosh Sarah. That’s so nice of you to say. It’s going to sound weird, but I actually took away so much from the session as well. I soaked in a great deal from my co-panelists. It’s always good to listen to a refresh on the basics…They’re truly what work! Thanks for stopping by. xoxo Tauni
Amy @ The Happy Scraps says
I would have to say, I would love to have help making sure that I’ve set it all up right…Maybe that sounds weird, but I did all the designing on my own and I always second guess if I have anything missing or something there that I shouldn’t have. 🙂
Jenny says
These are some great tips I can put to use that will help both me & the brands I work with. Thank you!
I would love help with improving my blog’s design and improving SEO & promotion to get more traffic. I also want to switch to WordPress.
Lauren @ The Thinking Closet says
This is awesome! I didn’t get a chance to attend your class at Haven, but I’m really thankful you took the time to share all of this information here and now for us. Thanks for your generosity! Pinning!
And to answer your question, I think I’d like some help in coming up with a game-plan for ads and some help designing my media kit. I want it to be informative, but also to tell my story in visuals, too!
Candace says
Thank you for the wonderful information! I’ve been wanting to set up a blog for a while, but I’ve been a bit intimidated. This is definitely helpful. I’d love to know more about how much time to devote to a decent blog, or how often to post, growing the audience at a steady rate.
Tauni says
Candace, this is going to sound dumb, but the right amount of time to devote to a decent blog is simply the amount of time you have to spend on it. What’s most important is consistency and quality. Having said that, very high traffic bloggers with significant income spend 30-40 hours a week working on their sites in some capacity. And now that I have been absolutely no help at all I will stop rambling on…xoxo Tauni
Melissa says
Thank you for all these great tips! They were extremely helpful.
Kelly @ Dixie Dollar Deals says
I need help with the design of my site and new rebranding with my images.
Sarah says
Great post and fantastic giveaway! When I have the time, I need to come back and read through all of the comments and your responses to them for more insight into how I need to improve my blog.
Jennifer says
This is great information!! I love what you say about the sponsored and review posts. I think not all of us new bloggers really get that, especially since we have been working for free for so long. When we do start getting a few bucks those lines can be blurred.
Katrina says
Getting traffic and planning content. Thanks for the post and giveaway 🙂
Racheal says
Thanks so much for the tips and the awesome opportunities in the giveaway!
Racheal says
Thanks so much for the tips and this awesome opportunity!
Cindy B says
how to be sure my content is relevant for my subscribers
Sharon@BringingCreativity2Life.com says
If I promise not to ply you with currant wine, I’d love a consult one month after my blog goes life to let me know my blog’s strengths and weaknesses.
Adelina Priddis says
Oh so much! but I could really use help with making sure I have SEO friendly content, and getting google to actually crawl my site.
brenda bird says
Thanks so much, Tauni! This was super helpful. When you pitch a brand do you also ask for compensation- seems a little tacky but I wasn’t sure. Thanks, again.
Tauni says
Hey Brenda, Just saw your comment in the other room and replied, but thought I would share here as well. I feel like it’s very rare for a blogger to approach a brand for money on the first approach. It’s more common if a working relationship has been established. In addition, I think it’s more likely to work if the proposal is for an on-going relationship rather than one post. Having said all that? Even more important is knowing how the brand works with other bloggers. They may not pay period, or they may be looking for bloggers to reach out. xoxo Tauni
Whitney Ulrich @ A mommy's life with a touch of yellow says
I would like to transition to word press have a more clean design and learn to stack ads/make more money.
marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings says
Super helpful Tauni. If I could have any help I think I’d love help with an elevator pitch I never know how to describe my blog succinctly
Sheena says
I was bummed I had to miss it this year. I’m going next! This would be so fun!
Camille says
I think I docked by Google’s Penguin update but I can’t figure out why and would love help with that!
Julianne Best says
I have anxiety about not writing blog posts that are interesting to anyone but myself (and my Mom). How do I break through that?
