I receive emails sometimes with PR requests and offers, and opportunities. Always lots and lots of opportunities. I consider my blog to be a PR friendly blog; I respond to emails that have a call to action or request, love to attend events and will do so if I can. And I am genuinely interested in content that would be of use to me. So, I welcome emails and correspondence, and ideas from my PR friends.
However, sometimes it’s a bit much.
I feel like a pawn in a tug a war. My inbox is littered with random announcements for brands I’ve never been associated with. Peppered with offers to do giveaways. And I’m grateful to be acknowledged in this way, really I am. But it feels rather generic. I get that PR’s are just like any of us who have measures to meet and time to do it in. But for me, it’s just a reminder in my inbox over and over again that I’m not special enough to warrant a one on one email.
Then sometimes, I accept an offer, and there’s a post or social media coverage. I send off the post link and hear back crickets. Nothing. Zip, zero, zilch. And I’m not going to lie; it would be nice to get a thank you sometimes. A thumbs up. Thanks for the mention/attending. We appreciate the post—that sort of thing. And yes, some contacts will do that every single time. They take the time to read the link, and I sent and respond. I love those; those have my heart.
This is a first-world type problem, a problem that only some bloggers have. I get that.
I don’t mean to be a jerk about it. On the contrary, I am genuinely grateful for the opportunities I get that fit the blog and the type of content we make. For example, OVO in Brisbane totally worked. We loved that event and have offered ourselves up to the PR in the future, trusting her judgement to select stuff that will be of interest to me and, therefore, you guys. ECCO’s event was the same thing. I was treated really well; great event and something I could report back on without feeling like I was going through the motions. Which, we all know, I’m just not very good at doing. There are others, oh my yes, sorry to not mention them; these were fresh. Recent.
So, how do we, as bloggers, find a balance?
How do we remain available with becoming, errr, TOO available and compromising our blog?
When it comes to working together, how do we make it work for everyone?
Within the blanket pitches, I search for the tiny call to action in there somewhere, and I pounce. I read the article and either respond quickly, thank you, keep them coming but not this one. Or it’s the starting point of a beautiful friendship. And by friendship, I mean that they offer me what I need, and I offer them what they need with varying methods of delivery and compensation.
I love tailored ideas delivered with my blog in mind, and I want to be pitched. Wow’ed and wooed even. This isn’t always possible, but just once, I would love for an email to drop into my inbox that I thought WOW. Yes, that! And maybe it’s a scale thing. My blog is where my blog is. It’s nowhere near the king of the castle. Perhaps those pitches are saved for the top of the tree? If I ever get one, I’ll ask and let you know.
That said, I think bloggers need to remember their manners.
Or, as I like to call it, professionalism. Rule one, I never ask for products/samples that I have no intention of reviewing. Two, I don’t attend events I don’t intend to cover. And, three, I don’t misrepresent my blog by fluffing the facts or fudging the stats. From there, it’s about delivering posts on time, working hard to promote them and doing everything I can to make them a success. That’s my side of the bargain, and for all the demands out there by bloggers, it’s important to remember our side of the deal.
It comes up in conversation more often than I can count. People wondering what IS IT exactly that I do? I have a blog, for sure. But that can’t earn me a living, right? (right! Haha). So with family Christmas card season just around the corner, I thought I’d make my Mum’s life (and yours) easier and just tell you.
Break it down bit by bit.
If you wanted how I make money specifically on the blog, I have a video about that. Pop over to my (poor, sad, lonely, neglected) YouTube channel to check it out. I do plan to make more videos, but you’ll see below, I’ve been busy so it’s been put on the back burner for a hot minute.
Kicking it off with Suger Coat It.
Right! Let’s kick it off where it all started with this blog. Suger Coat It was my first endeavour into the online world, digital marketing and list building after spending two years failing out of a Business degree. What can I say, I’m not a great student, and never have been. But I love to learn new things by myself from a book or the interwebs; so, I just figured it out.
I write this blog as often as possible and share to the NUMEROUS social media channels attached to it including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube and a neglected Tumblr and Google + page. Through Suger Coat It I generate income through sponsored posts, content creation (for brands not displayed on my social), digital product sales and ad.
Attached to this is the Suger + Ink podcast (we are re-branding!! Watch out for THAT) with Samara, formally of Blonde Ink. We have learned SO MUCH over the past three seasons of the show and I just love that it just gets better as we go along. Season Four is going to be epic, just two girls living their best 30-something lives.
