Strange & Charmed

How to Get more Likes on Instagram

The picture above is from my Instagram feed, and was taken a few weeks ago. It is currently my most liked Instagram photo to date. Why? Personally, I think I have taken better pictures, but my opinion isn’t necessarily the one that matters when it comes to the popularity of my photos. So, what does matter when it comes to getting likes? I am by no means and expert on the subject, but I have been using Instagram for a few years now and I think I am beginning to crack the code to a successful IG shot. Here are my tips to getting more likes on your Instagram photos if you are looking to pick up some new followers or just increase your photo sharing skills! Make sure to follow me on Instagram as well by clicking here!

Take pictures that people are searching for

An image like the one above is something I know a lot of people like to look for. It’s essentially a deskscape, showing a workspace and some pretty office supplies. These aren’t just any office supplies, however. These items have been chosen for their popularity and for the application of their hashtags. I will talk more about the importance of hashtags in a moment, but back to the items in the image. They are all pretty items made by popular brands. A Macbook Air, a Kate Spade planner, a Bath and Body Works candle. All these items are things people like and people like to look at them. Now, I’m not saying you should just take pictures of deskscapes and office supplies, but I am saying you should think about the subjects you want to capture in terms of their overall popularity on the internet. People like certain things, it’s no secret. Pictures of pets do well, a beautiful plate of food, composed landscapes and the list goes on. When you take the photos that people are searching for and like to see, your photos will get more likes.

Use relevant hashtags

When I think about crafting my Instagram photos, I think about the hashtags I am going to be able to use to describe it. Hashtags are very important. If you are not already a popular Instagrammer, hashtags are the only way anyone new is going to come across your account and your pictures. So, it is very important that you use as many relevant hashtags as possible to give your image the largest audience possible. For this image specifically, I used 21 hashtags. Some are popular IG tags that everyone uses (#igers #igdaily #instagood etc) and some are specific brand oriented tags that I know are popular. The first hashtag that I used, #filofax, has over 130,000 posts when you search it. That’s a lot of posts, which means there are a lot of people who are using and searching for that tag. Now, I know people say that you shouldn’t use too many hashtags, and I know that sometimes it seems spammy, but the way I look at it is that I am giving more people an opportunity to find and enjoy my picture. Some people think that using too many hashtags can backfire, but ask yourself, when was the last time you saw a picture on Instagram that you liked but then decided not to like it because the user had tagged too many items? Chances are you’re going to get more positive attention than negative attention when you use hashtags. Now, I am not saying to use hashtags that don’t apply, that is spamming the system, but as long as your tags apply, I say use liberally!

Actively like other photos

When I post a new photo to Instagram, I like to go through the hashtags I used, one by one, and like other recent photos taken by others who have used the tag. When I do this, I find that the users whose photos I have liked, come back to my account and like my photo(s) as well. Sometimes I even get new followers this way, and sometimes I find new accounts that I want to follow, too! You can’t expect to just post images to Instagram and focus on your own account without searching around and interacting with other users. Although Instagram isn’t exactly the same level of socialization as Twitter or Facebook, liking photos and leaving comments for others draws people to you in a direct way. The more you do this and interact with others, the more likes you will get and inevitably, the more followers you will acquire.

Have a sense of composition

I have discussed the topic of taking great photographs before, so I won’t go into too much detail here and now, but having a sense of what makes a good composition is important when taking photos that people will like. Instagram gives you the option to use the camera grid when taking pictures directly in the app, and if you don’t think you are good with composition on your own, this is a great tool to use! Remember, composition is more than just about placement of your subject(s) in photos, it’s also about how your subject or subjects interact with each other and within the frame as a whole. Take some time to study the photos of others that you may find interesting and ask yourself what about the photo has drawn you in. Color, size and distance of objects in an image all play a role in the composition so you will want to think about all those things to understand what makes a great photo! Also, feel free to use other apps to edit your IG photos before you post them. I know there are purist out there who don’t believe in using edited photos on IG, but if you are trying to get more likes on your photos, you are going to need to produce the best content you can and sometimes that means using other apps to help you create a stunning image!