Dru says
Thanks Tauni for sharing this information. It’s exactly what we needed in the next step of our blog progress.
Sarah @ Craft Quickies says
I loved this article. Simple and straightforward. It also reminded me to go politely decline or ask for more specifics to a couple of random pitches that landed in my inbox over the weekend. I am getting ready to rebrand, which I am very nervous about. I need help making sure I am ready for that step, can get through it smoothly, and that I have a well formed brand/image.
Leslie says
Thanks for the Haven recap. I really enjoyed your presentation and learned so much at Haven! I would love help with my blog design. I’ve done everything myself so far and I think you can tell that. Now that I’ve been blogging a year, I’m ready to take it to the next level.
Carissa Bonham says
The one big thing I’d like help with is optimizing ads. I learned so much from Beckie at 2013 SNAP but I feel like I’ve got a long way to go.
Shannon says
I’m new to the blogging world, so I’d like to know how to grow it, get and keep followers, and design layout issues.
Tia Fowles says
Thank you so much for sharing these tips. I’m relatively new and am trying to learn and implement as much as i can to help my blog be successful.
Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later! says
I would love help learning how to use Pinterest to gain & retain readers.
Adrienne @ Free Time Frolics says
I would love to learn more about social media and how to get more out of it.
Gina says
Great post!!! I would love help in learning the next steps in growing & getting over those hurdles.
Michele @ The Scrap Shoppe says
I would love help with advertising on my blog. I really need to delve into Google DFP, and find more good ad networks to work with. I would also love some advise on “cleaning up” my homepage!
Jennet says
I would love help figuring out/deciding how to go about doing advertising and sponsorships on my blog. Thanks for the chance!
Kara says
I would love to learn how to make my site easier to navigate, with drop down menus at the top etc.
Beth @ Through the Eyes of the Mrs. says
I would love help on re branding and how to build my blog to work with more brands!
Steph @ Crafting in the Rain says
One thing I’d love to have help with on my blog: How can I get people to stick around longer?…..better navigation, better archives, etc
Lindsay says
I’d love to have help with dressing up my photo’s that I post on my blog. I want them to stand out!
Donna @ Swish Printables says
Thanks for the great information. I’m a relatively new blogger and attended SNAP for the first time this year. So glad I did – I learned a lot and made some great friends and connections. Meeting with brands is a totally new concept for me outside of my former professional life. It was great to hear the “blogging side” of a pitch. Lots of great tips!
Donna @ Swish Printables says
Oh and as far as the question: I’d love an overall critique. I’m a new blogger so the information you provide would be invaluable!
Jessica Hill says
I would love to hear about networking with other bloggers.
Beverly {Flamingo Toes} says
Oh this is such a great post! Thank you so much for posting this Tauni – it’s a great reference!
I would love some advice on ways to keep folks hanging around! Should I add more links in my posts? Popular tutorials in the sidebar? Thanks! 🙂
Twingle Mommy says
I would love to know how to lower my bounce rate on my blog. Pinterest is giving me great traffic but it’s killing my bounce rate.
Crystal Owens says
A new design would be at the top of my list. I need something that’s user friendly, with an easy to navigate design. Thanks for the chance to win!
Dria says
Loved all your suggestions, shared this with my group on facebook, thank you so much for sharing these tips!!
Amber Price says
New ideas of ways to drive more traffic.
Mariah @Giggles Galore says
Thanks for all the info, I love it when people share details on this topic that aren’t just “fluff.” I’d love help refining my media kit and suggestions for really honing in on a great pitch that will get brands attentions.
Michelle @ yagottahaveahobby says
Thanks so much for this! I am just really getting into the swing of things when it comes to working with brands, and I’m getting ready to write my own media kit and start pitching brands on my own (scary!). These are great tips!