Then there’s my new Instagram Suger Eats where I can share more of my food photography which has been so successful on Unsplash. I’ve always loved cooking and taking photos of food, something that has gone by the wayside a bit. As part of doing more stuff I love to create, Suger Eats was born. We’re so close to 100 followers and it’s as exciting as the first time I had an account hit that milestone. So cool.
And of course, there’s the Suger Coat It YouTube. As I mentioned above, about this time last year I was 100% in and making a video a week NO MATTER WHAT. It did awesome things for learning an entirely new and somewhat tricky medium (which hurts and I’ve bitched about THAT a lot). It also taught me how to build something from scratch instead of relying so heavily on the audience I do have here and on Facebook.
The Leave Home Blog.
While we’re talking about blogs, there’s also the little engine that could, The Leave Home Blog. My big idea that keeps plodding along with spurts of attention and drabs of forethought. I love this idea and have always referred to it as my big break waiting to happen. It’ll need some changes to bring it into 2018 for that to happen, but I have hope.
The consistency here has improved a lot since Charlotte started doing the majority of the work relating to the Leave Home Blog, especially its Instagram. The rest of the platforms are more automated, but we make (very little) money through sponsored posts and ad sales. The Leave Home Blog is currently funded by Suger Social, which brings me to, Suger Social.
The actual business business.
I registered the business name ‘Red Phone Business Services’ in 2010 as an umbrella to put all my social media, digital marketing, and at the time, copywriting, VA, and freelance services. This business operated in the background of numerous full-time and part-time jobs over the years. It bumped along sometimes making hobby money and sometimes being close to my full-time income.
About two years ago I decided that it needed to come under the Suger brand (invoicing for blog posts or content was confusing as a starting point). I wanted to call it Suger Media (taken!) and didn’t want to lock it into Suger Social Media (also, wordy). So I just went with Suger Social and locked that down throughout the internet.
Shortly after I brought on Charlotte who is our first ’employee’, followed closely by a book-keeper who was a godsend getting my invoicing and bank statement reconciliations under control. Plus, my accountant loves her, so that makes for an easy tax time. And I bought on a VA of sorts to help with the WordPress sites when we build them. I lay them out, set them up, and he fills them in.
Later this year, or next, I’d love to bring on a video editor (I have one locked in when I’m ready!) and more of a full-time assistant with strong admin skills and a drivers licence. Someone who can work more autonomously so we can continue to grow because I’m doing the ‘stuff’ I’m actually good at.
Because we’ve been growing, fast!
Suger Social currently runs the social media for seven businesses full-time from financial planning to fashion, recreation to accommodation. The team, which started as just me, but thankfully has grown have also created or assisted to execute marketing plans for numerous businesses in 2018 through consults and planning masterminds. There is nothing we don’t do really from hourly VA services to re-branding, marketing consultations and training. We also deliver workshops, build websites, some ads strategy and planning, and I’ve been trying my hand at more and more photography for specific social media use.
So, yeah. THAT’S what I do these days.
I’m not sure Mum is going to be able to fit that ALL in the Christmas newsletter, but it should make a nice change from Melissa does something on the internet and seems happy. Which, let’s face it, is the truth of it. Haha. Mum nailed it again.
Do you work online? Is explaining what you do something that happens regularly? I know I need more of an elevator pitch to summarise all this goodness, but do you have one? Give it to me below!
I’ve been a little quiet for the past couple of weeks. From the high of daily (ish) blogging, it was a bit of a comedown. So, without excuses or blame, I want to tell you what was going on in the hopes it might clear the way for some words to show up.
“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
― Anne Lamott
You know the quote, right? Maybe you’ve heard of it. I was never sure how I sat with that. After all, we each have our experiences of things. Who says our version is THE version? In fact, it’s something I’ve always been cautious about on this blog because even when people THINK I might be talking about them, usually I’m not. So, I avoid blogging about things that weren’t my experiences or things happening in other people’s lives. Which, as I said, has served me. However, this past month and I felt like there was nothing to say, alluding to someone else’s situation or even offering an opinion/preaching.
I’m questioning everything.
It’s the worst.
