Find more Blogging While Brown webinars at http://bloggingwhilebrown.com/webinar-notes.
Attendee Spotlight: OYT: One Young Traveler by Aylin M.
OUR ATTENDEE SPOTLIGHT IS:
OYT: One Young Traveler by Aylin M.
Niche
Travel
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO EXPERIENCE AT BLOGGING WHILE BROWN 2015?
Learn different ways to monetize and enhance reader involvement and learn how to incorporate partnerships and events.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START A BLOG?
My love for travel grew into wanting to give back. I started giving back in conversations, advice, and tips. I now want to give back in monetary value to help build businesses, schools, and homes and to give back by providing my time and service.
Where do you see you and your blog in 5 years?
Collaborating with major community service programs and charities to help build people's lives and business in other countries.
Creation of my personal lifestyle blog on my experience in quitting my corporate job to move abroad and do something meaningful.
What's the promise you make to people who visit your blog?
Insightful cultural reading and travel tips.
See You in Austin!
Conference Session: How SEO Has Grown and How You Must Grow With It - Presented By Claudio Cabrera
Claudio Cabrera will be presenting How SEO Has Grown and How Your Must Grow With It.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this session:
- A step by step process on how to create a story in WordPress with all the proper SEO basics.
- How to apply to Google News.
- he impact of social media sharing on your stories and how they appear in Google.
- How creating link for link or traffic sharing partnerships can help your brand's reach and standing with search engines.
- How the quality, length and meatiness of your content will always defeat a skin and bones story.
- How important speed is in the content aggregation process
- How writing for social is now the same as writing for the search engines
Session Description:
When digital journalists and editors think of SEO they either become immediately intimidated or assume it has to do with coding and a bunch of technical stuff that they don't really know about.
The days of keyword stuffing and manipulating headlines - while not over - do not hold the same importance they once did.
In this session, We will y go over SEO basics but also how to be more creative, create more quality content and focus other skills like marketing and PR to help grow your website.
About Claudio Cabrera
Claudio E. Cabrera is an award-winning digital marketer and journalist born and raised in the Inwood section of New York City. A graduate of Brooklyn College, Cabrera has spent the last seven years working with some of the biggest brands in the African American and Mainstream media space. He has grown and partnered with the likes of BlackEnterprise.com, The Huffington Post, the St. Louis Rams, Radar Online, NBC's The Grio, Newser, Interactive One, Loop21.com, EURweb.com and many more. In 2013, Cabrera was named one of the top Audience Development Managers in the country by Folio Magazine, joining Audience Development Managers at companies such as Time Inc., and The Economist.
Cabrera is currently the Audience Development Manager for CBS Local, overseeing the traffic acquisition and growth of 29 properties across the U.S.
Webinar Replay: Monetization 101: How to Make Money Blogging
We realize that a number of our attendees are new to blogging so we've prepared an introductory webinar for members of the Blogging While Brown family who want an introductory overview of how to make money blogging. Gina McCauley, the founder of the Blogging While Brown conference will be presenting the session. Gina will cover common reasons why bloggers don't make money, a basic blogging business plan and case studies of successful blogging businesses.
Webinar Replay: Strategic Networking Webinar - Blogging While Brown
Put the "social" back in social media. To help you get ready to rock the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference, join us for a webinar to learn the value of networking by honing your message, creating a networking plan and becoming a visible expert. Our presenter will be Michelle Ngome, author of Network, Navigate & Nurture: The Equation to Strategic Networking.
Conference Session: Blogger Rights - Presented by Kit Walsh Staff Attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation
Every day we read new stories about bloggers facing looming legal threats: civil and criminal. That’s why I’m proud to announce that this year’s Legal Issues session at the 2015 Blogging While Brown conference will be presented by someone who is on the the front lines of litigation and policy protecting bloggers’ rights.
Kit Walsh is a Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation(eff.org), a non-profit advocacy organization that makes sure your civil liberties stay with you when you go online. The EFF has published the Legal Guide for Bloggers as part of their Bloggers' Rights project.
