Fitbloggin’ in Portland was phenomenal. I got the opportunity to present with two amazing bloggers- Erica from EricaDHouse.com and Annabel from FeedMeImCranky.com on How to Create a Media Kit that Showcases Your Brand and Gets Companies Knocking on Your Door at Fitbloggin.
We had so much great feedback and questions after our blogger media kit presentation and I just wanted to lay down a few points to help you blog more confidently, advocate your worth, get what you deserve and grow your blog.
1. Put Together A Quality Media Kit As Soon As You Get Home.
Do not wait, do not procrastinate. If you want your blog to run like a business, treat it like one- your media kit is your silent advocate, your first impression, much like a résumé or a business card, it will speak volumes for your worth as a blogger even if your stats can’t do the same.
With the right media kit, even if you’re new or small, this 2-3 page PDF (that you can make yourself, it doesn’t have to be uber fancy) will send the right message that you should be taken seriously and you care about your brand.
2. You Deserve More…ASK FOR IT!
Women often wait until they “get noticed” to get what they want or simply take what they can get. Ladies, my hope for everyone at Fitbloggin this year is to ask for more when it comes from your blog- don’t work for free, don’t spend two hours putting together a post for a $5 product, don’t settle for less simply because you’re new/shy/have a small blog…or other excuses. (and yes, they are excuses! We get in our OWN way and negative self talk keeps us from growing!)
You never know what will happen when you ask for what you heart desires, so do it often and don’t settle. You may hear some “no’s” along the way, but the right “yes” will be far more gratifying! Ask for higher product values for your reviews and giveaways, offer sidebar advertising and sponsorships for what you’re worth and what you need to feed your family- not what you think you’ll get. Asking for more usually means getting more- trust me, you’ll be surprised when you try!
3. You Can Start TODAY.
Many bloggers feel they need to have 50,000 pageviews a month before brands will work with them or they will be taken seriously. I started sending pitches when I was a broke grad student on $800 a month and a small blog I pieced together myself, but I got my foot in the door by sending pitches, working with what brands I could, then the success began to snowball.
Everyone starts somewhere, do not hesitate to start today- just like with fitness, you will thank yourself later for starting now. Put together your media kit, invest in a logo (even if a designer friend does it for cheap/free), and start reaching out to brands. You may start small but you’ll be proud you started. You can have a profitable blog if you put yourself out there- many don’t have the courage to start!
4. Your Blog Has Value, Don’t Undersell Yourself.
I hear tons of reasons why bloggers are too scared to start working with brands- they feel they’re not valuable, they’re intimidated or they don’t know how to talk to brands, that’s alright, just start and you’ll build confidence as you grow.
For now though, as you start working with brands, realize the worth you do have, no matter your blog’s size: your reputation, brand influence, backlinks/SEO, a cultivated community of readers, your artistic and writing talents, plus the time and energy you put into brand collaborations is valuable. What is your TIME worth? What is your REPUTATION worth? What is the EXPOSURE worth? Don’t undersell yourself.
Thank you to everyone who had such kind feedback after our presentation! Go home, create your media kit and start earning what you are worth!
See my entire slew of blogging posts to help you blog like a rockstar or check them out below!
How To Build A Brands Want To Work With
The Five Mistakes Bloggers Make That Kill Their Success
My Rockstar Blogging Secrets To Earning Your First $1,000 in Blogging Freebies
Want A Freebie Filled Christmas? How To Score Free Stuff With Your Blog Pt. 1
One of my favorite presentations -excellent recap! My blog has been live for a whole week, but I’m going to do it anyway. You have inspired me 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂 You can do it!
Thank you so much for this post! And for the presentation. I wasn’t able to be at Fitbloggin’ in person, but I checked out the Live Blog recap on the Fitbloggin’ website and it had some great tips.
This post was exactly what I needed to hear. My biggest fear is that I am too small and that I can’t move forward with my blog and my brand until I’ve gained a larger community and following. But I guess I’ve got to start somewhere!
Love the post, wasn’t at Fitbloggin but really appreciate the words of encouragement for women who need this message.
Thanks Dianna! I hope it’s helpful!
One of my favourite sessions to go to! You did a fabulous job and it made me want to just hang out with you! I love your humor!
Great meeting you!
Thanks so much Charissa, I’m honored! It was great to meet you too!
Thank you for taking the time to write such a wonderful “How To” about marketing your blog. I am just having my blog created by as website developer because I want it to be amazing – plus I do not know how to set it up myself. I will be traveling all over the world with an aid organization and want to chronologue everything. Of course I want to monetize it, and your points about getting to keep products I review in the field would help with the budget. I had not even thought of that. Thank you so much!