To shake it, I just sat down to write. Monday was our anniversary; we celebrated 13 years. While I was pondering what I write about marriage and relationships, I worried about how that would land for some people in our life. Then the other day, I was feeling overwhelmed by social media, and when I went to write about it, it felt like I was having a dig at people who ‘do the thing’ that was overwhelming me.
See what I mean? Those are just the two most recent examples. I’m sure it occurs to some of you (myself included) that my procrastination technique of discarding everything I write before it has been published might be back. I get that; I wonder about that too.
But, I also wonder if sometimes it’s the right thing to do.
The last thing I would want is for someone to read what I have written and feel like them enjoying their Instagram moment was making me feel like crap, and they should stop. Or that someone who has recently confided in me is now the topic of a blog post. I choose to share my life here, and others have the right to choose too.
Boundaries have long been a question for bloggers, certainly those that share their children’s lives, but it goes further than that. We are responsible for the words we use and the stories we tell. Most importantly, to the context of this post, how we tell them. The tone and the intended outcome.
How do I write, share and document my life when my thoughts and ideas feel so tied up in my experience (and the experience of others) right now? This is the question. My current age-old question, which, as I write this, it occurs to me that there’s a pretty simple resolution.
Ask myself, what is the intention of my writing?
If I’m worried that there’s judgement or opinion about how someone is living their life, maybe there is. And I need to take a look at that. What if what I’m writing is coming out as judgmental and preachy because that’s the space I’m in right now? Possible, right?
When I look at a post, and the intention is to help or serve, not shame or judge, that should be clear. It’s something that I can stand by if it does come up as a problem for someone. I think that’s the way I’m going to go about it. Because giving up and saying nothing, well, that won’t work for me. I think we all knew that.
I’d love to hear your thoughts? Have you ever crossed the line with someone else’s story? How do you balance sharing what is true of your experience and other people’s version of things? Do you think my intention thing will work, or am I just giving myself a free pass?
I’m a week into this daily blogging thing. You can thank the daily vloggers of YouTube for the idea behind this. To think it was just this time last week (maybe a little earlier, my bad!) that I decided to give this a shot. My writing had been in a rut for a while; it felt clunky and hard when I did try.
Not so much anymore.
So far, I skipped Friday night because I was working late but other than that, I’ve blogged every day. This coming week I’m going to work on a few drafts I’ve had rattling around in my head for a while. I’m on a roll. Now feels like the time to tackle some of those posts that just wouldn’t get onto the page.
This week what I’ve found is that it doesn’t take me long to work out what I want to write about. I’m trying to just sit down and do it each day, rather than attempt to schedule a few days in advance. That makes it more habit-forming, don’t you think? More of a challenge to sit and write daily. That’s been my experience.
So far, so good.
Have you ever tackled a challenge like this? Something that forces you to get into the habit of doing one small thing every day? Prior to this, I would have said sure, I have. But I don’t think I have. Strange, right?
The only thing I can think that I have done that is similar is the initial 28 Days to a More Confident You. And even that I scheduled more than half of those posts and emails after writing them in advance. So, yeah, check me out. Changing my habits one day at a time.
It actually got me wondering what else I could tackle.
Not to get ahead of myself or anything. Haha. But there are things I want to be doing and I’m just not making them happen. I want to cook more of our meals and even prepare some in advance. There are things like getting into the pool more often or going for an evening walk with Kel. And making my bed, I mean, when did I stop making my bed!?
All of it actually seems a little more possible if I just tackle it one single day at a time. And maybe that’s what they’ve been trying to tell me my entire life. To stop pushing so hard against stuff. Stop forcing it and just put one foot ahead of the other. Worth considering, that’s for sure.
What about you? What’s one thing you could be doing every day that could change how you’re living your life?
This week’s video is all about how to take better food photos, at home. After my Easter Cook Off collab with Brittanie last week, I’m going through some basics for taking and editing better food photos. I might not have had much success with my cheesecake, but I can take a food photo or two.
The good new is that it’s simple enough you can do it at home using basic equipment, items around your house and natural light. Sure, I favour a camera with a prime lens, but if all you have is your phone, that will work too.
K.I.S.S.
Keeping it simple your food photos can be next level sooner rather than later. This video includes some Lightroom Classic CC “edit with me” footage. Walk through the simple steps I take to edit food photos in Lightroom using the basic panel, sharpen mask and more.