Kit specializes in free speech and copyright law, and has represented numerous journalists, activists, and researchers in order to ensure that their voices can be
heard even when powerful adversaries would prefer their silence. She has previously taught Internet law at Harvard Law School, providing free legal services to the public through Harvard's Cyberlaw Clinic. Her twitter handle is @neurokit.
This is Our Liveliest Session Every Year - Hear it Live
Every year, the Legal Issues session is filled with the most questions. You need to be there live so you can interact with Kit and hear about the legal issues other bloggers are struggling with. Register for Blogging While Brown 2015 and maximize your important voice without worrying about the cloud of legal liability.
Conference Session: Blogging 101 Super-Session - Co-Presented by Arsha Jones and Bernetta Knighten
Bernetta Knighten and Arsha Jones will be co-presenting our Blogging 101 Super-Session with Arsha Jones.
One of our most popular sessions each year, this is a nuts and bolts session designed to answer all of your technical questions about launching a blog. You'll learn about content management systems, hosting, domain name reservations, hyperlinking, quoting, embeds, plug-ins and more. This extended session will also give you a chance to have your personal blogging pitfalls debugged.
New to blogging, no problem. This session was designed specifically for you.
About Arsha Jones:
Arsha Jones has spent the last 15+ years in web design and technology fields. With a Bachelors of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University (Go Rams!), she began her career as the dot com bubble exploded and survived the burst unscathed. In 2009, with her entrepreneurial spirit, Arsha created BrandBuildSell, a free online resource for beginners who want to get started online, without the fluff and used car salesman tactics.
She is now preparing for the launch of her first iOS app, The Big Chop, a natural hair makeover iOS app for brown girls.
www.brandbuildsell.com www.arshajones.com
www.thebigchopapp.com
www.capcityapps.com
About Bernetta Knighten:
I am an African American Lifestyle blogger, creative wife, mother, natural hair gal, A GOAL-GETTER & A GOAL ACHIEVER!
I am originally from a north suburb outside of Chicago, Il. I moved to Atlanta shortly after graduating from Alabama State University and soon after, met and married my husband. I am a mother of 3 wonderful children and my life is an experience.
I am also currently the Digital Media Coordinator for BlackandMarriedwithKids.com. I am responsible for editing the site, managing 30+ freelance writers, in addition to suppling news of the day stories, social media engagement and more. I enjoy my job and everyday pinch myself because I know the work I put in on my personal blog has allowed me to actually work full time in the blogging/media arena.
The Bernetta Style blog is a resource on motherhood, wife-life and everything that comes along with that. That includes fitness, keeping your self up, natural hair, family events, date nights and reviews (events & products). If I find a deal, I am going to share it. I love to do it and people love me for it!
I desire to Motivate & Inspire all to Live Smart, Simple & Stylish by making the best choices for you! I started this blog because I love to share events, ideas, & things that can make life easier, fun and just better.
Register today so you can hear Arsha Jones and Bernetta Knighten live!
Conference Session: Online Activism - Opportunity or Obligation?Presented By Howard Franklin
Howard Franklin will be presenting Online Activism - Opportunity or Obligation? at the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this session:
- Social media is increasingly being used as a means of social and political protest. In my session, attendees will answer the question, "How can my online activism be more impactful, meaningful and long lasting?"
- "What are the most effective ways to ensure that my advocacy result in governmental/legislative/societal action?"
Session Description:
Social and political activism reached new highs in 2014. Everyone from athletes to entertainers wants to get involved. In my session, attendees will learn what works and what doesn't, how to move the needle on issues they care about, and where advocacy meets (governmental/legislative/societal) action.
