How to Cash In as a Blogger

book_cover_1563x2500

I published my book – How to Cash In as a Blogger on Amazon a month ago, and I am glad to see it doing so well. I currently have 5 star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and I am super excited that bloggers love my book and find it really useful. I didn’t write this book just to make money (but making some good money will be great too), I wrote it to inform and educate bloggers especially the newbies, on the blogging facts I wish I knew when I started Fashion and Style Police in 2012.

I am happy to see the downloads coming in, and to celebrate a month of my book being published, I am giving you a free short sample read.

 

Table of Contents

 

Copyright Page

Dedication

Introduction

My Short Story

 

Chapter 1 – Building a Brand

Chapter 2 – Jack of all Trades

Chapter 3 – Search Engine Optimisation

Chapter 4 – Attracting the ‘right’ traffic to your blog

Chapter 5 – Get a Media Kit

Chapter 6 – Photography tips for bloggers

Chapter 7 – Making Money from your Blog

Chapter 8 – Tips for Sponsored Posts

Chapter 9 – Tips for Product Reviews

Chapter 10 – Avoiding Blogger Burnout

Chapter 11 – A Final Word

Copyright © 2016 by Stella Olojola

All rights reserved. This e-book is a copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed, publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publisher. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

 

How To Cash In As A Blogger Image

 

This book is dedicated to my baby, my blog – Fashion and Style Police and her readers. I love you all.

 

 

 

Introduction

I wrote this book to fill a void in the blogging industry as a whole. As a lifestyle blogger myself, I struggled to find books with adequate information on the business of blogging and realistic ways on how to make money as a blogger. I have read hundreds of blogging books and thousands of blogs and websites, and I have come to the conclusion that a lot more needs to be said, from a full-time lifestyle blogger’s perspective.

This book is written from my personal experience as a lifestyle blogger – http://fashionandstylepolice.com

I take you on an insider journey into the ‘hush hush’ world of blogging. You read blogs and keep up with your favourite bloggers on social media, you see them showing off their perfect lives on Instagram, and you have questions like, ‘how do these bloggers get brands to notice them in the saturated industry?’ ‘How do they get so many loyal followers?’ ‘How do they survive on a full time blogging income?’

This book answers all these questions and many more. I am going to explain in detail how the blogging industry works, how lucrative a profession it is, and how you can also ‘cash in’ on it, if you have the passion for blogging. I will be focusing on how you can make money as a blogger from sponsored posts and product reviews in particular. I will also dish out some tips on how to avoid a blogger burnout, and how to stand out in the saturated world of blogging, where a new blog pops up every minute.

This book is divided into eleven chapters:

  • Building a Brand
  • Jack of all Trades
  • Search Engine Optimisation
  • Attracting the ‘right’ traffic to your blog
  • Get a Media Kit
  • Photography Tips for Bloggers
  • Making Money from your Blog
  • Tips for Sponsored Posts
  • Tips for Product Reviews
  • Avoiding Blogger Burnout
  • A Final Word

 

This book is for every new or aspiring blogger, in every niche. It can also give an old or established blogger new ideas on how to monetise their blog and keep up in the competitive blogging industry. I enjoyed writing this book and I hope you find it informative and interesting to read.

 

 

 

 

My Short Story

I have loved reading novels and fashion magazines from when I was a kid. While growing up, I loved reading so much, I would continue to read with a candle or torch whenever the electricity went off, which happened every few hours in my country of birth – Nigeria. I would also take whatever novel or magazine I was reading to the bathroom. I loved reading, and not even the lack of electricity or the urge to use the bathroom could stop me. Guess that was the same time I fell hopelessly in love with writing.

I have also been a lover of fashion and beauty for as long as I can remember. I loved playing with my mother’s makeup, and playing dress up with her clothes and shoes. I remember it being so much fun. Fast forward to October 2012, when I was studying an online style course with the London College of Style, and part of the course assessment was to set up a fashion blog; this led to the birth of my baby, my blog – Fashion and Style Police, which has now become a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog.

Before the course, I was thinking of setting up a blog but never got around to do it. I had a stressful customer service job at a big gas and electricity company, which sucked the life out of me and which I hated so much. I was also spending a ridiculous amount of time on social media, especially Facebook. So when it became a course requirement to set up a blog, I went for it with both hands on deck. The blog became a blissful escape from my reality, and a more productive way of spending my time online. When my twins arrived in November 2013, I stopped working to care for them, and I started looking to earn a full-time income from Fashion and Style Police, and I eventually started making more than my previous monthly salary in some months.

My blogging journey so far has been full of ups and downs, a bit of a rollercoaster to be honest, but I wouldn’t change anything. Whatever I have experienced so far has helped shaped me as a blogger, and I don’t see myself ever stopping. The sky is just my starting point.

Blogging for over three years now has opened my eyes to how lucrative the blogging industry is. As at the time of writing this book, I am still a stay-at-home mum to my two-year-old twin toddlers, a freelance writer, a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger and now an author. Blogging has become a career for me, no longer a hobby, and I can see myself doing this for a very long time.