I’ve included some links below to Brittanie’s Cook Off video (such a lol), another editing video where I share my tips for editing my outfit photos, and my Unsplash profile link where you can download some of these shots for free. Which, some of you have already done and tag me in them over Easter weekend. So fun!
Your WordPress questions answered!? Yaaas. Who’s ready for this? It can’t just be me. Gayel here from Made Neat; if there is one topic I love chatting about, it’s WordPress. I can and will take an afternoon out with friends, sipping margaritas, to a conversation about their Google Analytics and websites.
It’s one heck of a party trick.
To suggest I can be a geek at times is a mild statement but it is all for the greater good. And hey, I work for a pretty cool digital agency these days. That makes it all ok. Probably.
What I find interesting about many people who own websites, is that they don’t realise how many elements go into establishing and maintaining a great home on the internet. They overlook tasks and practices that could be implemented to achieve great performance, SEO, traffic and conversions. Things they could be doing themselves, but usually aren’t.
Things that the professionals just do by default.
With that in mind, I thought for my very first post on the new look Suger Coat It, I would touch on these topics. It’s my WordPress Questions Answered, big fat 2018 tip of the day all in one. And maybe down the track, Suger will let me back to expand on them if you have questions. So make sure you leave them in the comments and we’ll go from there.
Your WordPress questions answered.
Using Themes … because they always look pretty straight out of the box.
For many people, choosing to run a theme over a bespoke WordPress website comes back to the budget. There are so many themes on the market it is easy to grab the first one-off the shelf and request your website designer customise it. Careful with this route. It can prove problematic.
Careful consideration needs to be given to using themes, the big one is page speed. Often many plugins are required for the theme to run on your sire which inevitably slows down your page speed. Poor customisation of these themes can also mean that the site lacks branding and a unique look each website deserves.
Work with your designer to find a theme or follow their recommendation for one that they know works. If you’re installing yourself, make sure you read reviews {scroll past the five stars and look for three or four stars to get the real version}. Sometimes it’s best to stick with a theme developer recommended by a friend.
What do you mean page speed? My website loads … eventually.
The speed in which your page loads isn’t just something that provides for great user experience. That said, nobody likes to wait for anything to load these days, keep that in mind. Page speed will impact your Google ranking and score for usability. If your selling products or services via your website, it’s pretty much a death sentence.
There are a few factors that come into play with a websites page speed, the big ones are :
As previously mentioned in page speed, running too many plugins on your site will slow it down and risk problems with incompatibilities. Suger, I’m looking at you and your love of all things plugins here. Keep things really simple for yourself and only run the bare minimum of plugins.
The essential plugins we recommend as a digital agency include :
YOAST SEO
Gravity Forms
WP Fastest Cache
The trick is to only use what you need and delete any that could be running or are redundant. And I mean everything. If you’re not actively using it. Disable it, test it didn’t break anything important by refreshing your webpage and remove it. You can always reinstall it later if you change your mind.
We know that running only necessary plugins on a themed site can be difficult. Often developers will use plugins to deliver items that someone building a Bespoke website will code in. It’s finding that middle ground between what your budget allows, how you want your site to look and the page speed. Walk that line, you’ll find your happy place.
Google Analytics … you mean stalking my site visitors to see where they live right?
Having Google Analytics running on your website is essential. Especially for anyone that needs to maintain excellent Google ranking. Keeping an eye on your Google Analytics ensures your website is running as best as it can be and growth can be tracked. That doesn’t only mean looking at your site demographics, other important indicators include your site’s bounce rate, acquisition and site speed {that guy again}.
Google Analytics tracking code can be easily added by yourself or preferred developer if you don’t already have it on your site. See how you go with this tutorial from Google as a starting point to install on your website. If you pay close attention to what it’s asking you should get through it in no time.
HTTPS … Do I really need a security certificate?
If ranking in Google is important to you, then ensuring that you have an SSL certificate running is essential. I’ve said that before, but there are a few key things Google views as important and this is one of them. Google now gives preference to sites that are https {secure} over those that aren’t. It’s about the user experience, they want to make sure the users they are sending to your site are safe there. Contact your host for an SSL Certificate. They should also be able to assist you in getting it up and running on your website.
Gutenberg … Excuse me, say what now?
Over the coming months, WordPress will release its own version of a page builder called Gutenberg. In the WordPress development community, we are waiting with excitement to find out exactly how this will change the environment we work in. For the everyday WordPress user, this means no longer needing to use a page builder plugin that can be tricky and heavy on page speeds.
