1. THE BUSINESS OF BLOGGING:
PALOMA CONTRERAS
Founder + Editor
www.LaDolceVitaBlog.com
Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook: @LaDolceVitaBlog

2. • I started writing La Dolce Vita in July of
2007 during the very early days of
“blogging” as a respite from summer
boredom.
• I began by writing random essays, but
quickly tapped into my passion for
design and established a unique voice
for the blog. I also developed a focus
for the content that would appear on
La Dolce Vita.
• Today, La Dolce Vita is a style blog
centered around the elements that
make up “the sweet life”: interior
design, fashion, travel, and inspiring
people and places. LDV also served
as the launching pad for my interior
design business.
LA DOLCE VITA

3. BUILDING THE FOUNDATION
1. Ask yourself why you are blogging.
1. Blog only about things that you absolutely love and are
passionate about. Keep the tone positive!
1. Content is king. Post as much original content as
possible and remember that while a blog is a powerful
marketing tool, your blog shouldn’t feel like an
advertisement for yourself or your business. If content
is king, authenticity and transparency are queen!

4. 4. Post regularly. Otherwise, you won’t get much traction. Do
you have the time and desire to dedicate to a blog and social
media?
5. Maintain an Editorial Calendar to help you stay organized
and focused. An Editorial Calendar will also help you to
establish content that is on-target and on-brand.
6. Collaboration is key! Reach out to other bloggers at
various levels of their careers as well as to people in your
industry/niche whom you admire. Guest post on other blogs
and invite people to guest post on yours.
BUILDING THE FOUNDATION

5. ESTABLISHING YOUR VOICE &
YOUR BRAND
• My editorial content is
carefully planned to reflect
the overall style and
sensibility of La Dolce Vita. I
have established several
regular series that my
readers love and eagerly
await each week.
• My goal is to ensure that
every post is on-target and
on-brand, reflective of the
aesthetic I have cultivated for
La Dolce Vita and therefore,
engaging for my readers.

6. LEVERAGING YOUR BLOG TO
MAKE MONEY

7. HOW I MAKE MONEY
• I started taking advertisers on
my blog after writing La Dolce
Vita for two years.
• I will only partner with
advertisers whose products or
services I genuinely love and
can recommend to my readers
without reservation.
• Since 2012, I have used
affiliate advertising through
rewardStyle for individual
product links and banner
advertisements.

8. USE YOUR BLOG AS A
SPRINGBOARD FOR SUCCESS
• I wouldn’t be able to sustain my lifestyle on blog advertising alone, but it has
generated very valuable brand partnerships, freelance opportunities, and is
now a huge referral source for my interior design business. I wouldn’t call
myself a career blogger, but I definitely owe my career to my blog.
• Determine how you can use your blog as a springboard to leverage your
talents into something else. What is your ultimate goal– starting a design
business, writing a book, selling products or services, creating a product line,
establishing yourself as a tastemaker and design authority? All of these
things are possible through blogging!

9. THE IMPORTANCE OF
A MEDIA KIT
• Once you’ve established a readership, you’ll
need to create a media kit that you can send to
anyone who contacts you about any type of
partnership.
• Your media kit should include the following:
1. An Overview of Yourself and Your Blog
2. Readership Statistics* (unique visitors,
page views, subscribers)
3. Reader Demographics* (level of
education, sex, income, location)
4. Press Mentions
5. Rates and Types of Sponsorship
Opportunities (typically includes traditional
advertising, sponsored posts, brand
collaborations)
*You can gather readership statistics and demographics through Google
Analytics, SiteMeter, and Lijit.com.

10. WORD TO THE WISE…
• Remember, authenticity and transparency are critical in
blogging. If a post is sponsored, you should disclose that to your
readers. The reason advertisers turn to bloggers is because our
readers trust our opinions and endorsements.
• Before you consider taking on an advertiser, make sure that the
partnership makes sense for everyone involved: you, your
readers, and the potential advertiser.
• No man or blogger is an island. Blogging is all about community.
Get out there and leave comments on other blogs and engage
with people in your social media circle. If you’ve featured
someone on your blog, reach out and let them know.
• Think of your blog as your digital calling card and ensure that
everything is consistent in quality and style and reflects your
brand.

11. • Don’t forget to leverage your blog posts through your other social
media channels. Send out a tweet, share the post on your Facebook
page, upload images to Instagram, and remember to pin the images
to your Pinterest account!
• Always give credit where it is due. Link back to the original sources of
images and content.
• Make sure your blog layout is clean and attractive. If possible, hire a
graphic designer to help you with your blog’s design.
• Remember to engage your readers. Ask them questions and be
mindful of what they like. Respond to questions and tweets as often
as possible. Get out there and network, network, network!
• Take time to for yourself to rest, recharge, and stay inspired.
WORD TO THE WISE…

12. THE PATH TO SUCCESS
• Ultimately, the path to
successful blogging is
greatly dependent upon
the foundation you’ve
built.
• Create original, inspiring
content that is reflective
of your brand, remain
authentic and
transparent, and you’ll
be on your way to brand
partnerships and
countless opportunities
that can generate

13. THE PATH TO SUCCESS
• Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Building a large
readership will not happen overnight. Most successful
bloggers have been doing this for years! It takes time to
build an audience and to start seeing opportunities.
• In this digital world, we see the highlight reels of people’s
lives, but we don’t know what has ended up on the cutting
room floor. Remember, everyone’s journey is unique.

14. “There is no
elevator to
success. You have
to take the stairs.”
-Unknown
SET REALISTIC GOALS &
ENJOY THE RIDE
Image via The New York Times