One thing I could really use help with on my blog is the design! I’ve done okay with the minimal skills that I have, but I feel like a navigation bar and more professional header (and just general overall design) would really benefit me–and bump up the level of professionalism.
McKenzie @ Girl Loves Glam says
I need help with my ads! I get pretty overwhelmed with the financial part of blogging.
Melissa @ Bless this Mess says
I want help with the nitty-gritty, you know SEO, FDP help, and some general “you could do this one thing and it would change your life” kind of advice (that exists right?!) LOL. I just want all my ducks in a row on the technical side so that I can just make cookies and take pictures… is that too much to ask?!
Wendy says
Hi Tauni, I just wanted to shout out a big THANK YOU for the wonderful session! I was fortunate enough to be there and took notes, but am so grateful for this information. Starting a blog has been overwhelming, however having the chance to meet all you kindered spirits has been life changing. I felt like I found my tribe! Thank you again for the great session – it was EXACTLY what I needed!
Wendy xx
Tauni says
Wendy, I am sooo glad you had a good time! There is nothing better than having the opportunity to connect in person and actually have a name with a face! xoxo Tauni
Katie @ Made to be a Momma says
This is such a wonderful thought out post! Thanks so much for sharing! I would love help with gaining followers and building an audience that STAYS! What a fun giveaway! You ladies are the bomb! 🙂
Jessica @ Decor Adventures says
Hi Tauni,
I always love hearing what you have to say. Thanks for posting this for us who couldn’t attend. I appreciate the insight! Info like this has really helped me define who I am, what my blog means and what I want to do about it. More than just how to work with brands, but on a personal motivational level. Thanks for hepling to be a part of that!
Tauni says
Oh gosh Jessica, thanks so much for your sweet words. I think we’re all so lucky to be able to learn from one another, right?! I feel like I learn something new nearly every time I talk to another blogger! xoxo Tauni
emily debry says
I would love help with design and growth
Linda says
Great tips and ideas from the pros!
Wendy Byde says
I’m one of the newer bloggers and what I think I would need the MOST help with for my own blog is the actual total layout and design of it. I think I already have a good start and I’m grateful for the guidance I’ve received from other, successful ladies in this blogging world. I’d like to be give my blog a more solid foundatioin up so that I can begin to think about the next steps, such as a media kit. I would fall over backwards to win a ticket to this conference because attending something this amazing is currently on my “Blogger Bucket List”! 🙂 I’m ready to jump in, feet first!
Tauni says
Oh Wendy, best of luck to you! Blogging events can be such a kick starter! xoxo Tauni
Susan ~ Designs of Home says
Thank you for the information. As a beginner, I have pondered pitching companies, but thought I would wait until I have more content.
Wish I could have attended the Haven Conference. Maybe, next time.
Tauni says
Susan, it’s always good to network…Early outreach to a company can result in opportunities later! xoxo Tauni
Lisa says
I loved y’all’s class at Haven! It was fun and informative and gave me lots to think about!
Tauni says
Thanks Lisa. I am glad you enjoyed it…It actually gave me a lot to think about too! xoxo Tauni
ScottieV says
Thanks for sharing your vast knowledge with us! Your class was one of the most helpful for me. Too many deadlines when I fist got back and I am finally able to get to research and making changes. Thank you again for the recap so I can make sure I registered all the information you were handing out. Hoping to make it to SNAP myself this year- Very excited to find this awesome group!
Tauni says
Thanks so very much for your email. I am so glad you enjoyed our class. I feel like I was so very lucky to be paired up with two other fabulously wonderful ladies – what fun! I hope everything goes well as you make adjustments to your site. Please stay in touch and let me know how things go!
xoxo
Tauni
Homes.com says
Hi Tauni! Great to have you at the Haven Conference! Homes.com & ForRent.com snapped a few pics – Feel free to browse all the photos from the event on Facebook, tag yourself & share with family/friends! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151682489139086.1073741827.280285049085&type=3 Looking forward to chatting with you soon!