Suger uses Divi on her blog {editor: plug} and it uses a thing called Page Builder. But this WordPress native development meant that you can get that ease of use without having to be on a certain theme from a certain developer for it to work efficiently. Watch this space, this is exciting news for those who DIY their website.
Gutenberg, or a Page Builder, will mean having more control over how your website pages look. This could be a great thing for you or it could just be one more section of WordPress that makes no sense. It all depends on how good you are at design and user experience. Which in the end, as experts, is why people will always need Developers like us. Job security, phew.
And lastly… my top tip for 2018 – A Great Digital Content Strategy
I’m hoping that this post has helped get your burning WordPress questions answered. It can be daunting to someone new to get started. I hope I’ve helped! But the final tip I wanted to share is about creating a great digital content strategy. Sure, you can pay to get to the top of Google, but that isn’t necessary. When you have a great digital content strategy you can place your business website there in an authentic and organic way.
Utilising content as an SEO strategy is by far my top tip for 2018. Honestly, it is one of the easiest ones to deploy on a WordPress site. Create great content by being helpful, solving problems with evergreen content. Make a list now of the questions your customers or clients always ask and start answering them.
Alongside that incorporate updates in your industry, the clients you are working with through profiles and/or links and happenings in your business. This style of content {the personal, getting to know you stuff} will always win you results. People like you to be a person on the internet. Especially on social media. And personally, I think is a far better way, way more fun, easy to generate week after week way to outrank your competitors than coughing up the dollars.
{editors note: Want to hear more about this? I have a BUMPER post coming talking about creating a digital content or social media plan for your business. Watch this space}.
And that’s it! Phew. Your WordPress questions answered over and out. Got more? Leave them in the comments and between Suger and I and we’ll get back to you. After all interactions like that are good for your linked website and this one. Did you know that?
If there’s one thing I’m obsessed with at the moment it’s how to take better pictures. For business, but also for pleasure. I watch YouTube tutorials, I’ve read books and PDF downloads. All on how to take better photos. When I want to know something, I go all out for it. OB-SESSED. Improving my skills is where it has been at, for me because I love capturing a moment, and for my business.
This post isn’t about the humble brag of finding a new branch of my business. It’s about what I’ve learned in the process of getting better. And I’m a long way from great, good even, but I’m learning. So, are you ready to grab some tips to improve your photography today? Easy tips that you can put into action right now and see a change.
Ready to take better photos?
For me, the biggest factor in taking better photos is WANTING the photo. Whether you’re taking it or being in it, you really have to want to be there capturing that moment. That is what you’re doing after all. Whether it be a product to be sold or a family Christmas, these are moments to be captured.
Are you the person to do it?
For a long time, I stopped taking my camera with me to places. It stayed home and there was no chance of every capturing anything. I wasn’t that into it. Then, all of a sudden, I started bringing it along again. My camera, although often left unused, at least it was there. From there, it was a case of just taking more photos, practising and slowly but surely get better. One day it just happened, I was able to take better photos.
Practice makes perfect.
I could pretty much leave this one here and call it a day. For a while, I almost did. One of THE most effective and immediate ways to improve the photos you take is to take more of them. Try it. Take your camera on an outing or set up a flat lay. Instead of snapping a handful of photos, take hundreds. Approach it as an exercise in seeing things differently. Just make sure you take lots.
You might just be surprised at what you have in there.
But practice isn’t just about firing off a million and one pictures. It’s about looking at what you did take and seeing how you could have done it better. Did you crop off someone at a wide spot or miss focus point? Great. Now you know how to do it better. Try again. Something distracting in the background or the picture is weirdly framed? No problem, work out how to avoid that next time. Learn to see it before you hit the shutter button.
Get to know your camera.
The main thing you can do to take better photos is to take some time to get to know your camera {or device}. As soon as I got my new camera, I started hunting for tutorials on YouTube to walk me through the different settings and buttons and modes. All the things. If you’re shooting with your phone, don’t stress, there is plenty out there for you too.
The more you know, the more you can do and the faster you can get. For me, at the moment, changing back from the Fujifilm to Nikon is tricky. Even though I learnt how to use a Nikon originally, I’ve been using my Fujifilm camera for a couple of years now and it’s become second nature. That’s what you’re going for. Make those settings and buttons familiar.