About Howard Franklin:
Howard is one of the South’s most successful young strategists. At 23, he was tapped for leadership by the late Maynard Jackson, the first African-American mayor of a major southern city. Since then, he has scored a string of legislative and electoral victories while promoting policies for some of the South’s leading lawmakers, including Mayor Shirley Franklin, the first woman elected to lead a major southern city; Percy Bland, the first African-American elected mayor of Meridian, Miss.; Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly; and state Senator Jason Carter, the Georgia Democrats’ 2014 nominee for governor. A self-described “Southerner by choice,” Howard is fluent in the language of national campaigns. Since 2004, he has taught political organizing for Wellstone Action, helping train more than 30,000 activists nationwide. He has advised global organizations like Save Darfur and CDC Foundation, and won a historic 2009 race electing a new government in the Cayman Islands. In 2010, Howard made history again, when he was elected the first male president of the Georgia League of Women Voters, the first chairman of the state democratic party’s African-American Caucus, and inducted into the first Southern chapter of New Leaders Council, which trains and promotes progressive political leaders. Howard earned degrees in English literature and sociology from Morehouse College.
Register for Blogging While Brown 2015 today so you can hear Howard Franklin live!
Conference Session: Cultivating A Strong Visual Identity-Presented By Candace Queen
Candace Queen will be presenting Cultivating A Strong Visual Identity at the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this session:
How can I make my blog instantly recognizable?
How do I develop a visual identity for my blog?
Session Description:
There’s more to your blog’s identity than just the logo. This workshop will provide a step-by-step guide to developing a visual identity for your blog. Whether you have a design background or are working with a designer this workshop will walk you through the process. Upon completion of this workshop you’ll be able to make informed decisions about the direction of your blog’s visual identity.
About Candace Queen:
Candace is an art director and visual designer based in Austin, TX. She currently operates a boutique branding and design consultancy, Harris Hall Brand Initiative, providing essential services to individual professionals, emerging businesses and cause-based organizations. Over the course of her career she’s worked for a range of clients including RadioShack, John Deere, Marshall’s, and ThriveV.com.
In addition to her work in the design and advertising industry she’s also completing her M.A. in Advertising at the University of Texas at Austin. Her primary research focus revolves around multicultural marketing and branded content marketing.
Why Candace thinks you need to hear it live:
Bloggers can experience challenges with developing an instantly recognizable identity for their brand. A blogger without a design/advertising background may struggle with effectively communicating with a designer about what it is they need. This session will identify all the steps in creating a visual identity for a brand (research, graphic elements, typography etc.) and address the ways the visual identity translates on different platforms (social media, website, print). A live conference format is needed because the subject matter requires discussion and interaction to clearly express the components of the workshop.
Register for Blogging While Brown 2015 today so you can hear Candace Queen live!
Conference Session: Let’s Create That Course! The 6 Essential Steps to Go From None to Done Presented By Jennifer Kennedy
Jennifer Kennedy will be presenting Let’s Create That Course! The 6 Essential Steps to Go From None to Done at the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this session:
- What makes a good (sellable) course topic? (In other words, how do I know if people will buy my course?)
- What type and how much information should be included in your course?
Session Description:
You've been blogging for a while and are ready to take things to the next level. Or, perhaps you have a passion that you're ready to share with the world. Regardless, you're ready to create an online course to reach more people.
In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to create meaningful content for their digital courses. They will work on a game plan that takes them from course idea to content delivery.
The session will cover:
- What makes a good course topic
- How to organize your course content for learning
- What will set your course a part from the other courses on the same topic
- The one thing that all courses need
- How to make your course engaging (and not boring!)
About Jennifer Kennedy:
Jennifer is an educator who provides training and coaching for women who are ready to take action on their goals so that they can have more freedom in their lives.
Jennifer has over 12 years of experience in education. She has a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Miami University and a master’s degree in Education from California State University, Long Beach. Jennifer has earned the Teacher of the Year Award and spoken for numerous conferences including the Toastmasters Leadership Institute.
Jennifer started her business after realizing there was a need for online entrepreneurs to learn how to create courses and workshops. She teaches practical and easy to implement strategies that you can use to develop your course. In her free time, she enjoys running, traveling, and a glass of Malbec.
Why Jennifer thinks you need to hear it live:
Two of the biggest questions when it comes to creating a course is where to start and how much information should be included. Oftentimes, people are stuck on these questions because they don't have any place or person to ask. They are always wondering if they are doing things correctly. This workshop will not only answer those questions, but get participants started towards creating an online course.
This session will give them the steps they need to create their course and outline their course content.
