Thursday, May 31, 2012

The How To's of Blogging Series - {Part Four!}

Today we continue with Part 4 of "The How-To's of Blogging Series". I am hosting this awesome series with the fabulous and talented Melissa at The Life of a Not so Ordinary Wifeso make sure and visit over there as well. This entire week will be filled with posts on how to re-vamp your blog, learn some valuable information and make you a "better" blogger, so make sure to come back because there will be a new topic everyday. You can find out who will be posting this week by clicking here

If you missed the posts from earlier this week you can find them below:


managing blog sponsorships button

Hi, I'm Andi and I blog at The Hollie Rogue. I have been blogging since February of 2011 and have learned so much about so many blog things along the way. I certainly don't have it all figured out and am constantly brainstorming ideas with my blogging friends.

That said, today, I'd like to share with you some of the things I've learned when it comes to managing sponsorships on my own blog. 1. Decide on the numbers and stick with them: Decide how many ad spots you want to have and how many of each size. I personally like it when a blog has fewer ad spots and the ones they have are larger in size. I don't want to be lost in a sea of small ads. Also, fewer ads on your own blog allows you to give personalized attention to each sponsor, interactions on social media, and keeps you a little more sane with sending out invoices and staying organized (see #3). 2. Decide on the packages and follow through with your promises: With each ad spot, clearly define what the sponsor spot includes. Will it just be a sidebar spot or does it also include a guest post, giveaway, social media shoutouts, etc? I find that including some, if not all of the additional options really optimizes the sponsor's exposure. 3. Stay organized: This is difficult but highly NECESSARY! I use a year planner that includes post ideas, blogging events, and yes, my sponsor spots. I also have an excel sheet where I record my sponsor's stats (followers, facebook likes, etc) at the beginning and end of the month. Create computer files for sponsor spotlights and giveaways so that you'll always know where all of those photos/posts are easily found. 4. Anything you can do in a minute or less, do RIGHT AWAY: This is a simple tip, but so helpful in keeping you from feeling totally overwhelmed with sponsor stuff. I have a rule that if I get an email and it is something I can do in a minute or less (ie: send out a tweet, or facebook status, email back a quick response, etc), I do it RIGHT THEN. It is checked off the mental list and I don't have to worry about remembering to come back and do it later. 5. Surprise them with your effort: The last tip that I have is to go above and beyond for your sponsors. If you are serious about having sponsors, then make sure you put in the effort to follow through with what you promise, spend a couple minutes a week to visit their sites/shops and leave a comment, pin a product, or just send a "how you doing" email. It really means a lot and for me, sponsorships are much more about the friendships developed than the money made. Your sponsors will be appreciative of your hard work and hopefully come back again!
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If you are interested in sponsoring The Hollie Rogue, check here for all the details for June/July.


GIVEAWAY COMING! Dana from Wonder Forest has been so kind to offer all of you a FREE copy of her very own e-book for bloggers "Blog Wonderful". Stayed tuned for the giveaway at the end of the series!!

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