Focus + Angles.
While you’re taking those million and one practice photos, take the time to try different points of focus and angles. Make your photos more interesting by looking at the subject differently. Practice using your focus points to choose what to put in and out of focus. Try standing above or below something. Trying something outside the ordinary will immediately make your photos better.
Can I say, there are more ways to take a photo than you would think.
It could be about moving around so that the lighting is better from the other side. It could be that all of a sudden that plate of food looks more interesting from above or from level to the table. Consider everything, it’s the digital age there’s no such thing as wasting film {was there ever though, really?}. Keeping moving, keep shooting and remember to keep looking. Before long, you’ll be taking better photos too.
An idea or concept.
Before you snap that picture, do you know what it is you want in it? Do you have any idea what you want it to say? That might seem like a weird idea or suggestion, but taking a moment to take better photos by knowing WHY you’re taking a photo. And sure, making memories might be part of it, but why this moment? Why right now? If you know what you’re capturing, and a little bit about the why. Trust me, it will help you see the story in the image.
In the end, the images you are taking are the story. It’s up to you to find a way to convey it to those who see them. What’s happening? Who ARE these people? What matters in this moment and why did you think it was worth saving? Start to answer those questions for yourself. Start to see the moments you capture through that and you’ll take better photos. Why? Because they’ll mean something.
Pin for later?
There you go, team. My hot tips for taking better photos. Now get out there and practice, because like I said, practice is really what makes all the difference here. I’d love to see what you come up with, feel free to tag @sugercoatit on Instagram. Happy snapping!
Look at that. It’s Tuesday already and I’ve spent the last few nights {and one day} trying to edit a video with no success. Less than no success. I was probably 80% complete when the program insisted on crashing constantly and ended up corrupting the file.
Excellent. This is exactly what I pay you a billion dollars a month for Adobe. Thanks so much.
Do you ever have days like that? I know I do. With this video making business, they seem to come more frequently. Have a mentioned before there’s SO much to learn? I did. Awesome. YouTube, you’re killing me here!
And as good as it would be awesome to flip off my laptop and pout on the couch, I won’t. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in this lifetime, it’s that you can’t help such things. You can’t help it and you may as well do something anyway. Create, if you wanted to create.
So, instead, I’m writing this little post.
Because being a creator of things is hard, sometimes. It can feel like you’re all alone in the world. Especially when things aren’t working. It can feel like you’re the only one that shitty things happen to. The only one who loses hours of work, hits refresh instead of saving, delete instead of close or clears a memory card before saving.
Good news? It’s not just you. It’s something that we creators have in common. Whether we write, blog, take photographs, attempt to make YouTube videos or paint, we are alike in our shared experiences. The highs and lows of making something for the world to consume. Sometimes, creating is a lonely thing but it doesn’t have to be.
Just open that browser, uncap that pen or wheel out the easel {is that a thing? I don’t know} and share what it is you’re doing. Creators and appreciators will show up. The community will make itself know to you and share in your challenge or your success. They’ll drag you back from the customer support line for Adobe too, if you ask them.
Do you need me to do that for you?
It’s fine, I’m fine. iMovie has ridden in on it’s very slow, kind of glitchy white horse to save the day. I’ll get this video made one day. So, I’ve got some time for you. What do you need right now as a creator? How can I help you get there? Clear the air, share your success, whatever it is. I’d love to hear.
As far as YouTube achievements go, this feels like the first one. 100 subscribers, I’ve now officially made it. Small pickings by a lot of channels standards, but a milestone achievement none the less. When I started posting regularly in August this year, I certainly didn’t expect to be here already.
I’m a blogger and small business social media coach, so I applied a lot of those same methods to growing my channel. This post is for those of you wanting to do the same thing, or who are curious about such things. It’s especially for those who thought that maybe someday they might start but who are a little worried that no one would ever watch.
Same.
But, they did. Not in droves, and I certainly won’t be rivalling the big guns anytime soon, but they did show up. With a consistency that is both charming and motivational. From everywhere. From the blog, from YouTube search, from browse functions and other social media. Thank goodness, because there’s no hiding your success or failure on YouTube. It’s there for everyone to see.
The main thing I learned being a blogger who started YouTubing, is that not everyone who reads your blog or enjoys your photos on Instagram are interested in your videos. Perhaps even fewer will take the time to move from Facebook to YouTube to watch them. And that’s okay; people have their ways to consume media.