Accountability is huge! So, it's my goal that by the end of this workshop, all participants feel ready to move on to the next step of their course (which is actually creating the content)!
Register for Blogging While Brown 2015 today so you can hear Jennifer Kennedy live!
Conference Session: Blog Lockdown - Technology Tips To Keep Your Blog SecurePresented By Terrance Gaines
Terrance Gaines will be presenting Blog Lockdown - Technology Tips To Keep Your Blog Secure at the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this session:
- How to prevent hackers from accessing your site.
- What steps to take if/when your site is attacked and/or infected.
Session Description:
What would happen if your blog/website disappeared right now due to getting hacked or being infected with malware? This session will focus on blog security and is idea for new bloggers who want to start on right foot, as well as well-established brands who can't afford for their site to be out of commission.
We will go over basic blog/website security concepts as well as go over tips, tricks, and specific tools to help bloggers keep their site safe and secure. Additionally, we will go over methods to get their sites back up and running in the event of an attack.
About Terrance Gaines:
If you look up “Family IT Guy who is always the go-to tech pro when anybody they love, sort of knows, or randomly runs into on the street, has a question about gadgets and gizmos” in the dictionary, Terrance Gaines' face would appear.
Born and raised in Indianapolis but now living in Atlanta, his passion for technology has evolved from thing he helped family and friends with, to a blog in order to share his love of all things techie with other geeks, to a brand that empowers people and businesses use technology to do great things.
From individuals looking for the best technology devices to suit their personal needs, to businesses who need a knowledgeable advisor to consult them with technology tools and services to strive, Terrance's passion is working with people and businesses who know they need technology, but don't know where to start and who to trust.
Why Terrance thinks you need to hear it live:
As a tech-savvy brand who had security measures in place, mysite was still attacked and infected with malware.
I know there are bloggers out there who have their entire well-being wrapped up in their site's page views, but still don't have the most basic security measures in place to keep their site from being attacked.
It doesn't take much, but there are some simple preventative measures all blogger can take to save them from trying to get their site back in the event of an attack.
Register for Blogging While Brown 2015 today so you can hear Terrance Gaines live!
Conference Session: Podcasting For Profits - How to Create a Podcast That Benefits Your BrandPresented By Brandy Butler
Brandy Butler will be presenting Podcasting For Profits - How to Create a Podcast That Benefits Your Brand at the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this session:
- How do I gain global visibility with my podcast?
- How do I make money from my podcast show?
Session Description:
You've heard that you should podcast, but do you know how to launch a podcast that gets you seen & paid? In this session, Podcast Maven & Message Syndicator, Brandy Butler teaches you have to launch your podcast in a way that makes a big splash while also creating revenue for your brand.
About Brandy Butler:
Brandy Butler, The Message Syndicator is a woman on a mission to increase the spread of positive messages around the world. The African American community is plagued with negative subculture, Brandy believes that if more leaders and healers created podcast shows, those audio messages would help to combat the impact of the bad messages. Brandy's personal mission is to change #WhatTheWorldHears and #PaintITUNES
Brandy Butler is the CEO of Brandy Butler Media, LLC. A new media company which specializes in elevating and syndicating the messages of speakers, authors, and coaches. As a champion for women's empowerment and purposeful living, Brandy also has a coaching and mastermind program on her Girl Just Quit career blog.
A wife and mother of 3, when Brandy isn't busy making plans for world domination, she enjoys cooking for her lovely family.
Why Brandy thinks you need to hear it live:
The goal of this session is to ensure that future podcasters don't wind up being trapped in hobby podcaster syndrome.
I would not simply be telling people to start a podcast, I would be giving them strategy to gain optimum visibility for their podcast and teaching them strategies to actually make money from their podcast, which is a sticking point that many podcasters fail at.
Register for the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference today so you can hear Brandy Butler live!
Pinterest Pulls the Plug on Affiliates: What Now?
It’s been a month since Pinterest banned affiliate links from the site. The digital scrapbooking service delivered the news to its “power pinners” via email, according to VentureBeat. With more than 70 million users, it’s unclear how much brands, bloggers and affiliate marketers made in affiliate sales on the platform.
