Blog, Inc. by Joy Deangdeelert Cho, foreword by G. Bonney, edited by M. Ilasco - Chronicle

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

Joy Deangdeelert Cho is a graphic designer, blogger, food enthusiast, and

coauthor of Creative, Inc. She worked with numerous fashion clients in New York BONNIE TSANG

before launching her own design business and award-winning blog, Oh Joy!, in 2005.

In addition to running her blog, she now designs textiles, packaging, and branding for clients in the fashion and food industries, consults other creative businesses through her Rx program, and has a product line of stationery and wallpaper. Joy lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and three cats.

MEG MATEO ILASCO is a designer, illustrator, and writer. A serial entrepreneur, she launched her first business in 1999, and is the author of three books on the topic: Craft, Inc., Creative, Inc., and Mom, Inc. Meg lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

GRACE BONNEY is the creator of Design*Sponge, the award-winning home and product design Web site. She founded the Design*Sponge Biz Ladies series, a traveling event designed to connect women running their own design-based businesses. Grace lives in Brooklyn.

ALSO AVAILABLE:

BlogInc_Cover_02-15-12.indd 2

2/15/12 11:53 PM

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

Contents

Chapter

04 BLOGGING COMMUNITY ETIQUETTE

73

Be Active Online / Contact Your Fellow Bloggers / Contribute to Other

Blogs / Geninne D. Zlatkis, Geninne’s Art Blog / Initiate a Local Blogger

Meet-Up / Prepare Your Cocktail Party Spiel / The Social Network / kate

spade new york / Conferences / Altitude Design Summit / Accepting Submissions / Giving Credit / Wendy Withers, Girl Crush / Commenting 101 Chapter

05 MAKING YOUR BLOG A BUSINESS

103

Business Essentials / Protecting Your Work / Caitlin McGauley, Caitlin

Foreword

6

McGauley / Financing Your Blog Business / Record Keeping and Taxes /

Introduction

8

Emily Henderson, Emily Henderson / Creating a Business Plan

Chapter

01 INTRODUCTION TO BLOGGING

11

Chapter

06 MONETIZING YOUR BLOG

119

Blog Basics / Why Blog? / Joel Henriques, Made by Joel / Types of Blogs

Measuring Traffic and Understanding Analytics / The ABCs of SEO / Emily

/ Anatomy of a Blog / Lauren Willhite, Color Collective

Schuman, Cupcakes and Cashmere / Getting Sponsors / Types of Banner Ads / What to Charge / April Winchell, Regretsy / Your Media Kit / Joining

Chapter

02 FINDING YOUR VOICE AND NICHE

27

Your Blog’s Personality and Niche / Your Blog’s Aesthetic / Jay B Sauceda, Public School / Naming Your Blog / Joelle Hoverson, The Purl Bee / Being Authentic / Blog Writing and Voice / Naomi Davis, Rockstar Diaries / Unique Content Chapter

03 POWERING YOUR BLOG

a Blog Ad Network / Glam Media / How to Place an Ad on Your Blog / Renewals / The Sponsored Life / Affiliate Programs / Full Disclosure Chapter

07 THE NEXT STAGE OF BLOGGING GROWTH

153

Updating Your Blog’s Design / Going Full-Time / Blogger’s Block

/

Expanding Beyond Being a Solo Author / Emily Newman, Once Wed /

47

Choosing a Platform / Domain Names / Designing Your Blog / Jamie

Dealing with Copycats / Finding a Blog/Life Balance / Using Your Blogging Skills for Others / Getting Published / Grace Bonney, Design*Sponge / Selling Products / Your Blog’s Future

Beck, From Me to You / Writing a Compelling Bio / What to Post / Adding Images to Your Post / Come on, Get Snappy / Amy Cao, Amy Blogs Chow /

Resources

Frequency of Posts / Planning Ahead and Blogging from Afar / Establishing

Index

a Creative Workspace

Acknowledgments

180 182 184

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

Introduction

or perspective is, a blog can offer you a sounding board: an instant audi-

BACK IN 2001, WHEN A CO-WORKER TOLD ME ABOUT HER BLOG, I HAD NO

to your blog, I guarantee that it will give you a sense of community you’ve

IDEA WHAT IT WAS OR WHY ANYONE WOULD WANT ONE. Blogging gave me

never known before.

ence that can give you feedback, advice, or support on your topic of choice.