That point, about people viewing media where THEY want, is worth keeping in mind if you decide to start a YouTube channel. I had no idea who Casey Neistat was until I started getting interested in YouTube. It’s one of those platforms that you’re either into, or not. So, don’t expect your existing audience to care automatically. That doesn’t mean they won’t. Keep sharing on whatever platforms you have available to you.
Don’t have an existing audience? Start to build one just as you would for business, a blog or a brand. Your YouTube channel needs that support from social media to drive traffic. I learned that. YouTube rewards those who can bring the audience to them, so you need to be doing that for every single video, or it will crash and burn into YouTube obscurity.
Which is a big pile, let me tell you.
Then, there’s the whole your content probably sucks thing. New to making videos? The sucking thing, yeah, that is probably you especially if you haven’t invested a lot of time into learning the tricks of the trade. When I started out, I thought to get on or behind the camera would be the hard part. It turns out to only be a quarter of what’s going on.
Learn as much as you can so your content is the best it can be. The best way to do this, in my experience, is to choose a posting schedule and stick to it! Practice makes perfect, right? But done is better than perfect. I’ve learned a lot by just doing it and getting my videos out on a regular schedule. I did my best to determine the best ways to deliver it. Which meant watching a whole heap of tutorials about using, at first, iMovie, then Adobe Premiere Pro.
Like anything online, consistency is critical.
When I was creating content, I tried to figure out who would be interested in it. Everything from the actual video material to the supporting shares or blog posts, to the titles and thumbnails of the video. Since I started back in August, I’ve changed some of my thumbnails three times. Not ideal. But also important because I learned better ways to do things.
Another thing that “just showing up” did for me was to put me in front of the camera week after week. Sometimes on multiple occasions just to make the one video. I’d practice recording with my camera, my webcam and my iPhone 7+. I learned how uncomfortable I could be in front of the camera and how often I say um or so. I pity Samara and all the work she has to do with our podcasts now. Haha.
Thanks, Samara, I owe you one.
My next lesson was that sound is almost, if not more, important than the actual video quality. I found that people left my videos faster if there was s sound issue. So, I made videos where I could use my podcast microphone. This strategy worked fine for the social media posts and blogging tutorials. But it wouldn’t work for moving content. After about a month, I purchased the Rode Video microphone; the little one, not the boss pro one. I’ve used it once so far, so it’s hardly been essential.
Which brings me to the next point. The gear, while it does impact your end result, shouldn’t stop you from making something. As I mention in the video, I’ve recently upgraded my webcam as a sort of reward for the work I’ve put in so far. But I didn’t need any of it to start. And you don’t either. So, forget the excuse that you don’t have the right gear and get started creating.
And that is some of what I’ve learned in my first three months as a YouTuber.
3 months, 20 videos, 100 subscribers and countless hours of fun, frustration and f-bombs. Thanks for coming along for the ride! If you’re on YouTube, I’d love to have you join us. Leave me a comment or a like, the algorithm over there likes that kind of thing, apparently. If not, I’ve embedded this video below. Enjoy!
Welcome to the first official challenge week for the Hashtag Plus Blogger challenge. Whether you’re linking up an outfit post, a YouTube video or an Instagram post, we welcome you to get inspired!
Not sure what’s going on? Check out the original post here {http://sugercoatit.com/blog-or-outfit-inspiration/}. But if you’re good to go and this week’s prompt has you inspired, you can link up below! Simply copy the URL and put it in when requested. Super simple.
If you have a blog and would like to include the link up in your blog post {I’d love that, thank you} send me a message and I’ll send you the plain text code. We used to share links in a text document in a Facebook group… Let me know if that would work for you. Otherwise, we’ll do it this way to start.
Thanks for being here, team. Make sure you visit the other entries in the link up and the hashtag on Instagram. This sort of challenge REALLY starts to work when people participate and support each other.
Can’t wait to see your Halloween looks! See you next week for ‘You Can’t’ week.
I swear I wrote this post last week. Maybe I dreamed it. I wanted to make sure I gave you all plenty of notice so if you wanted to come and hang out, we could. But well, it’s Thursday and that post doesn’t actually exist in the world. Apparently, it’s stuck in the depths of my brain. Time to extract it.
Ready?