lifestyle Solutions

How to Buy Glasses Online: An Anecdotal Guide

I have worn glasses since I was 13. When I was a bit younger, about 8 or 9, I tried to fake poor vision just so my parents would buy me glasses, but of course it didn’t work. I’m not exactly sure why, but I always associated glasses with being smart or having an education, so I really wanted to wear them, as though they were some sort of fashion accessory that denoted IQ. After I was finally prescribed glasses a few years later for legitimate near sightedness, I went all out searching for the pair that would be mine. After my dad forked over $150+ dollars for my first pair, I began to realize that glasses were slightly more precious than I had first expected and that I wasn’t going to get a variety to use as a new fashion accessory after all. To this day, I still own and use that first pair of glasses. I am apparently one of those rare people who’s prescription doesn’t change much over the years, which is actually quite convenient for me. More impressive than that, though, I am one of those rare people who hasn’t broken or lost their glasses in over a decade. Of that fact, I am immensely proud! So, to change things up a bit for me, before I left for college my father bought me a second pair of glasses. These were frameless and even more expensive ($200+) and I was even more careful with them (yep, still have them too) because I knew they would also have to last me quite some time!

And it was quite some time before I purchased a new pair, nearly six years! But this time around, I wasn’t going to be forking over a few hundred bucks. In 2011, I was introduced to the brand Warby Parker. I was flabbergasted to find out that I could buy nice designer glasses online for under $100 for a complete pair of glasses with the lenses. So I signed myself up, tested a few pairs with their home try on option and placed my order! It’s been a few years since this last experience, and I recently found myself hankering for a new style of glasses yet again, when I came across a YouTube video reviewing some different online options including Warby Parker and another online eyeglass shop called Eye Buy Direct. It piqued my interest, so I went to their website and found a few frames I thought would look good on me and without even giving it too much thought, I went ahead and placed an order for two new pairs, both costing me about $100 total!

I have always gotten a lot of questions asking me about my glasses, but I think people are even more curious when they find out I bought them online. Traditionally, buying glasses has been an in-person experience where you would try on frames in a store but the online landscape has really challenged that system. So, I thought I would go ahead and give you all my tips for buying glasses online, providing insights from my experience and some tips and tricks that may help you if you are looking to buy online and save yourself some money!

Know what you’re looking for

Whenever you’re buying an item online, I would suggest knowing what you’re looking for. The problem with browsing online is that you really don’t get much of a sense of a product or item just from looking at pictures. I think this is particularly when looking for glasses online because if you’re not sure what you’re looking for in terms of color, size, shape, you may end up falling for a pair of glasses that just aren’t practical for you and your needs, no matter how cool they look online. Remember, many online eyeglass shops offer very limited terms on returns. This is how they help keep costs down for the end-user, but you need to be very deliberate about what you’re ordering because eyeglasses are a custom item. Think about the style of frame you are looking for, the color, size and lens shape to help make your search easier and more specific.

Try before you buy

Like I mentioned above, Warby Parker, as well as some other online eyewear shops, give you the opportunity to try on their glasses before you purchase them for free. In these situations, you choose the frames you are interested in, provide a credit card for security purposes, and then the company ships the glasses to you to try on. These home try on scenarios usually have a limited time period for you to try the items before sending them back so make sure you are aware of your time limit before requesting a home try on. I highly suggest using the home try on feature when available as it’s very helpful to be able to test out the glasses before you make a purchase, however, not all eyewear sites give you this option. Some sites instead offer a virtual try on where you can upload an image of yourself and see an image of the glasses superimposed on your picture. Although this isn’t the most foolproof way of testing glasses, it can help you see yourself in the glasses. I suggest if you are going to use this feature that you take a picture of yourself head on in strong natural lighting so that you get the most realistic portrayal of yourself possible. Finally, if you do not have a home try on option and you are not sure about the virtual try on option, I suggest visiting a local eyewear retailer to test out glasses similar to ones you may be eyeing online. Most online eyewear retailers provide a front and side view of their glasses with the dimensions. If you print this out and bring it into an eyeglass shop, they should be able to help you find something similar to try on in their store so that you can get an idea of what the glasses will look like on you. Also, if you happen to see something in store that you like, I recommend taking down the model number and brand information of the glasses. When you get home you can research the dimensions of the glasses and you may be able to find the same glasses or a similar off brand style through an online retailer!

