Learn how to identify your sell as a blogger to increase your traffic and grow your blog’s income. It all starts with stopping…
Do you struggle to make pennies from Amazon affiliate sales? When I first started, I did, too. I even got kicked out of the program once! They let me back in and it lit a fire under my rear, but it still took a while to earn any decent income there.
And then I thought to myself, “You have multiple business degrees and nearly twenty years in sales. SELL SOMETHING!”
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Be Bold to Earn More!
So I contacted a brand via a pitch letter and made $300 when all I had to “sell” was 7,000 monthly page views and 136 subscribers on my email list. Know what? I never even told them about my paltry page views or measly list and they never even asked!
Much like affiliate linking, you CAN earn with sponsored posts – and there is a big thing it takes us all a while to learn…
Sponsored posts can be a huge money-maker for bloggers if you:
- Know your audience and
- Know how to sell yourself.
One of the most popular emails I’ve sent (91% open rate) was titled, “When Statistics Hurt You More Than Help.” I not only hit a significant open rate (I’m such a dork, I know), but I received more emails back from subscribers than I had in the LIFE of that list!
Because of the popularity and discussion surrounding this email, I’m putting this here as a reminder.
Learning how to identify your sell is NOT about the numbers!
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My Latest Favorite Finds
This keyboard for laptops. No more hunched shoulders! I also picked up this inexpensive posture corrector and wear it nearly every day for just a few minutes.
Can Sharing Statistics Backfire?
The answer to that is a “scream it from the rafters,” YES!
Statistics are Wonderful
Social shares are easily tabulated to show popularity. Page views are presented daily and show relevancy. Bounce rates give us strategic direction.
In blogging, statistics give us a great idea of our growth and engagement. But (and there’s a BIG but)…
Statistics are Harmful…
The other side of the coin is a cold, heartless truth: statistics encourage comparison. Let me repeat:
Statistics encourage comparison by:
- you.
- other bloggers.
- brands.
Unless you’re a blogger with remarkable statistics, that can be a very, very big problem.
Instead, Focus On…
Never send a pitch that focuses on your numbers. Send pitches that highlight what makes your site unique; sell what YOU are bringing to the table and why your audience keeps coming back.
Brands want a story that will engage readers. Brands want influencers to show creativity, excitement, and a unique selling position.
So give them that story in your pitch letter. Show them your creativity by offering them a glimpse of what you can do FOR them.
I have a popular resource, Pitching Perfection, that guides you through how to create a pitch, negotiate with, and manage the process of working with brands. It’s super fly (I might be biased).
How to Identify Your Sell As a Blogger
I created the “How to Find Your Sell” supplement because it occurred to me that so many can’t identify the unique selling proposition and position they can offer readers and brands.
If you’re a Pitching Perfection customer, you can get it for free (just go back to your Gumroad library and download the file).
If you’re not a Pitching Perfection customer, get How to Find Your Sell for $5 – yep, just five little dollars to transform selling statistics to selling what brands and readers want more of: you.
Summary
Get the supplement and remember: your blog can be your business. Learning how to identify your sell is an essential part of growing your business.
Thank you for telling me I do not have to focus on statistics. I am also interested in learning how to write a pitch letter because I have no idea. Thank you
I love how you talk about finding your sell, and not focusing so much on the numbers. While they can encourage us, I find they do more harm than good especially with all the blogging income reports out there now. And, if you focus on your positives brands will wan to work with you.