When Pinterest was in its infancy, there was talk of the company stripping pins of affiliate tracking codes. I never tested affiliate links on the platform to know if this was true. However, after chatting with blogger and Pinterest guru, Amiyrah Martin of Four Hats and Frugal, it was confirmed that pinners were able to insert affiliate links, but it was frowned upon. More so, there were still instances when pins could be stripped of affiliate links to avoid spam and abuse on the network.
This incident with Pinterest can serve as a lesson for bloggers to never depend heavily upon a platform that you don’t own or have control over for revenue. Pinterest and other social media networks should be used as a tool to direct fans and followers back to your website where more of your great content should be. It’s there you can convert them to loyal readers and email subscribers.
Remember that digital media is still new compared to other media sources and the game is changing everyday. Yes, it’s great to use your social media numbers as leverage when brokering deals with brands and agencies, but don’t neglect your virtual real estate while doing it. I know that brands tend to pay more on campaigns when you have huge fans and followings on social media, but what if Pinterest had decided to scrap the entire site instead of just banning affiliate links? Lucky for me and my pinned recipes, they didn’t.
In an article published by Recode, Pinterest will be adding a “buy” button to the platform in the next three to six months. So far there hasn’t been confirmation from Pinterest. However, although Pinterest stopped affiliate marketing on their site, they offered advice on how the site could be monetized. According to VentureBeat, users are encouraged to create original content for brands, curate sponsored boards and include pinning in social media marketing packages.
What do you think of this change? Can bloggers still make money on Pinterest or should it be taken as a loss and move on?
Conference Session: You've Recorded Your Video Blog: Now What? Presented By Chip Dizard
Chip Dizard will be presenting You've Recorded Your Video Blog: Now What? at the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this session:
- How do I optimized and have people take action on my YouTube Videos?
- I new to video and I know nothing about video editing. What free/cheap tools can I learn to use to edit my videos?
Session Description:
Shooting video is one-third of the production process. It's now time to edit the video, optimize it and upload it to YouTube. Once you upload it to YouTube it's time to promote your video and track results.
About Chip Dizard:
Chip Dizard is an entrepreneur with a passion for all things technology and media. In 2002, he founded the new media firm Absolute Presence, focusing on web development, video production, and media consulting for government agencies, non-profits, and religious organizations. That same year, he also founded Praizevision.com, an online streaming portal, where churches and ministries throughout the world can stream services live and on demand.
Why Chip thinks you need to hear it live:
Everyone can film videos these days but many people don't know how to optimize videos for YouTube or use advanced features like annotations to tell a story with video editing software.
Register for the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference today so you can hear Chip Dizard live!
Conference Session: TV, to Radio, to HuffPo Live: How to Take Your Online Message to Other Mediums -Presented By Danyelle Little
Danyelle Little will be presenting TV, to Radio, to HuffPo Live: How to Take Your Online Message to Other Mediums at the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this session:
- How can I get on TV to expand my visibility?
- How can I get producers and bookers of TV and radio programs to notice me?
Session Description:
This hands-on workshop will offer tips on how to take your blogging message and translate it effectively on camera. I will give insight on how I began booking local and national TV programs as a guest, on-air talent, brand spokesperson, and panelist. Learn how to snag a producer's attention, and how to get (and keep) "bookers" calling to have you appear on their programs to share your expertise.
The discussion will include camera do's and don'ts, interviewing skills, and how to get your message across effectively while live on-air or on the radio.
About Danyelle Little:
Known as first as a Mom, and then as a Work/Life Management Professional and Careerist, Danyelle Little is a rising star amongst her peers. With over a decade of experience in Benefits Administration and Human Resources, Danyelle created TheCubicleChick.com to discuss topics important to working parents and entrepreneurs. Glamour Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Huffington Post Live have all tapped Danyelle to share her thoughts on newsworthy items relating to workplace issues and employee relations. Recognized as a top entrepreneur and social media influencer in St. Louis (Missouri), Ms. Little is routinely seen on local and national news and lifestyle programs, and has been a featured personality in national brand promotions including a recent Subaru advertising campaign.