Understand your options

In my experience, shopping online for glasses is inexpensive and easy, but you need to understand what you’re getting from some of these online deals. For example, Eye Buy Direct offers glasses as low as $6 for a complete pair, but that includes the frame and single vision lenses with very little bells and whistles. You pay extra for bifocals, progressives and other types of lenses, as well as UV, scratch resistant and water-resistant coatings. Even Warby Parker has upgrades for lenses and certain extras you may get looped into paying if you have a very strong prescription for glasses. These are the sorts of things you need to understand before you make a purchase. Online retailers may wheel you in with an unbelievably low deal, but in reality, most people who wear glasses may require certain extras that will raise the price of the purchase. I’m not saying that online retailers are sketchy and you shouldn’t trust them, I am just saying that you show know this before you go in so you understand the pricing structure and what you are willing to pay.

Have your correct vision Rx information on hand

One of the major parts of ordering prescription glasses online is knowing your current vision prescription! Warby Parker is a great site because you can give them the information for your eye doctor and they will call them up and make sure they get your most current information so you don’t feel pressured or make a mistake filling out your online order form, but not all sites do that. I suggest looking at the sites you may want to buy from and see the prescription information they need so that you are familiar with the information before calling your eye doctor. For most sites you will need your prescription as well as your pupillary distance (aka PD). If you are going to the optometrist before placing your order, print out the order page from the site you are interested in using (or sites) and show them so that they give you all the information you need!

Experiment

Glasses are a necessary tool that many of us need to get through life but they also are a great way to show your personal style, and with the low prices that many online eyewear retailers advertise, taking a risk and going a little outside your comfort zone may be a fun experiment. Don’t be afraid to try a new trend or deviate from your usual frame shape. If worse comes to worse if you don’t like the style they can become a backup pair.

lifestyle Solutions

Pre-Summer Essentials Checklist

Where oh where has the time gone? Next week is Memorial Day and soon enough summer will be upon us. Are you ready? I know I’m not nearly as prepared for summer as I would have hoped. I have quite a bit of shopping to do to catch up, so in the meantime, I thought I would share with you my pre-summer essentials checklist. Here are some of the items that I consider must have’s for the upcoming season. Check out the carousel below for some of my favorite picks!

An awesome beach bag
A big floppy hat
A statement beach towel
Sephora Sun Safety Kit
Caudalie Grapeseed Water
An awesome pair of sunglasses (Prescription sunglasses if you need them)
A cute water bottle
A tablet computer
A signature scent
A backup phone battery charger
A durable video camera (to capture all the fun)

Have a wonderful week and I hope you enjoy Memorial Day Weekend and the summer ahead!
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”58244″]

lifestyle

My Caudalie Skin Care Favorites

[show_ms_widget id=”137488″ image_id=”200416″ width=”620″ height=”537″]

I don’t consider myself a beauty guru by any means, but those of you who have been following me for a while or perhaps are familiar with my YouTube channel know that I am more into skin care than makeup. My philosophy on the matter is that taking care of your skin means your makeup will always look better no matter what brands you use. To me, its more important to invest in my skin care products than to invest in great makeup and luckily for me, I have been blessed with pretty decent skin for most of my life. Like everyone, I went through a rough patch in middle and high school, but I was able to clear up my skin and it has stayed relatively clear for years now. As I have gotten older, I have made deliberate choices with my skin care products and have chosen to purchase higher end moisturizers, serums and skin care products because to me, that’s where my money is best served in the beauty department and one of my favorite skin care brands is Caudalie.

