2. Kelly Whalen: The Centisble Life
Kelly Whalen is the owner of The Centsible Life, a lifestyle
blog with a focus on family finances, and living the life you
want on less. Kelly also co-owns a social media business
with a focus on brand consulting and event planning
called Just Centsible. In addition to that she works with a
group of bloggers as Splash Creative Media to create
campaigns based on timely topics (such as back to
school) with a charitable component.
Twitter: @CentsibleLife
3. Key Takeaways
› Branding is key.
› Creating a home base.
› Set goals.
› Utilize social media.
› Opportunities beyond blogging.
› How to find opportunities.
› The Art of Pitching
4. Brand Yourself
› You are a brand
› Your blog is a brand
› Design & logo are key
› What’s your story?
› Elevator pitch
5. Home Base
› Create a home base on the web.
› Your blog
› LinkedIn
› Twitter
› Facebook
› Google+
› YouTube
› and more…
6. Goals
› What does your dream look like?
› How can you get from here to there?
› Set goals quarterly for growth and
income.
› Re-evaluate quarterly.
› Find a partner or mentor.
› Know that it will change.
7. Utilize social media
› Be active across social media platforms.
› Set aside time to devote to being active
in social media forums.
› Analyze what works for you.
› Be yourself.
› Reach out to brands.
8. Opportunities
› Every
situation/email/tweet/follow is an
opportunity.
› Be responsive.
› Create templates for emails.
9. Finding Opportunities
› Pay attention via social media.
› Form relationships with PR or marketing.
› Your email is the golden ticket.
› Pitch, pitch, and pitch some more.
10. Freelance
› What are you good at?
› Offer services, or use your skillset.
› Examples:
› Writingor editing
› Consulting
› Blog Design
› Social Media
› Community Management
11. Collaboration
› Find your ‘tribe’, and work together.
› Collaboration leads to more dollars.
› Extend
your reach by partnering with
other bloggers.
12. Sponsorships
› Sponsored Posts
› Get paid to talk about a brand.
› Spokesperson Roles
› Could include posts, updates, media,
representation, and more.
› Brand Ambassadors
› Typically posts via social media and
engagement via calls, or in-person event.
13. Create your own Product
› Craft your own product.
› Branded products
› Consulting
› Informational Products
› E-books
› Free or paid resources
14. Why Pitching is like Dating
› It’sbetter to date someone you’ve met
before than go out on a blind date.
› Do your research before you ‘go out.’
› Make the conversation all about your ‘date’,
but be sure to talk a little bit about you.
› Make sure your date knows what you are
interested in.
› Dress to impress.
› KISS (keep it simple, silly)
