The business of blogging

White shirt / Floral pleated midi skirt c/o / Pumps (on major SALE!) / Bag (similar here for much less here – only $60!) / Necklace / Sunglasses / Gold cuff bracelet / Alicia’s look on her site

Today I’m going to talk about the business of blogging. I get asked these questions a lot. Does it pay to blog? How do you plan your blog posts? Why do you blog? Where do you have your meetings? Well, let’s discuss…

Let’s be real. This is a business! What started as my New Years Resolution in January 2014 (I had no idea what I was getting myself into) quickly went from a new skill I wanted to learn to a full business. It’s my creative outlet and my passion. I love it! But it is definitely a full-time job and I do this in addition to being a non-profit consultant. Think about it… I write, shoot, research, gather information, try products, decide what will make the editorial cut and then publish. There is so much that goes in to each blog post and I blog 4-5 times a week all year long. Check out this blog post to see a day in the life of a blogger. My meetings take place at coffee shops because I work from home. And by now you know that my longtime friend, Alicia Wood of The Lush List is my blogger BFF. It’s good to work on collaborations with her and just have her as my sounding board.

You might wonder how this blog makes money. I will be happy to explain. Brands, stores and PR firms approach me to consider a sponsored content post for my site. That means that they want me to try their product, wear their clothes or travel with them and will pay me for a blog post. I do these on occasion and per FTC rules must disclose this. These posts will always have a statement at the very bottom that will say something like “This post is sponsored by XYZ Company. All opinions are my own.” Please note that I only take these if there is a fit with the topics I cover on my lifestyle blog and if I would actually wear or use the product. I believe in being 100% honest and transparent with you.

Another way I monetize the blog is through affiliate links. That means that some of my links will pay me a commission if you click on them and purchase an item online. It’s the very same thing as the sales associate at the store getting a commission off your sale. The items never cost you any more than they would if you went to the site directly. It’s simply a way for me to get credit for the sale. If you shop online, please consider using my links or starting with my WHERE I SHOP list. If you see a “c/o” next to the clothing item in the description listing above, that means the item was given to me. Again, the FTC requires that I disclose when something was gifted to me.

As you can see, there is a lot that goes in to making tanyafoster.com work. I really do try to find things that I love and that I think you might like hearing about. But I am always open to suggestions. Feel free to give me some input by leaving me a comment.

There are days when I think I have nothing left to write about, but then I think about having coffee with you via e-mail at 9:00 AM. That puts a smile on my face. THANK YOU for reading and believing in me!  xoxo – Tanya

P.S. Do you wonder what happens if I don’t like a product? It simply doesn’t make the blog.

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Photo: Mary Summers