Why Do I Write Sponsored Posts?

Before I even start this post I want to premise it by saying that 100% of this post is *MY* real life experience.  Not every blogger feels the same way about sponsored posts and their experiences may be very different from mine.  But since this is MY blog, I am of course going to share MY thoughts and opinions.. the good, the bad and the ugly.  This post is not passing judgement of any other specific blogger and/or their sponsored posts..  nor is it a ‘call to action’ for other bloggers to change the way they write their sponsored content.  Every blogger must make their own decisions when it comes to working with brands.  I feel very strongly about the way I handle sponsored posts on my blog and this post solely reflects those feelings towards my own content.

As any long term reader may have noticed, in the past year or so my blog has become peppered with sponsored content. I have always monetized my blog with display ads, but beginning in March of 2014 I started writing sponsored content as another revenue stream.  (For my rationale see number 5.)  

This post about a stacked pot planter was my first EVER sponsored post.  
As a blog reader, I admit, I never really liked sponsored content. Blogs I had read for a long time, were suddenly filled with posts that began with “this post brought to you by..” or EVEN WORSE bloggers I trusted would post projects full of stuff they clearly received for free, but they hid their disclosures somewhere out of the way, so when I had finally read to the end I realized it was just a pitch for some product all along.  I felt like I was being TRICKED.   And I hated it.  

What is Haven? What Makes It Special?

 Phew.. I have finally returned from my extended Haven vacation, and in my typical style I'm late getting my recap post up.   We decided to take a few extra days sightseeing in Washington DC and so I am only getting home now.  Originally I was going to write up my recap earlier, but another experience got in the way (and I'm glad it did.)

SNAP 2015 (and Notes from my Blogger Roundtable)

I wasn’t actually going to do a SNAP recap post this year but when I asked on my Facebook page if people wanted one, the majority said yes.. so here it is.  (Bet you didn’t realize the content of this blog was reader-interactive.. did ya? Well, if you aren’t following my Facebook page, you aren’t getting a vote!)

Anyhoo..

What I've Learned By Hitting (and Missing) My Blogging Goals: January In Review

January was a whirlwind month for me.  I am going to do a round up of all my projects at the end of this post.. so if you are looking for projects, feel free to scroll on down.  But first I wanted to take a little time to write about some things that have been weighing on me lately.

Earlier in the year, I set out some goals for myself (both for the blog and personally) and I wanted to use this time to reflect on how well things are going and if I need to make changes.  I found that looking back on what I set out for myself not even 30 days ago has really opened my eyes to things I like and don't like about my blog and how it is influencing both my personal and online life. 

First, on the blogging side:

  1. Find my voice

Ironically this post is actually in response to this exact goal.  Normally I would never have written this out for you to read.  I always have focused on PROJECTS PROJECTS PROJECTS (since hey.. this isn't Dr. Phil) but since my new goal is to be more real, I decided to share my feelings with you.

The blog community is changing, and not 100% for the better (in my opinion.) I feel like there is a lot of great chatter out there, but unfortunately, it is all getting eaten up by the fast frenzy that is social media and Pinterest.  It is starting to feel like you are only as good as you latest and greatest project.  You can have a post go viral, and have thousands of views, and dozens of new facebook fans.. Your instagram account may blow up.. but in a flash it is over.  Everyone moves on to the next great project.. and you are left feeling (I don't know a better word): used. 

And I will admit, I am just as guilty of it as anyone else.  I have hundreds of blogs in my reader.  I get notified of at least 100-150 new posts EVERY.DAY.  And of course I don't read them all.. I skim the titles, maybe join a linky party or two, stop by a couple which catch my eye, pin a few projects, mark the rest as read.. and move on.

And it seems like a lot of blogs are going that way.  With readers picking out the highlights, and not really developing a 'relationship' with bloggers like we would have before.  Jennifer at Rambling Rennovater said it best in her epic ode to blogging:

There is a lot of noise in my life that detracts from the joy of blogging. Each new person I follow on Twitter or Instagram, each blog that I add to my reader, deflects my attention from what is already there. We live in a society where more is better. Where more subscribers makes you a more successful blogger and more Facebook fans makes you more influential.

But we know the numbers are not the whole truth - even if the social media marketers and brand sponsors try to convince us otherwise.

That is why I think a post like this is important even though it is never going to make it to Pinterest. (Heck, it probably will barely get read), but it shows you the 'real' me.  I am more than just my projects.. My blog can't be boiled down to one pretty picture on a Pinterest board.  There is someone behind it, who struggles to keep a good balance.  