Success won’t happen overnight. But if you dedicate your time and creativity

visions of Doogie Howser logging electronic diary entries of his adventures

I clearly believe in the power of blogs. And since you’re holding this book,

as a teen medical genius. I think a lot of people feel the same way, But I—and

you probably think there’s something to them too. This book may inspire you

much of the world—have certainly come a long way in the past decade.

to launch your own blog or take an existing one to the next level. I wish I had

I have been a blogger since 2005: I was newly engaged, had just moved

a book like this when I started my blog. So here I’ve pulled together all the

from New York to Philadelphia, and was looking for a new design job all at

lessons I’ve learned, including those I discovered through my own blog and

the same time. A friend of mine who maintained a blog as a creative outlet

business, those I obtained by meeting fellow bloggers, and those I gleaned

from her finance job suggested that I start one to chronicle this very transi-

by following hundreds of other blogs along the way.

tional period in my life. At first I brushed it off, but I soon realized that I was

In Blog, Inc. I’ll break down what makes a blog successful; how to create

in no position not to try it. In retrospect, starting a blog was one of the best

unique content, attract readers, and monetize; and show you how to blog to

decisions I’ve ever made. Although my blog, Oh Joy!, started off in a personal

your best potential. I’ve also included interviews with fifteen bloggers (and a

vein and was initially read by only a handful of friends, the site eventually

few businesses that work regularly with bloggers) whose focus ranges from

evolved into a design-focused place where I share with tens of thousands of

fashion and cooking to weddings to art and design. Some blog as a hobby in

daily readers the projects I’m working on and the things that inspire my work.

addition to their 9-to-5 jobs, some juggle blogging with full-time parenting,

And I’ve gotten so much in return. My blog attracted buyers to my stationery

some use blogs to market their business, and others consider themselves

line, raised my standing in the press (my blog was named one of Time maga-

professional full-time bloggers. One thing that all the bloggers profiled here

zine’s top design sites in 2008), helped me to gain more dream clients for my

have in common: blogging has changed their lives.

design business, and even gave me the opportunity to write this book.

The value of the creative outlet, community, career opportunities, and

Even though blogs originated as a cyber version of the traditional personal

friendships my blog has brought me over the years is immeasurable. My blog

diary, they have become a cultural force with the capacity to attract custom-

took me on a path I never knew existed. I never actually ended up taking a

ers, create communities, and launch full-fledged careers. Bloggers serve as

design job I so actively sought at the time. The enthusiastic response to my

tour guides of their specific interests, passions, or skills, taking their read-

design work from readers, and the clients that found me through my blog

ers on a journey through images, text, video, and interactive conversation.

motivated me to launch my own freelance design business, which eventually

Through blogs, politicians, celebrities, Fortune 500 companies, and regular

led to my developing a product line, writing and blogging for other publica-

folks (like you and me) have an interactive platform to connect with fans,

tions, becoming an author, and consulting for other small creative businesses.

customers, and anyone who wants a deeper look into what inspires them.

So whether you’d like to start a blog as a creative endeavor or to help

Thanks to how easy it is to start a blog, you can share your point of view

market your business, share your talents, or connect with others, there’s no

with the potentially millions of Internet users out there craving inspiration,

reason not to start a blog today. It’s time to put yourself out there, because

entertainment, or engagement with others. Whatever your talent, voice,

you never know what amazing things will come your way.

8

BLOG, INC.

Introduction to Blogging

9

№

01

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

CHAPTER

INTRODUCTION to

BLOGGING Whenever I talk to friends or clients who are struggling to figure out the next phase of their life or career, I always encourage them to start a blog. Maybe you’re burnt out from your tedious 40-hour workweek and want to pursue full-time your hobby of baking miniature pies. Or maybe you’re a filmmaker and want to start offering tutorials on how the average person can create short films. A blog can be whatever you want it to be—a diary, a visual essay, an editorial space, a place for discussion and debate, or a scrapbook of inspiration. More than anything, a blog is a great way to get your ideas out into the world and see what people have to say in response. You could receive the feedback and kick in the pants you need to launch your new pie company or begin teaching film classes at your local college. In this chapter, I’ll explain why you should blog, the types of blogs you could potentially have, and— the best part—how to get it all started.

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO

BLOG Basics

WHY Blog?

A truncation of the term Web log, a blog is an interactive Web site that deliv-

With literally hundreds of millions of public blogs in existence, you may be

ers regular content to its readers. Whether it’s run by one person or mul-

asking yourself, “Why should I add one more?” Because you have something

tiple people, a blog is essentially a dynamic and ever-changing Web site that

unique to say, too! Someone out there is interested in your home renovation

grows with every entry, or “post,” that’s created. Blogs are typically format-

project because they’re also working on their home, or is so touched by the

ted like a newsfeed: the newest content appears at the top of the site, with

crafts you’re making to raise funds for your favorite charity that it inspires

the older posts descending below in reverse chronological order. The word

them to help others as well. Below are some of the main reasons to blog and

blog has been adapted in other ways. It is used not only to describe a type

how it can enrich your life, both personally and professionally.

of site, but also the people who contribute to it (“Holy smokes—there’s that

Blogging gives you a way to continually grab readers’ attention with new posts and fresh doses of information.