I discovered Caudalie a few years back after watching multiple YouTube Beauty Guru’s sing their praises. One of the first products in their line I was introduced to was their Beauty Elixir, which is toted as being replicated off of Queen Isabelle of Hungary’s elixir of youth. It’s all very romantic marketing, but the truth is, elixirs like this have been made and used for hundreds, if not thousands of years and for good reason- they work very well at clearing skin of blemishes and healing wounds! Why? A blend of natural herbs, oils and extracts that each serve a specific purpose to help heal and sooth the skin. For some reason, however, this long known knowledge has eluded most of the beauty industry and instead of using soothing natural remedies for our skin, we have turned to chemicals and harsh irritants.

So, I began to research more of Caudalie’s products and found that they really seem to be at the cutting edge of skin care science. What make’s Caudalie so unique to me, is their reliance on grape vines as a basis for their products. Did you know grape vines can live to be over 100 years old? Yes, they can! They survive season after season, resisting all types of weather and harsh conditions because they produce unique substances that help keep the plant alive and rejuvenated. It’s from this scientific research that Caudalie was born, developing products that derive from nature and keep cells living long, healthy lives (I guess this also gives us an excuse to drink an extra glass or two of wine.) So, after learning about all this, I began to geek out over the Caudalie line because something told me they were doing things right in the beauty industry. I began experimenting with their products and I really do believe my skin shows marked improvements when I use their products. So, here are my favorites, in no particular order:

Beauty Elixir: This is an amazing product that I like to spray over my face after I have washed and cleansed. You can use it everyday or during breakouts to help calm the inflammation and aid in the healing process.

Vinoperfect Radiance Serum: This serum is great for evening skin tone and correcting dark spots. You can use it everyday (after the Beauty Elixir) or during or after breakouts to ensure the skin returns to its normal tone.

Grapeseed Water: This is an awesome daily toner, also a staple in my beach or gym bag!

Hand & Nail Cream: My number one hand lotion, period.

Lip Conditioner: I use this at night and wake up with moisturized, plump lips (also the taste/scent is amazing).

Vinoperfect Day & Night Cream: These are awesome daily moisturizers that really help my complexion and create glowing skin.

Premier Cru The Creme: This luxurious moisturizer is a day/night cream duo and I think it gives instant results. It is not your typical day/night moisturizer like the Vinoperfect Day & Night Creams, its more of a restorative anti-aging cream, so if you are dealing with wrinkles or trying to prevent signs of aging, this is probably the one cream you want to have!

So, you are probably wondering why I chose this exact moment to share my love for Caudalie. No, they didn’t call me up and ask me to talk about them, although I would totally be open to a sponsorship with them, so feel free to email me, Caudalie, if you would like to work with me! Actually, this entire blog post was a spur of the moment idea because I woke up this morning to an email from Caudalie (I’m subscribed to their email newsletters) announcing their Friends & Family Sale! I have been holding off on repurchasing some of my Caudalie favorites that I am running low on, so when I saw the 20% off online coupon code I immediately ran over to my computer and placed an order for the items I needed! Like I said, Caudalie is a bit pricey, but I do consider it money well spent, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to save money! So, I thought I would go ahead and share the coupon code with you guys and let you know some of my favorite Caudalie items and my experience with the brand. I coupon code is SHARETHIS and is active on the Caudalie website through Tuesday May 20th! I have made purchases through the Caudalie online store before, so I can attest that they provide great service and timely shipping (which is free if you spend over $50).

So, if you have been curious about the brand or if I have perhaps piqued your interest, I highly suggest trying out an item or two from their line. I have gone ahead and added a little carousel below filled with my favorite items from Caudalie, and the image above also has clickable links to their site where you can learn more about the products!

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”55228″]

lifestyle

What’s in my Bag? 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli

In case you don’t follow me on YouTube, I wanted to let you know that I recently posted a What’s in my Bag video for my new 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli! I will link the video below, but I know that I am going to get a lot of questions asking me where I purchased certain items and if they are still available, so I will also be linking below a carousel to any items I mention that may be difficult to find, or similar items if those are not available! I hope you enjoy the video and be sure to leave me a comment linking your own What’s in my Bag video or written post so I can check it out! I know I am not the only one obsessed with these, so sharing is caring! XOXO!

Here is a roundup of some of my handbag favorites seen in the video!