I often find myself falling into the trap of spending more time promoting my content, than actually working on my content.. and often that is to the detriment of my family.  In the struggle to make myself heard, I am spending time away from the things I should be focusing on.

Heather Lynne from Raising Memories really struck a nerve with me when she re-focused her blog and re-prioritized her blogging career. She wanted to limit the amount of time she was spending on her blog vs. spending with her family... and I definitely understand that. Ultimately, Heather Lynne didn't feel successful, and decided to completely step away from her blog for the month of February.  (A move I completely understand and respect. I applaud her for doing it, since it is quite courageous to do so.)  She took drastic action in hopes of getting a dramatic result and I truly hope that it works for her and she can come back to find the right balance.

I have begun to find that my blog is defining me.  I look at the world though the lens of my blog.. "Wow! That would be a great project for the blog" or "This recipe is really good, I wonder if I should blog about it.."  I see something cool and immediately take a photo for instagram, or tweet about it.  People are now immediately associating me with my blog.  My friends and family are constantly giving me ideas, and I love to share my successes with them.

But when is it all too much?  When do you start losing who you are and start being nothing but "that blogger"? That is a hard line to define sometimes, which is why I am in awe of Heather Lynne and  her ability to pull the plug and step away.  I feel like if I did that, I would be missing an actual piece of myself.  But I do think I need to work on my moderation.  I know like I am constantly saying that (and have been since 2010) but I still haven't gotten a handle on it.

Which leads me to:

2. Get more organized with my social media

Notice I didn't say "Spend more time on social media"? Since that is definitely NOT the goal.  I want to work smarter not harder.  I won't lie.. I want my blog to be successful, so I will have to play the 'social media game', but I have to always remember that my job is not social media.. my job is BLOGGING.  

Ironically, I do think I have been doing much better with this goal this month.  I am engaging with a lot of people (especially on Facebook.)  The problem with the book of face, is how it screens out what people see.  So although I love being myself over there and sharing things with everyone, it is still hard to get to 'know' everybody like I wish I could. 

I have been having a little more fun on Instagram, and of course twitter (which comes in fits and spurts) and I am finally dipping my toes into the waters of Google+.   I also have been much better about using Pinterest more consistently.  

All of this 'promotion' must be working because I had more pageviews in the month of January than I have ever had (since moving to my thekimsixfix.com URL.) 

I want to tell you that I am using some social media scheduling apps to make this a lot easier on myself.  I do go through and manually check all my notifications so if you do respond or ask me a question, send me a PM or email I will eventually get back to you.  But understand how I am not always immediately available, even if it seems like I'm tweeting, posting or pinning!

3. Attend Haven and BlogHer 2014

As of now, this is still the plan. I have my tickets for BlogHer.. and am trying to plan my trip to Atlanta for Haven, but there is no big rush.. yet.

4. Introduce Flashback Fridays

I hope you all are enjoying this series. I have been having a blast looking through my old photos when I'm preparing the new posts. I find pictures like this, which melt my heart and remind me of how fast the time is going.  

E: Dec 2009

J: Nov 2009

Baby J: Jun 2013

It brings up the same sentiment that I talked about earlier.  And can be summarized best with a quote from my favorite 1980s bad boy: 

Those kids are barely recognizable now.  They have grown up so fast.  I want to make sure I am enjoying them in every stage, since one day it will all be over.

What Does It Take To Write A Blog Post?

I recently wrote about my experiences with sponsored posts and why I think it is so important to make sure that the content within them is always worth reading.  I was actually surprised by how much traffic (and feedback) that post received.  Based on the majority of the responses to that piece (both on the post itself and on social media) I am clearly not the only one who feels that way.

It isn’t that I believe most bloggers set out with the goal of “write crappy sponsored posts and annoy my readers,” but sometimes that just happens.  Creating high quality sponsored posts usually means a lot more work than just regurgitating the sales pitch you are told to give.  Even with the best intentions, not every post will be a winner. Sometimes posts just don’t turn out like you envisioned. I admit that I have had that happen to me.

Good posts (sponsored or otherwise) are hard work..  and LOTS OF IT.  Most bloggers are already keenly aware of this, but a non-blogger may not realize what it actually takes get a post written and published. So today (and since I am tapped out of new projects to share.. #KeepingItReal) I am going to show you what it takes for me to create a post.

The 2014 BlogHer Conference Awards

So, if you follow me anywhere on social media (you know.. like here, or here, or here) , you are well aware I just spent my weekend at the 2014 BlogHer Conference in San Jose.