1 Passion

№

Maybe you’re a nut for interior design, and find yourself constantly rearranging your living room furniture. Or you love planning parties and are always looking for new ways to wow the guests at your next bash.

fashion blogger I love”), the world pertaining to it (“I’m reading this awesome book that’s giving me a crash course on the blogosphere”), and the process of doing it (“I’ll be there in a minute; I’m blogging right now”).

Whatever your hobby or passion, blogging offers you a place to record your finds and ideas, and share them with future Martha Stewarts and Candice Olsons.

2 Community

new posts and fresh doses of information. Unlike a book or print magazine,

№

which gives consumers information in a single serving, a blog offers read-

Whether you’re launching a new bakery or have just become a new

ers ongoing free content. They can read your posts whenever they want.

mom, blogging can capture the attention of the community of people

Thanks to how quickly material can be posted, blogs often publish breaking

who share your interests, can offer you feedback, and become the

news before traditional print and television media. Fashion blogs can post

friends you never knew you could have. Readers may also find your life

a designer’s new fall collection as soon as photos are released, whereas a

story encouraging and inspiring as they go through the same joys or

magazine will need to wait until the next issue goes to print. Many news and

challenges in their own lives.

celebrity gossip stories show up on blogs before they are filmed and broad-

№

Blogging gives you a way to continually grab readers’ attention with

cast on live TV.

3 Marketing

In an increasingly wired society, more and more of the mainstream popu-

Online marketing is essential for every business today, and blogging

lation are browsing the Internet every day, and spending at least part of that

is one of the best ways to give current and potential customers a peek

time reading blogs. What does that mean for you? It means that your possible

into what makes your business tick. Not only will customers love giving

audience is pretty big—including the billions of people in the world who cur-

suggestions regarding your bookstore’s next author of the month, but

rently use the Internet.

they tend to be more loyal when they feel like they’re getting access to the brain behind the business.

12

BLOG, INC.

Introduction to Blogging

13

: D D TE E N H IZ IO IG R T R HO BU PY T I O U TR C T A IS O D N R FO INTERVIEW

4 Share Talents

№

A PAINTER AND MUSICIAN, Joel Henriques was wait-

Wedding photographer, carpenter, Pilates instructor—whatever your

ing tables and bartending at Portland restaurants to

skills may be, if you blog to showcase your best work, it’s likely that

supplement his and his wife’s income. When their

more clients will come your way. Remember, any reader is a potential

twins (a boy and girl) were born, he quit his restau-

client or customer!

rant duties and found he had less time to pursue his

№

5 Income

musical and artistic hobbies once he transitioned

While success may not come overnight, blogging has the potential to

fascinated with watching his kids play. Despite the

be a moneymaking venture. There are bloggers, including the ones

fancy wooden teething rings and toys that he and

profiled in this book, who make part or all of their income through their

his wife had purchased, the babies were surprisingly

made by joel

blog. With lots of hard work, patience, a unique point of view, and a

drawn to their drool bibs. Their love of the texture

PORTLAND, OR

go-getter attitude, you could be one of them, too. But be warned: profit

and material in these simple objects inspired Joel

should not be your main motivation for blogging. Your love for a par-

to start making his own toys for them. These toys,

ticular topic and passion for sharing it with others will naturally produce

including modern stuffed animals and a wooden elephant puzzle, sparked

a more interesting site. And that will, in turn, offer the potential for it to

the interest of his art buyers and family members, so he began a blog, Made

be a sustainable venture on its own.

by Joel, to keep track of his creations. Made by Joel includes craft projects

into full-time dad mode. Yet he became increasingly

№

01

Joel Henriques

that parents, educators, and children can make, encouraging creativity and play and inspiring families to spend more quality time together. Joel has since collaborated with Disney, published a book based on his blog, and entered into a toy licensing partnership.

?

Who reads your blog, and why do you think they enjoy it?

I have a lot of parents, caregivers, teachers, and libraries that want to find something fun to do with their kids or the kids they teach. My readers are worldwide, from parents in the United States to preschool teachers in France.

People love that the projects are modern and kid-friendly, yet very easy for an adult without any craft skills to do with the children.

Another type of reader I didn’t expect, but am thrilled to have, includes charity organizations, which ask if they can use my stuffed toy patterns to make toys and donate to children in need. Also, I always grant permission to use our projects as a learning aid. I want to make it easy for people or schools to find easy ways to enrich their children’s art school education. I’m able to provide

14

BLOG, INC.

Introduction to Blogging

15