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”47332″]

lifestyle Solutions

Seeing the Future

I am certainly not the only one who wishes they could see the future, but there are moments where I really wish I had a magic ball that could show me what was right around the bend. Usually, I feel this way when I am stuck in some sort of limbo, which could pretty much sum up my current state of mind. Do I move forward through my issues and take a risk or do I avoid them and stick to the familiar and safe. This has been on my mind as of late. I usually pride myself on being a person who can see the big picture, make hard decisions quickly and then make the best of what’s to come, but right now I feel paralyzed and unable to make any choices. When I get like this, I often think of these lyrics from one of my favorite songs.

“Well, something’s lost, but something’s gained, in living everyday.” – Joni Mitchell, Both Side’s Now

Joni Mitchell is right, everyday we have new experiences, learn and grow and because of that we loose that old part of ourselves. What’s done is done and can never be undone. We can’t move backwards, we can’t stand still, even if we wanted to. Everyday we have to make choices, some easy and some hard, but we can’t just stand still. I know this. But sometimes I want to skip through the hard parts to get to the end just where all the tough choices have been made and everything is resolved. I want instant gratification and its not always possible. I want things to happen without having to do the dirty work. It’s ironic because I read a lot of metaphysical books and they always tell you to think positively and let the universe guide you, and I really really wish I could let go of the reins and let someone or something else take over trusting that everything will turn out right, but I’m deathly afraid that if I loose control I will end up someplace I don’t want to be. I want control and I want to give up control both at the same time, how’s that for messed up paradoxes.

As I’m writing this I am getting that sense that I am supposed to wrap up this rant with some sort of lesson so that my readers aren’t left with an uneasy feeling, but honestly, I have no clue how to wrap this up because I too am uneasy. I don’t have the answers yet and maybe that is the answer. Maybe the lesson is you never know until you know. I have a gut feeling thats leading me and that’s about it. Perhaps, one day, if I ever resolve this matter in my mind, I will go ahead and write a follow up to this rather cryptic piece. But for now, you’re left in limbo, with me.

I apologize if this post seems weird or out of place here. I’m sorry if I am coming off vague and not being specific, but the problem is, there isn’t just one specific thing going on that is the catalyst for this, its like multiple different things mushed together to add complexity on top of complexity so its not something I feel comfortable discussing publicly on my blog right now. I would ask, however, that if you could, please send positive vibes my way. Thoughts, prayers, chants, whatever you do to get the positive mojo flowing, send it in my general direction please.

lifestyle Productivity

25 Things to Do when You are Bored

I am so accustomed to being busy and having a never ending to do list that when I do get down time, my mind blanks on how I should be spending it. Inevitably, I end up wasting time planning out what I should do and then, there goes half my free time down the drain! Does this ever happen to you? Well, if it does, I think this post could be a helpful reference when you have nothing to do or find that your struck with boredom but still want to do something productive. I suggest printing this out or book marking this page and rereading it whenever you have extra time that you don’t want to waste!

Choose a room or small area of your house to clean and organize
Create a new playlist from your existing music collection
Take pictures of all the valuable items in your home and save them in a file in case you one day need to file an insurance claim
Go through your makeup and throw out any expired products
Lie in bed and do stretches and meditation
Start a gratitude journal
Pin a simple workout routine and give it a shot (then schedule yourself time a few days a week to repeat)
Look up YouTube videos on how to give yourself a new hairdo like a fishtail braid or sock bun
Write yourself a todo list of all the fun things you want to do or try in the next few months
Take an online class from iTunes U
Find a healthy recipe for your favorite comfort food and add the ingredients to your grocery list
Break out your tool kit and tackle a minor home repair yourself
Plan out some long term or short term goals for yourself
Write someone a letter
Send a thank you note
Unsubscribe yourself from random email subscriptions or mailing lists that annoy you
Subscribe to a free inspirational email service
Clean our your handbag or switch to a different purse
Say a prayer for someone who needs it
Write down your favorite quotes on sticky notes and put them all around your workspace or planner
Develop a cleaning schedule for your place
Think of a topic you have always wanted to learn about and google the heck out of it
Collect all the loose change around your home and start a change jar
Read the entire front page of a news website or newspaper
Find things around your house that you are no longer using and take them to be donated

Okay, now go forth and be productive! Did you like this list? If you would like me to do lists like these more often, leave me a comment and tell me what sort of list you would like?

