Presented by Mario Armstrong The Digital Spin Sponsored by The RWD Foundation, CCBC, and
Mario Armstrong: From Free to Fee (Blogalicious Conference 2012)
-
Upload
mario-armstrong -
Category
Documents
-
view
1.520 -
download
0
Transcript of Mario Armstrong: From Free to Fee (Blogalicious Conference 2012)
1
From Free to FeeTurning Your Passion into a Business
21 day challenge to more revenue
Mario Armstrong
Tell YOUR why, not the what
START THINKING OF YOURSELF AS A MEDIA COMPANY
Telling me you are a fashion blogger or cover entrepreneurship doesn’t say anything about WHY – and I don’t know what YOU bring to the table.
I tell people “I’m all about inspiring people to better their lives by showing them how technology can help them achieve their goals
I wouldn’t say “I blog about tech”
If CONTENT is KING
then
SPONSORSHIPS sustain the kingdom!
Great content is expected but not automatically financially rewarded!
7
FIRST, I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION!
What's the #1 problem you face in running your blog?
- Traffic- Monetization- Technical challenges- Time (I need more hours in the day)
8
16 ways to generate revenue
E-books Public SpeakingConsultingSMT’sTwitter ChatsBooks (e-books & paperbk)Video bloggingDevelop products in your
niche (i.e. MAM patent)
Online Events (webinars, live streaming)
Offline EventsSponsored meetups, conferences
Liveblogging specialsPaid TV/Radio contributorBlog contributor BlogTalk RadioAdwordsWebinars
Today we're going to walk through the kinds of things your plan should include, plus some examples from my
life and my business.
.
Your plan will take you to the next level:the media company
My StoryJust a few years ago I was like many of
you. I knew my passion, what I wanted to spend my days doing.
“You Work 9a-5p -- You make history
from 5p-9am” Mario Armstrong
1999 Radio Show Idea
1999-2007Full Time job, working passion on side
Chasing passion by working for FREE (5am winter mornings on ABC2, WEAA etc.)
2007-currentBoth full time on the business
AOL $250K was supposed to be a shoe-in, we spent $ on legal fees & signed it, but on the way to the mtng where they were going to sign. They called & said no go, there was change in Mgt.
To make it worse the Recession hits
2005-2007Nicole quit to start building the business, develop pricing models, infrastructure, started generating very small revenue
Current
Still playing recession catchup
TAXES!!!! Ohh yeah & a $52,000 payment – WAKE UP CALL
Grown to 8 staff members
AND WE’VE BEEN THERE:Maxed credit cards, had a 2 year old son to take care of and we were flat broke!This was the defining moment - keep going or quit! Many tears and a lot of pain!
S&%T GOT REAL!When I was collecting change to scrape up enough to buy gas, it was a very real bottom for us!
That’s proof that a huge part of your plan needs to be around how to make money.
But generating revenue goes hand-in-hand with increasing your audience and exposure. So we’re going to talk about both, and you’ll see why.
It's harder than you thinkYou'll want to give upIt's going to take timeInner Demons await – Beware the DREAMKILLERYou have to SELL. (But really, selling is helping other people improve their lives - with what YOU have to offer)
WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU ABOUT FOLLOWING YOUR PASSION:
16
16 ways to generate revenue
E-books Public SpeakingConsultingSMT’sTwitter ChatsBooks (e-books & paperbk)Video bloggingDevelop products in your
niche (i.e. MAM patent)
Online Events (webinars, live streaming)
Offline EventsSponsored meetups, conferences
Liveblogging specialsPaid TV/Radio contributorBlog contributor BlogTalk RadioAdwordsWebinars
Public $peaking
Great way to generate a buzz
After buzz building – start charging
Don’t be shy with your fees
Starting out ask for $1000-$2000
We went from $500 to $2000 to $5000 to $8000 to now $10,000
19
stats
997,621 minutes watched
75,931 unique views
22 sites and blogs carried the LivestreamHuff Post, The Root, Politic365, SocialWayne, BlackPlanet
etc…
Online Events – Live streaming
20
Give your content away for free to top tier sites
Charge sponsors for the COMBINED reach
Not just your reach, which enables you to sell big
Online Events – Live streaming
WEBINARS
1. Free:Do for Freeto build credibility
2. Charge:Work with a sponsor, who pays for yourtime
Real-time Publishing sponsoredLive Blog!
Take advantage of a live event that has an audience to provide your take: news, a TV show, festival, conference, whatever. There are tons of possibilities. Most people pre-write a post or talk about it after the fact - don't be most people!
After all, why just live tweet your thoughts for Twitter's sake? You're just sending that money (traffic) to Twitter. Live blog and tweet thoughts w/links to your site so you can take advantage and build your network at the same time!
24
TV Contributor
Identify local networks
Pitch topics that are timely i.e. Back to School, Holidays, News Eventsno product placement or pitching brands
that pay you $ for other work
Start as a guest (learn, learn, learn)
Grow from there
Blog for a brand!
Identify the brand!
Research for the unique opening!
Find a contact (use social graph)
Begin dialogue
Paid Blogger
It's time to get creative!
Make sure to cut through all the clutter so they hear you.
Mobile Video… Socialcam app
Mobile Video
Use video to augment blog posts
Don’t tell me SHOW me
Build community of followers, share to all social
Embed on your blog
Use their API to curate & post on your site
What I learned from my #Socamshow
12k on twitter BUT 1.5m on Socialcam (find ur home)
Analytics too!
This kind of diversification is hugeRemember, you're a media company.
Because when it comes time to pitch a sponsor, you want to give them everything you've got!
The more assets you have, the more places you can include them.
21 DAY CHALLENGE5 steps:
1. Write down 3 most repetitive tasks (life or biz) then figure out how to outsource, automate, consolidate
2. List at least 5 new ways to generate revenue
3. List 3 new ways to expand your audience reach
4. Develop a list of at least 15 brands you’d like to work with
5. Develop a 90-day plan w/specific deliverables