Danyelle is also a mother of two (ages 20 and 10) and can be found during her “off” time relaxing with family, reading a good book, or watching a classic movie. She is also the co-founder of the women’s travel and lifestyle website, Around the World in Pink.
Why Danyelle thinks you need to hear it live:
Many bloggers want to become the go-to person in their niche or genre---appearing on TV and radio programs can help them become the authority in their field(s). Have a face for radio? I will cover that as well along with podcasting tips, voice tools, etc.
Register for the 2015 Blogging While Brown conference today so you can hear Danyelle Little live!
Ask The Blogmother:How do you identify legitimate solicitations for advertising or sponsored posts?
I this edition of “Ask The Blogmother,” a 2015 attendee asks:
How do you identify legitimate solicitations for advertising or sponsored posts?
As a blogger, I give major side-eye to marketing/advertising professionals who don’t respect my time. They know I have 100 other emails in my inbox. Don’t make me try to figure out who you are, what you want and whether you’re legitimate.
If an email doesn’t from from an agency whose name I recognize with a full job title and contact information ( including a phone number), I ignore them. People who have done their research and want to form a legitimate business connection with me and my audience WANT me to know exactly who they are and how to reach them. And since I’ve been to my share of social media conferences, I’ve met real live human beings from most of these places so I don’t have to deal with anonymous strangers. But if you’re hellbent on entertaining email solicitations, here are my tips for identifying legitimate solicitations.
- Common Sense - If it sounds too good to be true, it is. If the email isn’t professional, it probably isn’t from a professional. Even if it is from a professional, you don’t want to work with unprofessional people. If an email is not addressed specifically to me. I ignore it. My name is not “Dear Blogger.” If the solicitation doesn’t have anything to do with my blog audience. I ignore it - it is just spammy. They are sending out a million emails hoping 1% respond. Don’t be the 1%. If I can’t tell who the email is from? I ignore it. I just don’t think I should have to work that hard to make someone else money - because you know the person soliciting you wants you to make THEM money, right?
- Look at the sender’s email address. Is the email coming from a general email account such as @gmail.com or @yahoo.com or is the email coming from george@CompanyX.com? I tend to ignore emails from unbranded accounts. I don’t even reply. If you can identify that the email is coming from CompanyX.com, then type in “CompanyX.com” into Google and see what comes up. If you feel confident that CompanyX is legitimate and not a phishing scam, then you might even go to CompanyX’s website and look them over. This assumes that CompanyX.com is not infected with vicious malware. In that case, it sucks to be you. Sometimes agency reps will create a gmail account to protect their company email account from solicitations from bloggers (which is ironic considering that they are soliciting you). Just because it isn’t from CompanyX’s email address doesn’t mean they aren’t with a legitimate firm, it just means their methods are questionable. Simply email back and ask them who they work for. Their response should be transparent and open. If not, run.
- Search for the name of the sender on Google. You should pull up Twitter profiles and Linkedin accounts. If they are legitimate, they have internet breadcrumbs. Again, why are you having to work this hard for someone who wants to establish a legitimate business relationship and respects your blog audience?
- Search for bad reviews. Certain ad networks are notorious for not paying on-time. If they do this repeatedly, there will be bad reviews out there. Don’t just settle for the first page of Google results, click through to the second and third pages of results because bad actors know how to push bad reviews off of the front page of Google.
- Use your blogger network. If you have ever attended a Blogging While Brown conference, you are a part of the Blogging While Brown family of bloggers. We have bloggers of every experience level in the network. They’ll tell you exactly what they think about certain offers.
- Ask questions. If you choose to reply ( I don’t encourage replying), ask the solicitor who they work for? Many major brands use large agencies who subcontract. So just because they are not working for the “agency of record”, they may be handling a smaller chunk of the contract - especially in the “multicultural” space. Ask details about payment terms and ask for the names of other bloggers they have worked with in the past so you can ask for references. Again, this is a whole lot of work being created by an unsolicited email aimed at making someone else money.
