Disclosure: I received a free copy of Influencer Marketing for Dummies for review.
It’s been over a year since I’ve written one of these Blogging Tips posts. So let’s talk about some of the things I’ve learned as a blogger in the past year.
A couple weeks ago, I received a copy of Influencer Marketing for Dummies to read and review. I thought this book was a perfect fit for my Blogging Tips series. So, along with a review, I’m also giving a copy of the book away to one lucky reader. Just enter the giveaway below through Rafflecopter!
So much has happened in the past year.
When I first started blogging in 2013, I had just finished dental hygiene school and was in the process of getting my license. So I had a lot of time on my hands to learn how to blog and to take photos for my recipes. When I moved my blog to self-hosting, I had just received my dental hygiene license and began looking for work. So I still had a lot of time to learn how to run a website and how to grow my blog. But over the last year, I began working as a dental hygienist about four days a week. It definitely became harder to update my blog regularly. I had to learn how to balance both my day job and blogging. Which meant a lot of schedule management and organization, and a lot of times, I’m just not good at it. Sadly. Lol.
Blogging started out as a way for me to express my thoughts, a place where I can de-stress. And it has definitely become a lot more than what I started with. But the thing is, blogging is a hobby for me. I might be making a little bit of money by writing sponsored posts and having ads on the blog, but that’s just an extra perk. Blogging is something I enjoy doing, which is why I like learning everything I can about it. From social media to connecting to brands, it’s just all part of what I’m passionate about.
I mean, who wouldn’t love to get paid to do what they love to do, right?
While Influencer Marketing for Dummies is actually written for brands and companies looking to connect with bloggers and social media influencers, it’s a great resource for us as bloggers too.
Here’s why.
“Content is King”
In this book, we learn about the different things brands and companies are looking for in a good partnership. Brands want influencers who are genuine, who would not sacrifice their own voice to make an extra buck. It’s definitely hard sometimes to not sound so sales-y (I know, I made up another word), but be yourself when you talk about products. You have to like the products that you write about. Otherwise, you won’t be able to connect with your readers. Your readers can feel when you’re not being authentic so it’s important to always be true to yourself and to maintain your own voice even as you’re working to promote a product.
“Impressions: They don’t tell the whole story”
Truth.
How many of you have checked your stats? Like constantly at one point or another?
Me…. What? I can’t help it! Lol.
But the thing is, it really shouldn’t matter.
And brands and companies won’t just look at how many views you have or how many subscribers you have. What really matters is the quality of the content. Because let’s say you have hundreds of thousands of subscribers, but your content is lacking in quality, these companies won’t want to partner with you. Why? Because they’re looking for someone who would fit well with them. They’ll want good quality writing, nice photos, and a good engagement of the audience.
These are some of things you can learn from reading this Influencer Marketing for Dummies. You’ll also learn about the different social media platforms and the best way to utilize them. You can find a copy of this book on Amazon or you can enter for a chance to win below. You must be 18+ to enter and a resident of the U.S.
Just out of curiosity, why do you blog?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
joeschmoe2000 says
I started blogging as a way to stretch myself. I started to think out loud. I started to share my passions about happiness, triathlon, and other random stuff. I felt I wanted to share in a longer format than FB and in a wider scope than FB. I hope I win the book. it sounds interesting.
housewifexhouselife says
I started blogging because I love sharing my experiences and things I love with friends and family that I have far away. It’s just cool that I can share things with strangers and they can benefit from them too!
erhynireh says
I am thankful I followed your blog Andrea. I am learning every time I read your entries and it’s helping. Keep it up!
Dear My Life And Me says
hi, i did a new blog post 2 days ago. Would you want to check it out? You can ask me some Q&A questions and i’ll answer them in my next blog post. thanks x https://dearmylifeandme.wordpress.com/
youthfoodblog says
Thanks for sharing!
Bilna Sandeep says
Andrea I always love reading your blogging tips..It was reading your blog post on movingto self hosted that actually gave me the courage to go ahead without technical help and it changed everything for me…
In the beginning blogging was just a hobby..but now that’s my passion as well as it has started giving me a good means of earning too..like you said who doesn’t like to get paid for doing what they love…
Tai says
My partner and I started out blog as a way to connect our two passions: food and travel. I thought it’d be a lot of work, and while it does take effort, I’m enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. It’s a lot of fun to have a project that we can work on together!
Marie Rogers says
I write mostly fiction (Yay! I had a short story published last year!) but I also write short, mostly nonfiction pieces I began my web log to share these thoughts and experiences with the world. Andrea, my recipe box is filling up quickly with your recipes. Thank you and keep them coming.
Josh dV says
Great, simple tips. Be Honest. That will get us further than we think if we let it.
I started blogging in order get my thoughts out. I have them and sometimes they make sense to me but I need to experience them to really make sense of them.
C. J. Hartwell says
I like your tips. I actually find them comforting, since I really don’t like the idea of forcing my blog into something I don’t want, just for the hopes of attracting advertisers. If it happens, it happens, but I’m not going to be anything but myself.