Filofax lifestyle

5 Things I ♥ about the Filofax Community

If you have been reading my blog for a while, as in before March, you have probably been wondering what the heck is up with me and being obsessed with Filofax planners and stationery! Seriously guys, I am feeling you if you have been a little confused about this whole new world I have decided to incorporate into my life and into the blog. I know it’s hard to explain personal obsessions to those looking in from the outside, but being organized is sort of my thing, or at least it used to be my thing back in college, high school, middle school and beyond! Life after college changed the way I organized myself. I stopped being hyper organized and became more strategically organized, spending time on the things that mattered and not everything as a whole. But as life progresses, I find that more and more things become important enough to need a specific place in my life and I need to keep track of it! So, enter Filofaxes, Kikki K planners, washi tape, etc. Once I started researching planners, I uncovered the whole online Filofax and planner community that is down right amazing! I even started using Facebook again just to be part of the groups (and that’s saying a lot because I have not used Facebook for like two years!) I know its not for everyone, but I like the sense of community and sharing of ideas because all that jazz really makes me feel supported and helpful, so I gave some serious thought to why I love the Filofax community so much as a way to give you all an understanding of my obsession. This is what I came up with!

1. RAKs: I know some people may see me use this term on my blog or on twitter/instagram, but RAK stands for Random Acts of Kindness. Within the Filo community, this term refers to people send others a small letter or package with positive words of encouragement or gifts of stationery supplies. It is also known as Happy Mail and it can be anonymous or not. There are a few groups on Facebook dedicated to this precious act of giving and it is definitely one of the big reasons I like to participate in the groups. It’s not that I am looking to receive things from others, but I am obsessed with sending out RAKs and sharing with people I have never met. I honestly think it’s a beautiful example of the human spirit and an example that the internet can really help to bring people together from all over the world.

2. Pen Pals: Another popular activity within the Filofax community is pen paling. Now, I do not have a letter writing pen pal (although I have more than a few people I message and email with) but many people in the stationery groups are involved with it and I think its amazing! The act of letter writing is such an ancient and lovely practice that I am glad to see its resurgence in these communities. You know how I feel about hand written thank you notes, and in so many ways this is again an amazing way that the internet is bringing people together.

3. Positivity: I cannot get enough of the Filofax groups, pictures and posts because they are bursting with positivity. This community is one of those few places online where I truly feel safe and protected from the dredge of the internet. That’s not to say that everyone is always happy and upbeat, but the general culture is one of inclusion, support and self-betterment. The community members are always promoting each other, sharing ideas and always have kind words to share. It has such a positive vibe!

4. No lack of content: From the multiple Facebook groups to the Instagram hasthtags to the endless blogs and websites to the YouTube videos and the Pinterest boards, there is such a wealth of content within the Filofax community that you can immerse yourself in it and always find something new. This is probably why I am so obsessed, because the more you dig the more you find and uncover and suddenly hours have passed and you walk away feeling like you have learned so much and felt all the positive energy!

5. New Friends: Out of everything I have dabbled with online, nothing has yielded so many personal connections as this community. I have made a bunch of new online friends, some bloggers, some just enthusiasts, but all of them wonderful. It really is amazing how a subject like a planner would draw people together in such a profound way, but it has and I am so glad that I discovered this little pocket of the internet where I truly feel at home!

Blogging tech

Using Analytics on your Blog

As you may know, yesterday was my final installment of the Blogging 101 series and I covered the topic of monetizing your blog in a variety of ways. So, today I thought I should spend some time talking about the importance of tracking your analytics to help you understand your blog’s audience and reach! There are two points that I would like to make on the subject, the first is that you should be tracking analytics on your site, and the second is that the tracking system you should be using is Google Analytics!