- Come up with a standard reply to these solicitations so you don’t have to think about them: What is the budget? How much compensation will I receive? What are the deliverables” What is the goal of the campaign? Reach or Engagement? how will you measure the success of my participation? What are the payment terms?
Once you’ve dealt with legitimate agencies, you’ll have a very low tolerance for anything else. Again, if they take you and your audience seriously, they will do everything in their power to make life easy for you. You shouldn’t have to be Inspector Gadget to vet an email.
Alternative to Email Solicitations
An alternative to waiting to be randomly solicited is to sign up for the numerous agencies and networks that are out there. Check out 80 + Media Companies and Networks for Bloggers. Sign up for all of them with a dedicated email account for paid opportunities.
Their sponsored opportunities tend to be legitimate because the people who run these networks want to get paid too :). The opportunities you get through signing up for these networks and their email lists should be more than enough to keep you busy so you don’t have to rely on random anonymous emails landing in your inbox.
If you’re looking to make money, don’t forget to sign up for the Blogging While Brown Affiliate program. We pay our attendees and alumni a 35% commission on each sale they refer - and you know who we are and where to find us :)
Hope this helps!
xo
The Blogmother
If you have a blogging question you’d like to ask The Blogmother, email us at info@bloggingwhilebrown.com.
Conference Keynote: The Million Dollar Blog Formula - Presented by Ronnie and Lamar Tyler
We are proud to announce that Ronnie and Lamar Tyler of Black and Married With Kids Will will be presenting the Saturday Keynote at the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference: The Million Dollar Blog Formula.
The Tylers will share how they built a blog that started in the corner of their master bedroom into an international brand that has grossed over one million dollars in revenue. The Tylers will share insight, results, hacks and profit maximizers. Attendees will get an exclusive behind-the-curtain look at what it takes to build a 7-figure blog business and learn what they can start doing right now to get there!
Attendees will learn:
- Systems to use and implement that will drive more revenue no matter the blog size.
- How the Tylers use analytics to develop content, products and relationships with brands.
- How the Tylers use multiple streams of income to secure financial security and what those streams are.
About the Tylers:
Lamar and Ronnie Tyler make up the husband and wife power pair behind Black and Married with Kids. Fed up with the pervasive negative images of black marriage in the media, Lamar and Ronnie started the site to combat the negativity by focusing on positive messages about marriage in the black community. Armed with a passion for empowering married couples and a knowledge of how to leverage social media, Ronnie and Lamar have taken Black and Married with Kids from a small personal blog to an international brand under their own Tyler New Media umbrella that also boasts four independently produced films and a social media presence that includes over 450,000 Facebook fans.
Yes, You Need to Hear The Tylers Live!
Blogging While Brown speakers don’t just jet in and out. They stick around to interact with our attendees. Register for Blogging While Brown so you don’t miss the opportunity to interact with Ronnie and Lamar live.
Conference Session: How to Get Booked for TV and Radio-Presented By Jacque Reid
Jacque Reid will be presenting How to Get Booked for TV and Radio at the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference.
Session Description:
Getting booked as an expert on TV or radio isn't easy, but it can be done. This session will take you behind the scenes of the business, show you how decisions are made and tell you the what you need to know to get booked! Jacque Reid is a long time tv and radio journalist who receives hundreds of story pitches a year. She is also a blogger as the creator of SingleandLivingFAB.com.
About Jacque Reid:
Journalist Jacque Reid is a long time journalists with a background in entertainment and news. Over the course of her career she has interviewed some of the most influential and interesting people, including James Brown, Tom Cruise, Jane Fonda, Will Smith, Sheryl Crow, Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Aretha Franklin, Dave Chapelle and many more.
Currently, Jacque can be seen daily as a co-host on NBC 4 New York's much celebrated, celebrity and lifestyle show, New York Live. The show features the city's best food and fashion in addition to top celebrity guests.