Okay, so Saturday I fly to Melbourne to attend the Adevee Fashion Festival on Sunday night. I’m excited to see the range of clothes on the runway and visit with my Melbourne favourites. If you’re able to get there, the word on the street is that there are still seats available. Grab your tickets on the website using the ticket BLOGGER10 for a discount.
Who ARE these people?
Well, Adevee is an Australian online e-boutique representing plus size, curve and inbetweenie on-trend stylish fashion solutions for women ranging in size 8 – 32. The show will contain brands from their range, obviously, so I’m excited to see what’s coming online for plus fashion here in the coming months. Let me know on Facebook or Twitter if you’re going to be there. I’ll keep an eye out for you.
Then, I spend a few days working with clients and eating all the things. Pretty standard for my visits to Melbourne. This time, however, I’m going to see if I can put together something of a vlog. Worst case, check Instagram stories for all the goss. I still haven’t figured out my camera situation in terms of vlogging, but I’ll make it work.
Probably, I’ll make it work.
Come Thursday I’m hanging out with the fine folks at Bupa. They’re putting on a couple of functions for the blog awards finalists starting with a workshop, then the awards night. Awesomeness. There are some bloggers in the mix that I’ve known forever. Some I’ve met once or twice. And plenty of fresh meat. I can’t wait to spend some time getting to know them and talk blogging with bloggers. One of my favourite things ever.
So, all the things, short version. I fly home Saturday. Phew. Stay tuned for updates. x
When it comes to blogging there is only ever three questions I get asked. The one that this post centres around is how do you make money on your blog? Especially since at various stages throughout my career it’s been my full-time job. I don’t blame anyone for asking that. I love to talk about money and business, so let’s do that.
In this video, I take you piece by piece through anything that I’ve used now, or in the past to generate money. Even if it wasn’t much! I did this to not only answer that question but so that you can start to create a business plan for your blog. As far as I’m concerned, the more transparent I can be, the shorter the learning curve will be for you.
How to make money on your blog!
Let’s break that video down a little, shall we?
My income streams include the following;
Paid Content
There are two main ways I generate income with paid content; on my blog and off of my blog. There are the opportunities to do editorial style content in the form of blog posts, photographs or crafting shares for other social media platforms. Then there are the times when brands are looking for me to create content for their blog or social media. Whatever the end location of the post, I always stand for being compensated for my time.
Ad Revenue
Ad revenue is one of those things that used to make up a larger portion of my income but has basically been replaced. From using Ad Networks such as AdSense to delivering my own banner ads using third parties or Paypal. Ad revenue isn’t something to be sneezed at, but no longer makes up a part of my income strategy. I’m just not that into it.
Affiliate
For me, this is the fastest-growing income stream on my blog. Long neglected I have been working with Skimlinks (so easy!) to increase my revenue by over 500% (from not much to more than a little, haha). For a fashion and lifestyle blog, there isn’t a more effective, but less intrusive, way to generate income from the activities you were doing anyway. By taking a percentage of sales referred from your blog, everyone wins.
eBooks and Courses
Creating my own eBooks {and courses, one day} is one of those long-term strategies for the blog. Over the years I’ve built up a bit of a library of books and workbooks that I’m proud of. As I move forward I hope to continue to add to that range and increase the offering. If you’ve never checked them out, pop over and take a look. Let’s just say, I didn’t really pick one subject and stick to it. Haha.
Something I forgot to mention in the video was that you can also be an affiliate for other bloggers eBooks and courses. If you’re interested in a certain subject or already do a lot of talking about a product, you should reach out and ask for an affiliate program or link. I did this early on with Sarah Wilson ‘I Quit Sugar’ books and they were excellent because I was already talking about it.
Workshops and Consulting
Last, but not least, absolutely not least, is the work I do behind the scenes. As a builder of websites, social media consultant and workshop-type person. Which, is a pretty long description but it’s got a lot of stuff to cover. I love doing workshops and consulting because blogging and social media is something I could talk about for days. There’s really no better way that I know of to make a living than doing something you love. I’m a lucky girl indeed.
And that, my friend, is how I make money on my blog. I’ve covered off on everything that I’ve given a shot over the years and tried to detail why I still use them or not. I hope you find it helpful, or at least interesting. Let me know if you have any questions {I tried to cover off on the ones you asked on Facebook or Instagram within the video}.