To the first point, if you have a blog, you should be using analytics tracking. These systems are incredibly helpful and can give you a variety of information about your audience, their behavior on your website and which posts are driving views and which posts are duds. If your blog is small, you may not think analytics are important to focus on while you are growing your blog, but you would be surprised by the insights you can get in your analytic reports. Let’s be honest, when we publish posts, we really have no clue how the post is going to fare. I often write this long elaborate posts that I am sure will be popular and then when I check my analytics I find that it wasn’t attracting as many eyes as I would have hoped. Sometimes as content creators, we don’t know what will be popular unless you have been blogging and writing for a decent amount of time, but heck, I have been at this for years and I still have figured out the magic formula! So, it’s important for me to check my analytics, see what is doing well and what is not so I can spend more time creating content that my readers want and not waste my time on a piece that I may find interesting, but perhaps my audience does not. That’s not to say that I think we as bloggers need to ignore what we like to write about, but when you are serious about growing your blog and your audience, you have to focus on what works and finding unique and creative ways to package your content in ways that continue to surprise and delight your readers! Analytics can tell you so much about your audience as well, not just what posts are popular. You can find out where the majority of your audience lives (this is super helpful for figuring out times when you publish your posts), you can find out their age and gender (which is sometimes a very interesting thing to know if you are attracting more male or female readers than you expected based on your content so that you can either create more for those audience members or perhaps refocus your content to attract the reader you have in mind) and of course analytics helps you track how long people spend on your site and your page views (which is a necessary piece of information if you are looking to monetize your blog).

So, now that you know why analytics are important, lets talk about which analytics service you should be using. I’ll be honest, the reason I am writing this post is because I recently needed to switch over to Google Analytics and I wanted to make sure that others were using it because it is the industry standard when it comes to analytics. For years I have been using a different site to track my analytics, but now that my blog is growing and I am thinking seriously about monetization, I am finding that sponsors, marketers and affiliate networks want to see Google Analytics information specifically. Google Analytics is free, so thats a bonus, and it does give you an array of options that didn’t exist with my previous analytics system. I really wish I had jumped on the Google Analytics bandwagon earlier and because of my situation, I wanted to let you all know that you should seriously consider using it as well if you have no current analytics tracking or if you are using a different site. Analytics are one of those things that if you pay attention to, they can help you learn and grow your site, but if you don’t pay attention to them, its still good to have a system in place in case the day ever comes when you need the information.

Blogging Career

Blogging 101: How to Monetize your Blog

Blogging 101 is a 10 part series where I share my tips and tricks for creating and growing a blog from scratch. This is the tenth installment in the series, and you can find more information on the topics of this series here.

Wow! I cannot believe this is the final installment of my Blogging 101 series. It’s been over two months since I posted my first piece and I know I have picked up a few new followers along the way specifically because of this series! I sincerely hope this series has helped you think about starting a blog or has given you new ideas or information to help make your blog the best it can be! When I started this series, I truly wanted to demystify blogging for those who may have been interested in the subject but thought the task too big or too complicated to pursue. I am by no means a professional on the subject, but I often think there is too much secrecy among bloggers about what they do, what works and what doesn’t, and I really wanted to give some real practical advice on the subject. So, thanks for reading and letting me impart my knowledge to all of you!

I have chosen the subject of monetization as the final installment of my series for a very specific purpose. First of all, I believe that blogging as we know it today was rooted in a true passion for writing and sharing as a means of creative outlet and that the monetization of blogs was something that came after. Because of this, I believe that you should first and foremost wish to run a blog for the love of it! If you don’t love what you’re doing, you shouldn’t be doing it, and people will be able to tell if your heart isn’t in it. That leads me to my second reason for publishing this topic last, because it is hard work to make money from blogging and if your heart isn’t in it, you won’t ever make it long enough to earn a decent income. So, start your blog for you, as a hobby and/or creative outlet. Put your heart into your content and feel a true passion for what you post, and then monetize strategically!

It may surprise you to hear that there are many ways for you to monetize your blog. When you think about it, however, it makes a lot of sense that there would be more than one way to earn an income from blogging, because the business of blogging is all about entrepreneurship, and any good entrepreneur will tell you that if you want to make money from a business venture, you need to diversify your income streams! I am going to break down those possible income streams into categories. Those categories are affiliate networks, sponsorships, advertising, and direct sales.