Jacque is also a regular part of the nationally syndicated and hugely popular radio program, The Tom Joyner Morning Show. Jacque reports on women and women's issues on her Inside Her Story segments. Jacque is also a regular guest pop culture panelists on CNN and the Joy Behar show. Jacque also served as a regular guest co-host for The View, was a contributor for Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show and has appeared on ABC's Nightline and CNN's Larry King Live. She also served as an anchor and host for the TV One network, providing coverage of Michael Jackson's public memorial, President Barack Obama's road to the White House, as well as the history making election of President Obama and his inauguration.
Jacque believes in giving back, and is doing just that with her non-profit, The Reid Group. The Reid Group gives a group of Clark Atlanta University journalism students the opportunity to spend the summer in New York City, working in select news internships and learning in workshops conducted by the nation's top journalists.
Jacque devotes her free time to speaking at universities and youth events across the country. Jacque is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, and the New York Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Jacque serves on various boards, including the Black and Missing Foundation and Black Girls Rock.
Raised in Atlanta, Jacque honed her craft at Clark Atlanta University, where she received her BA in Print Journalism and further sharpened her skills at Northwestern University, receiving her MA in Broadcast Journalism.
On a personal note, Jacque is a huge animal lover, is a tv addict and enjoys cooking.
Register today so you can hear Jacque Reid live!
Conference Session: The Art of Storytelling Presented By Oneika Raymond
Oneika Raymond will be presenting The Art of Storytelling at the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this session:
- How do I craft a tale that is not only interesting and well-written but shows my personality?
- How do I use photography, vlogging, and social media to extend my narrative and captivate my audience?
Session Description:
It's no secret that successful blogs tell good stories.This session is for bloggers hoping to take their blog to the next level by improving their ability to spin a good yarn. By exploring specific writing, photography, and new media techniques, bloggers will walk away with practical tips for captivating audiences and growing their reader base.
About Oneika Raymond:
Oneika Raymond is an educator, writer, and travel junkie who has travelled to 70 countries on 6 continents. She chronicles her adventures abroad on her blog, Oneika the Traveller, and is a contributor for Conde Nast Traveler. Oneika's writing has also been featured in a number of online publications including National Geographic, Ebony, and The Huffington Post. Originally from Canada, she is a serial expat who has lived in France, Mexico, Hong Kong, and the UK. A thrill-seeker who is always in the midst of planning her next trip, Oneika has, amongst other things, trekked in Nepal, sailed in Croatia, and gone on safari in Tanzania.
Register for Blogging While Brown 2015 today so you can hear Oneika Raymond live!
Early Bird Registration Ends Today
Early bird registration for the 2015 Blogging While Brown Conference ends today (Feb. 3rd) and registration prices will increase. As we celebrate our 7th Annual conference in Austin, Texas on June 19-20, we wanted to feature past attendees and share their thoughts on why Blogging While Brown is a must attend conference.
Photo credit: Danyelle Little
“Blogging While Brown is the first conference I went to when I first started blogging in 2010 and it is still one of my favorites. I learned a lot and it’s necessary. ”
Photo credit: Jeneba Ghatt
“I’ve attended several Blogging While Brown conferences as an attendee and speaker. I return because I always leave the conference with cost-and-time saving tips and suggestions that solve whatever problem I am having. Whether it’s a technical issue, figuring out how to monetize my blog, discovering the best available tools to streamline and measure analytics or learn new content management and marketing tips, I always leave with a wealth of information.
In the end, the speakers are very well versed in their fields and knowledgeable. Successful bloggers like Necole Bichie, Karen Civil, Claire Summers and others have graced the conference and given us behind-the-scenes advice on their struggles and come-up that we all can learn from. There aren’t many conferences you can attend to see a line-up of the best brown bloggers in one space and in one weekend.
I highly recommend.”
In addition to the conference, we have the Black Weblog Awards ceremony for the BWA winners and a blogger prom. We're excited about the conference and glad to have the Kapor Center for Social Impact and Izea to return as sponsors for this year's conference.
We've also released our first round of conference speakers. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter if you haven't already. There will be some big news coming over the next couple of months and we don't want you to miss anything.
We can't wait to see you in Austin, so head over and REGISTER for the 7th Annual Blogging While Brown Conference today before the registration fee increases tomorrow.
