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Bloggers on Daytime Ottawa

almost-famous

Just in case you weren’t aware, I wanted to let you know that I’m almost famous now. Yeah, that’s right. You see, I had my first TV appearance yesterday and I’m certain Hollywood will be calling tomorrow.

But seriously … for a gal who has never been on a TV set, it was a really fun opportunity and I was excited to see how it would all work.

Let me back up. Marilou from Twenty York Street, a fashion blog based in the heart of Ottawa’s Byward Market, came up with this idea to have a group of local bloggers all together for a segment on Daytime Ottawa.

Marilou Moles in her home office. Photo credit: James Park.

Marilou Moles in her home office. Photo credit: James Park.

The idea was to feature bloggers to talk about different types of blogs, as well as different elements of blogging. Marilou would co-host with Daytime Ottawa’s regular host Derick Fage. Here was the line-up:

  • Lara, from Wellman Wilson Consulting, to speak on blogging for business
  • Alicia, from the Keep it Beautiful blog, to share some home decor ideas
  • Erica, from the Not in My Colour beauty blog, to highlight some of her favourite cosmetics
  • Loukia, a full-time blogger (a bit of a rarity), to talk about running her blog Loulou’s Views
  • Angele, from Shoebox be Gone, who keeps the books for a number of bloggers to chat money
  • Me, to also chat about money … and more specifically, can you actually make any from blogging?
Here we are! From left to right: Lara, Alicia, Loulou, Derick, me, Angele, Marilou.

Here we are! From left to right: Lara, Alicia, Loulou, Derick, me, Angele, Marilou.

Naturally, yesterday morning, I was totally distracted by shiny objects and ending up rushing frantically out the door to get to the Rogers studio on time. When I walked in the door, I signed in and was told I could go ahead to the “Green Room.” Yes! I sat in a “green room.” One always hears about these green rooms on Ellen, Oprah and SNL. Now, I would get to sit in one.

So what is it? It’s simply a room for performers and guests to relax before and after being on stage. I never quite “got” why these rooms were called “green rooms” but apparently way back when, they were painted green. Now, of course, there is no green paint. It was a room with a sofa, chairs, washrooms, coffee and water. Oh, and a large television screen so you could watch what was happening live. That was cool!

Within moments of arriving, I could hear Derick bouncing down the hallway. Boy, this man has energy! He introduced himself and quickly made everyone feel very welcome and at home.

Derick Fage, host of Daytime Ottawa, and I in the green room.

Derick Fage, host of Daytime Ottawa, and I in the green room.

Then we were off and rolling! We were not appearing all at the same time, but rather, spaced out and brought in for separate segments. As I watched the others appear live on the television in the green room, I started to feel nervous. I hoped I could speak in full sentences and not sound like a half-wit! Loulou, who has been on the show many times, reassured me by saying, “Don’t worry, Derick is so easy to talk to — the time will just fly by.”

Sure enough, it really did fly by. I don’t think I managed to say anything I had thought I was going to say about blogging and earning an income! But, I’ll share my notes for you here:

  •  Just like “overnight successes” in, for example, the music industry, bloggers who create a site that brings in an exceptional income are rarely new to the scene. They’re also very few and far between.
  • Can you earn an income from blogging? Absolutely. But it would be easier to earn the same amount of income elsewhere. You really do need to consider blogging as a labour of love in some ways.
  • If we return to the music analogy, the musician wants to earn a living from his or her music. And yet, there is so much more behind the scenes that needs to take place … things that are likely not as appealing to the musician to take on. For the blogger, this means that if you want to earn an income, you can’t just write (or blog), you need to understand design, user experience, search engine optimization, google analytics, other social media channels, networking, guest posting, etc. etc. etc.
  • And you need to be patient. You need time to build an audience and the credibility that a brand will want to partner with. Once you’ve been around long enough, the opportunities do come dropping into your email box daily (trust me, my email box is a disaster zone!). But many bloggers can’t wait that long and end up closing up shop well before that point.
  • However, once you do hit that point, you have a number of ways of monetizing your blog: product in exchange for editorial space or reviews, direct advertising, networked advertising, google advertising, affiliate advertising, sponsored posts, and brand ambassadorships.

As for me, my blog is not my primary form of income. I could never pay my bills with it as it stands right now! I’d really need to invest far more time and far more resources into search engine optimization. As I note on my About Blog page, this blog is something I created for my own enjoyment and I try to write whenever I can (and feel inspired to do so).

But this morning, with a nice warm mug of coffee and a little quiet space, has been a real treat. Thanks for being here with me!

Comments

  1. let’s talk about the most important thing here………. your hair looks fabulous!!! love that cut on you :)

  2. You did really great today Julie! It was fun being on there together. You’re right, it flew by so fast. You’re a great resource for bloggers to find out about how to blog for income. I love that you blog because you love it, it’s the only way :)

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