More Blogging Tips: Blogging While Brown Recap Continued

Posted on the 21 June 2012 by Chasingjoy @chasing_joy
About 3 weeks ago I was all excited and a little nervous as I mentally prepared to attend my 3rd blog conference, my 1st time at Blogging While Brown.  Excited about how much my blog would improve by attending and soaking up knowledge at yet another blog conference.  Nervous about networking and intermingling with strangers.  I was wrong to be nervous.  I learned a lot and made some new friends.  I even got to chat with an old friend.  One of the 1st people I saw on day 1 of the conference was an old friend from high school.  I also got to meet a Joy Chaser that I communicated with on Twitter, who participates in the #ChasingJoy monthly chat.  Connecting in real life is Awesome!

Me and my High School Friend

I was right to be excited about all of the knowledge I would soak up.  I'm sure you are excited for me to finish my recap of Blogging While Brown so you can soak up some of this knowledge too.  So here goes  :-
In addition to the discussion on blogs and books day 1 also included discussions on blogs and brands, blogs and TV, and turning your blog to a big business. Here are some of the details:
  • There is no single number that tells a brand you are the right blog for there campaign.  They'll look at your overall reach, influence, and readership.  Brands will look at your average post per month and the average number of comments per post.

    • Me & @mamaknowsitall Awesome
    to meet her in person.

  • Brands are looking for engagement.  Do your readers engage with you? Are you engaged in your community?  Respond to Comments** Do you spark conversations on twitter and respond to tweets.
    • Know who cares about the issues you write for better engagement.
  • When working with Brands ask questions about money.  A good question is "What are your budget parameters."  
  • When sending a brand a proposal:
    • Say who you are, what you do, why you do it, who your audience is 

      • Me &  new bloggy friend
      @msmdawson

    • Format should be a PowerPoint document of 5 to 10 slides
    • Include your numbers (facebook, twitter, klout), screen shots, Links, and info on past projects.
      • You can follow up with brands on past projects to see how you helped their campaign
  • Brands look at your about me page and most recent posts
  • Don't forget about Non-Profits when looking into brands.  They need the same type of promotion as for profit brands.
  • Bloggers can make the jump to TV. 
    • Learn to make your point in 20 to 30 seconds for sound bites
    • Use statistics along with your opinions to be more journalistic
    • Verify your info.
    • Record yourself to see how you come across
    • Don't do the "TV Voice"
  • To turn your blog into a big business be special and different to keep the attention of the reader. Stay relevant and know your reader to not lose them over time.  Be authentic and you will attract like minded peeps.
  • When you can't do it alone anymore bring on staff but keep it small.
  • Treat your blog as a business
    • Have a business Plan
    • Do research
    • Take advantage of business opportunities that arise
    • Be open minded
This is just a sampling of all that was covered on Day 1 of Blogging While Brown.  Don't you wish you were there?  I'll give you some time to mull over all of the ways you can improve your blog or online presence with the info above.  But fear not! I will continue my recap soon sharing all that I learned in day 2.  Day 2 happened to be my favorite of the two days.  :-) 
In the mean time, which of the above tips do you think is most helpful?  Which tip will be the most challenging to act on?