Normally I would not attend this mega-conference, but because it was right in my backyard this year I thought I would swing by. (I drove in every day, I didn’t need a hotel or anything.)  It was an.. say we say.. interesting.. experience.  After coming from the Haven Conference just 2 short weeks ago, I will admit that BlogHer had a lot to live up to.

I doubt I will ever attend another BlogHer conference unless it is in the Bay Area again, just because it was really NOT focused on experienced bloggers or anything to do with DIY.  It would be a great conference for a new blogger or anyone who blogs about women, kids, family, current events or lifestyle.  That is what the sessions and sponsors were focused on.

It isn’t that I had a bad time.. It was really quite fun, but I just didn’t feel like I could connect with a lot of the other attendees.  It was pretty much the polar opposite of my 2014 Haven experience, which was ALL about connecting with like-minded, similarly niched bloggers. I enjoyed many of the featured speakers and Voices of the Year, but I didn't feel like I got a lot out of the blogging sessions.  It was a lot more about 'entertainment' than it was about 'education' for me.

Okay.. enough of the negative!  I’ve learned that you don’t get anywhere by focusing on the negative, so instead of further discussion of why BlogHer wasn’t a great fit for me, I thought I would instead feature the stuff I DID love.  Without further ado, here are the:

2014 BlogHer Conference Awards  

Congrats to all the winners.. your checks are in the mail* 

 

 

 

Most Touching Moment:  Thank You Montage for Katherine Stone of PostparturmProgress

A Non-Professional's Experience at BlogHerPRO 2013

I just got back from an intense few days at the BlogHerPRO conference which was held in Silicon Valley this year.

Let me explain: I do NOT consider myself a "Professional Blogger" by any means.  

 

If I had to survive on my income from blogging to feed my family, we couldn't even afford Ramen. Blogging still has to fall into the "pastime" category for me.

I will confess, the only reason I attended was because I live in the Bay Area and it was going to be an "easy commute" over to the venue.  The reason I have "easy commute" in quotes is that anyone who lives around San Francisco/Silicon Valley can testify that there is no such thing as an easy commute.  On a good day I was facing at least an hour in traffic, but I had an unforseen complication of a public transportation strike to make it even more exciting.  I ended up staying in a hotel close to the venue to save myself the headache and turned the two days into a mini-vacation for myself. BEST.DECISION.EVER!

Not only did I learn quite a bit at the conference, but I also came home refreshed.   Check out the venue for the opening night's cocktail mixer:

One other cool thing about this specific conference (vs, say Haven for example) is that the participants were very different.  There were hardly any DIY bloggers there (I may even say there were NO other DIY bloggers there.. at least that I met), and I only recognized a handful of blog names.  I did however meet a TON of local bloggers whose blog topics ran the gamut from MommyBloggers to FoodBloggers, Self-HelpBloggers, TechBloggers and even a few people who blogged professionally about things like Medical Care, Law, and Business Development.   

There were a lot of bloggers at this conference with tens hundreds of thousands of followers and millions billions of pageviews and it would have been easy to be intimidated, but most people were super nice and easy to talk to;  Regular ol' people with regular ol' lives.  Even though I am a tiny blogger, I could actually relate to a lot of the "big guys."  In fact,  Britt Reints  (who spoke about Pivoting your Brand) even gave me a little shout out, after hearing my story of re-branding my blog earlier this year.

It was fascinating really (at least to me, who doesn't really run in non-DIY blog circles) to hear about other people's motivations for blogging and how they have found success.  (Pinterest isn't exactly a big traffic driver if you are blogging about Medicare or Binding Legal Contracts!)

And even though was quite a bit of information in the sessions that didn't (and probably won't ever) apply to me (like turning your blog into a marketable physical product,) the message of "You don't have to be perfect!" "Give yourself a break and just do the best that you can." and "Don't compare yourself to others!" still resonated.

All these (now) big professional bloggers had to start somewhere.  It struck me when keynote speaker Porter Gale said: "Miracles and success are an accumulation of small steps.  Baby steps still mean you are making progress!" (Totally random anecdote: She and I actually had a discussion about how the houses on Houzz are insanely large and over-the-top and just how fun that makes them to look at! See.. I told you.. regular ol' people! )

If you are interested in the information presented in any of the sessions, you should peruse though the Virtual Conference Blog Posts.  I promise, if you are a blogger, big or little, you will learn something.  

The final highlight of the whole event was the announcement that the next BlogHer conference (you know, the "BIG ONE!')  is going to be in San Jose!  My backyard!!  I hope that I will get to see a few of favorite fellow BlogHer Sponsored DIY bloggers there!