A little over a month ago, I thought it would be cool to host a workshop that taught the basics of blogging. I didn’t have that kind of time during the middle of a busy semester, so I decided to create a written challenge for existing bloggers. And as I sit on my computer today, October 27th, I can’t believe it’s over!

So, here is the blogging commandment:

Your blog is a place to have fun. Censor yourself if you must, but have fun! This is your place on the internet to be yourself and connect with other people. You don’t have to have a bunch of text and bore people to death. Use pictures, use music, get creative! Share your thoughts, rants, raves, likes, dislikes, ups, downs, whatever you want. Enjoy it folks.

I’ll continue my Guide to Better Beauty Blogging, and I’m so excited to do so! Thanks for joining me on the challenge!

xoxo,

Erin

This post is part of the Scandalous Beauty 25 Days To A Better Beauty And Fashion Blog Challenge! For even more tips, be sure to check out Erin’s Guide to Better Beauty Blogging.

I saved this post on making money from your blog for the last day of the challenge. The idea was to remind us all that while we can make revenue while blogging, when it’s the main focus of your biz. To that end, this is a very basic overview of how to make money on your blog. You can get creative and sell products, consultations and all kinds of things like that. I know we are in a huge recession…but there IS money out there to be made.

Blog Networks

These are a few of the most well known blog networks. I’ve been a member of all three. Some are better than others, but all offer ways to network and monetize your blog. Most of these will be through ads with strict layout guidelines. Usually, you’ll have to have a couple of ads ‘above the fold’ and a badge somewhere else on the site. There are sometimes other initiatives that will make you money, like review programs.

a. Blogher
b. Total Beauty
c. Glam

Google Adsense

Adsense is one of the most basic moneymakers, and there aren’t really that many rules. There are books and blogs dedicated to strategizing your use of Adsense to make you six figures. Once you sign up, they have an affiliate network, Youtube Partner and various other ways to make money. This should definitely be one of your first options.

Affiliate Links

There are several ways to use affiliate links. There are major programs, including Commision Junction, Google Affiliate Network and Linkshare. Amazon.com also has a really great program that people make outstanding money from. Many of these need to be approved, but it’s worth the try. Some companies also have their own private affiliate programs, like Madam Madeline’s.

Again, this is a very, very broad look at ways to make money while blogging. Don’t limit yourself–do your research!

This post is part of the Scandalous Beauty 25 Days To A Better Beauty And Fashion Blog Challenge! For even more tips, be sure to check out Erin’s Guide to Better Beauty Blogging.

This post is part of the Scandalous Beauty 25 Days To A Better Beauty And Fashion Blog Challenge! For even more tips, be sure to check out Erin’s Guide to Better Beauty Blogging.

More and more people are getting their internet content on their cell phones and tablets. This is so convenient for people who don’t have computers and laptops at their disposal 24/7. You never really know when people will access your content, so it’s best to be safe with plenty of viewing options. Let’s say someone reads your blog on their phone, so the 920x version that they would typically see on a regular screen is now 250x 400. Your content is teeny-tiny, unflattering and flat out hard to read. Make it easier for people to read by creating a mobile version of your site.

As a WordPress user, there are several plugins that are offered to create a mobile site. I must repeat, anytime you’re looking for a feature to help your site, search for plugins! Definitely do some research on this, but I found a quick code that helps if you’re on Blogger. Here’s how my blog appears on mobile phones:

Continue Reading →

This post is part of the Scandalous Beauty 25 Days To A Better Beauty And Fashion Blog Challenge! For even more tips, be sure to check out Erin’s Guide to Better Beauty Blogging.

One of the most frequent blogging questions that I get is about working with brands…aka getting freebies. Here’s the bottom line, PR people are inundated with these requests all the time. There are also a lot of bloggers that have ruined it for us. They’ve openly talked about blogging for free products, trips and money. With that said, I think pitching brands is a trickier situation. Getting free products doesn’t happen the day after your blog begins, and it shouldn’t be your main reason for blogging, in my opinion.

• Learn about the brands on your own first. Personally, I don’t like to pitch brands unless I’ve already done my fair share of reviews. Buy the products before you ask. Review them ahead of time. Show the PR people that you’re not just looking for freebies.
• Many brands will want to know how far your blog reach will be. If they “invest” products/time/money on you, they want to make sure it isn’t a waste. Never lie about your statistics. They will find out.
• Have your media kit ready. If you don’t have one, make one. It shows that you really take blogging seriously.
• Don’t take it personally. I’ve been turned down by companies over the years. Remember, brands are working with national press, celebrities, bloggers and probably more that I’m not even aware of. Ask yourself this question: “Why would this company take the time to work with me, and how will I be a benefit to them?”
• Make your brand stand out and try to make it irresistible for people to work with you. With that being said, don’t tell the companies that they have to work with you (I’m in PR, I’ve seen it. Many times.)

Be Honest

Finish the Deal

After you’ve featured/reviewed the products, be sure to send the rep your blog post link. Continue to build the relationship by following up with anything that may show how effective your blog post really was.

This post is part of the Scandalous Beauty 25 Days To A Better Beauty And Fashion Blog Challenge! For even more tips, be sure to check out Erin’s Guide to Better Beauty Blogging.

If you have months or even years worth of posts, it can be hard for readers to find your content. You’ve worked hard to make all of this content, don’t let it go to waste! This doesn’t have to be the case! Here are a few tips to keep older content fresh.

• When referencing certain products or topics that you’ve talked about before, link to your older content. For example,
• Use related post widgets and plugins to have extra posts display at the bottom of your newer posts. Here are some tips for adding a related post feature on Blogger.
• There are ‘tweet your old post‘ plugins for WordPress. It will automatically send your older posts to Twitter. You can also manually do this using your Facebook Fan Page, Twitter feed, etc.
• Update your archives and make it easy for people to find your stuff!
• Use your sidebar to categorize your older posts. I keep a few of my top posts on the side, as well as a few series that I’ve started.
• Don’t forget to use your tags, categories, labels and pages!