My first sponsored post was for £25, and it was for a luxury online retailer called Avenue 32. It was offered to me by an SEO agent, working on their behalf, and at that time, I felt so grateful, I accepted the £25 without any negotiations or questions. Fast forward to 2016, I won’t write a sponsored post for anything less than a £100. However, I do accept lower payments from my regulars, on few occasions.

I wish I had a book like this, when I first started blogging. Maybe I won’t have accepted the £25, but I guess we all have to pay our dues somehow. I have paid mine, and this book is to help you make a success of your blog, and start making money from it.

 

Well that’s all folks. I hope you enjoyed reading. Click here to download the rest of the book.

Have a great week ahead.

6 Tips on Working with Other Bloggers

6 Tips on Working with Other Bloggers

Blogging Tips Image

 

Blogging is a very social job or hobby as the case may be. You don’t have to be a social butterfly in real life, but you will need to be as social as possible online, for you to succeed as a blogger. As an introvert, I initially struggled with this reality. I enjoy the company of people I have a good rapport with, but sometimes I just want to be by myself (which is why I can’t be bothered with blog events most of the time). I get my energy by spending time alone. In fact, I strive in isolation, it still amazes me what I get done in a matter of minutes when I am alone.

However, I have learnt overtime that I need to come out of my comfort zone with regards to socializing online, and I have. I hosted my very own Twitter party some months ago, I have joined a couple of Facebook groups, and I am engaging a lot more on my social media channels, especially on Twitter and Instagram.

Since I have started being more social and active online, I have seen my blog and social media platforms grow. I have met some amazing bloggers, and got to read some great blogs. I have also learnt a lot more about the blogging industry as a whole. I have achieved so much more as a result of the relationship I have with other bloggers. Fashion and Style Police won’t be where it is today without my readers, many of which are bloggers.

Blogging Image

 

The blogosphere is now so huge, with a new blog popping up every minute. It is a huge community, every smart blogger should be making the most of it. I don’t see other bloggers as rivals, I see them as colleagues and I am happy to offer some blog-loving every now and again, in return for nothing.

Every blogger, no matter how long they have been blogging for, sees their blog as special, if not they won’t be blogging. Majority of us bloggers also want to be accepted and liked by fellow bloggers within or outside our blog niche. So it amazes me that quite a number of bloggers do not know how to work with fellow bloggers.

Well, if you are wondering how you could help a fellow blogger, you are reading the right post. Here are some tips:

 

Be Nice/Polite

I see a lot of bloggers being so rude to other bloggers and passing derogatory comments around, like being nasty is part and parcel of being a blogger, and I am like, really? To exceed in any business, you have to be respectful and nice. It pays to be nice. If anything, it brings good karma. Be nice.

 

Do Not Believe your Own Hype

Now many bloggers believe their own hype and I kind of see where they are coming from. You have to believe your ow hype to stand out from the rest, the blogging community is filled up with alls sorts of talent, it is hard work standing out so I guess you have to hype yourself to get notice. However, what annoys me is seeing a lot of ‘big’ bloggers or small bloggers that think they have arrived, looking down on smaller bloggers just because they feel they are not worth their time or effort. I find this really annoying because every blogger, regardless of their social following or blog readers, passed through that new stage, and the truth of the matter is, many blog readers are bloggers. So when I see bloggers believing their own hype, it makes me laugh out loud, because the ‘small’ blogger they are ignoring today may be the Zoella next year, who knows….

 

Do not Copy

Do not copy a blog post or a blog post idea, no matter how ‘inspired’ you are. Every blogger puts in a lot of thought and work into a blog post, and for you to just blatantly steal it is just wrong. Many bloggers think about the same ideas around the same time, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. The fact that you thought of an idea first and wrote it, does not mean other bloggers have not thought of the same idea, and planned a similar post theme. The cool thing about this issue is, it is very easy to tell if a blog post is copied from another blog when looking at both posts.

Link Back

If you are inspired by a blog post, or a blogger’s review or outfit, mention that on your blog and link back to the blog you got the inspiration from. If you like a blogger’s picture, and you want to include that photo in a blog post, remember to link back. Give credit to whom credit is due.

 

Guest Post

I currently do not accept guest posts from other bloggers but I know many bloggers who do. Ask around within your niche, and start guest posting to increase your blog’s back links and gain new readers. Guest posting is a great way to grow your blog and work with bloggers.

 

Spread the Love

Read other blogs, share blog posts you like, leave a thougthful comment, follow like minds,  and just engage with other bloggers. Do not be afraid to start off a conversation. Spread the love, life is too short!

 

So there you have it, my 6 tips on working with other bloggers. These tips have worked for me, and I am sue they would work for you.

Feel free to add yours in the comment section.

You can read more blogging tips, and how bloggers make money fblogging in my new eBook – How to Cash In as a Blogger. It is now available for download on Amazon for £3.44, but it is free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Thanks for reading and have a great week ahead.

 

error: Content is protected !!