Affiliate networks are merchant revenue sharing programs where bloggers can sign up to promote products through their blogs and earn a percentage of any sales that result from their direct links. There are many different affiliate networks out there, some that promote a wide variety of products (Amazon) and some that represent merchants from specific fields like fashion (Reward Style). These networks also vary in the selectivity of their membership. Some programs are pretty lax in the requirements of their members, and some are highly selective. Since there are such a wide variety of networks, with so many different options, I highly suggest that you do some research on your own for which networks you may want to target. One of the best things about affiliate networks is that you can be a member of multiple networks in most cases and promote multiple different products within your blog if you so choose.

Sponsorships are a more targeted and labor intensive form of monetization in which bloggers work directly with companies or marketers to create content centered around specific products. I say that these opportunities are more labor intensive because usually a blogger would need to do a good amount of work in order to secure a sponsorship. This may mean the blogger would have to research companies, find contacts and then pitch a blog post idea to the company, making the case for how the sponsorship would benefit the company, its products and negotiate an appropriate amount of payment. If you have ever seen a sponsored post in a blog, you may have wondered how the blogger came to that opportunity. More prominent bloggers are often directly approached by companies to promote their products, others use agents or are members of marketing related networks where companies can pick bloggers from a pool of possible candidates to promote products, but often, bloggers need to directly contact companies or their marketing firms in order to start on the road to sponsored posts. As you may be thinking, this process can be an uphill battle, but normally once a blogger has established a reputation for working well with companies, the process can become easier as you add companies to your sponsorship resume.

The next form of monetization is selling advertising space on your blog. This one is pretty straight forward, but for some, the idea of selling ad space can be a daunting task, which is why there are platforms out there like Passionfruit Ads* that will help make the process easier. Sites like Passionfruit help bloggers manage advertisements by placing ad images, tracking and rotating ads, and automating payments. Of course, sites like these take a portion of your ad revenue for the service they provide, but if you want to leave your ad management up to a more precise platform, this could be an easy way for you to sell ad space without spending your own precious time.

The final form of monetization I am going to cover is direct sales, and by this, I mean by using your blog to promote and sell your goods and/or services. It is very common to find blogs that support a business, either a real brick and mortar company or an e-business. You can sell anything from digital products (ebooks, podcasts, learning series tutorials etc) to physical goods (products you create yourself or resell) to services (event planning, consulting, photography etc). Even if you don’t run a business, you can still find ways to use direct sales on your blog. Perhaps you write about recipes on your blog, you could put together a digital ebook and sell it through your site. Maybe you love photography and take beautiful images, you could sell digital copies of your photo’s. The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to directly selling to your blog readers and if you are truly serious about monetizing your blog, I think this is something that everyone should be thinking seriously about.

So, that’s it! Those are the four major categories of blog monetization. They are probably not the only ways you can make money through your blog, but I think they are the most common and tried and true approaches. The best part is, you can employ one or more of these methods on your own blog right now and with some ground work and planning, there is no reason why you couldn’t take advantage of all the methods I suggested. Like I said earlier, diversifying your income streams is important if you are trying to make money as an internet entrepreneur, so give each method some thought, figure out how you could apply each to your own blog and get to making some money! I am by no means an expert on this subject, so if you have any questions, which I am sure you have many if you are serious about this enterprise, I have some suggested reading for you!

Must-Read Business Books for anyone looking to monetize their blog in a smart and strategic way!

And yes! Those are affiliate links to Amazon where you can purchase the books! If my advice has been helpful and you would like to thank me for it, using my affiliate links to purchase products I recommend is an easy way to support me and my blog and it doesn’t cost you anything extra. I don’t always use affiliate links and I don’t always make product recommendations, but when I do, you can be sure that it’s for products I do recommend and honestly believe in. That’s my commitment to you as my reader and it is one I hope you bring to your own blogs with a true sense of responsibility to your readers as your pursue the path of monetization!

*This site was recommended to me by my blogging buddy Kristin from My Life as a Teacup!