Influencer und Blogger 2020 | Welche Fehler du vermeiden solltest

Mai 2015! 5 Jahre Erfahrung in der Blogger- und Influencer Szene erinnern mich daran, wie viele Hürden überwunden werden mussten, wieviel Arbeit geleistet, wieviel Mut und Durchhaltevermögen aufgebracht werden mussten, um heute genau hier zu stehen. Ich blicke zurück auf eine Zeit des Wachstums und der Freude, denn dieser Blog hat mich in den letzten … Weiterlesen

Why you need a Digital Detox – overcome FOMO

Did you heard about that new buzzword social media detox? It’s not a secret you can get crazy by using social media daily. Unfortunately we all care what people think of us. We all want to feel accepted. We all want to feel liked. As Jason from jasondoesstuff told us “Social media multiplies those thoughts … Weiterlesen

The truth about blogging and instagram work

Anyone can start a blog for free so it is not a surprise that there are more than 200 million blogs in 2017 wordwide. See best-free-Blogging-sides. I’m proud to be one of them. There are lots of people who are writing a blog about the topic „Blogging“ because there is a really big need for blogger … Weiterlesen

Learning more about Dark and Moody Food Photography and Lightroom Presets

To find his own photography style needs a lot of time. When I began with Food Photography in 2015 I can’t decide which style I love more. The bright or the dark one. I definitely tried out a lot in the last 2 years and I was frustrated so often. But I learned more and … Weiterlesen

Can you make money blogging with a small blog?

One question I get asked very often is

„Do you earn money with your blog?“.

To be honest.
My blog is quiet small.
It is not my main job but YES I earn a little bit of money with services which results from my blog work.

I like to start to tell you that bloggers can’t be bought.

Most of the bloggers only like to write about their passion and ideas. It’s a myth that bloggers accept every cooperation for money. I keep an eye on other blogger and the blogger community and I don’t see tons of advertising on the blogs or social media feeds very often. You can see if anybody is bought or not.

There are some Blogger who developed an own eBook to earn money for example. Traci is as Blogger who finished her own ebook last month. Or other Blogger who sell their skills and use their blog as a Plattform, like Dearna.

tablet-grab-n-go-price-copy-3  tall logo + image

My beginning 2 years ago

My blog exists since two years and in the first year I never thought about making money blogging. But when I started my Instagram 1,5 year ago some companies recognize my blog and my passion of food. They realize I “speak” to a perfect target group and they asked me to promote their products in my Instagram feed and my blog posts. I worked a few months on a sample basis but after tons of samples I thought about my needs. I was happy to get something for free in the beginning. But later? I don’t want to have a clear timeline, to have all the pressure and tough targets.

Furthermore I need to invest money in my blog work. For example new plugins or WordPress. In my camera equipment. So when I earn a little bit I spend it straight away for new Blogging stuff. Haha.

20161112-money-blogging-1-1-von-1

Why I decide to make money blogging

I decided to stop promoting products in on my blog and on my Instagram account for free for about a few weeks to think about my kind of cooperation in the future. In case of getting a cooperation inquiry I decided to claim payment for my hard work. Blogger who read this know what kind of work they invest in a blog post, professional photography or getting more traffic on their blog.

Why should I give companies free access to my follower although they have money to pay for this big media Penetration?

Companies Marketing Budgets

I’m working in sales and marketing since 15 years and trust me – companies have such a big marketing budget. If they decided to use Influencer, like Blogger or other social media they know that they need to invest money. As a blogger it’s my decision which products and companies I like to support. When you search in Google you find a lots of articels who tell you that brands want to spend more on Influencer Marketing. Why? Because they realize they can reach thousands of potencial customers all over the world by cooperating with the right people.

Researches shows a big growning in the online marketing in the last years.

The online Business will grow in the next years as well. So it is really important for companies to invest money in this marketing channel. More and more companies are willing to work with cooperation partnes like Blogger or other Influencer to reach their target group.

You like to know how I make money Blogging?

For me (and I know for other bloggers as well) it is very important only promoting products they really trust. You wouldn’t recommend a product to your friends you don’t like right? Same here.

I didn’t take long until I got my first payed cooperation after asking the companies directly. After explaining what I do and how many time I need to invest. I didn’t earn thousands of Dollars but I was happy to get paid.

I strictly focus myself on product placement and photography for companies.

Because I like this kind of work. They are a lot of other idea to make money blogging. But I don’t find the time to realize them all. And I really have fun by working with my camera and taking pictures for companies and products I respect. When I publish a picture on Instagram with a product I get payed for 70%. The others are still samples I really love. Here are some products I only use as samples:

www.lieblingsglas.de
www.madebyfressko.com
ww.broste-copenhagen.com.

20161028-healing-ginseng-tea-4-madebyfressko-1-von-1  20161028-easy-lentil-soup-2-1-von-1

I don’t accept many cooperation’s for my blog directly because I don’t find the time and I don’t want to overload my blog with banner and sponsored posts. I like it really simple without lots of promotion on my page. But to be honest it don’t disturb me when I see product placement or banner on other blogs. I love honest recommendations and all blogs I read are trustful. I’m happy when I see blogger cooperate with companies because I’m sure that’s the future for companies Marketing.

I hope you find some idea or inspirations how to make money Blogging.

If you have own experiences about this topic I would be happy to read a comment from you or get an E-Mail with questions.

Hugs Janine


Follow my blog with Bloglovin


Favorites of the week

Some Blogger Resources from my Blogger friend Dee. You find Tutorials, Tips for Food Bloggers and more on her Blog!

More tips about How to make money blogging 

You could be interested in these posts as well

Find some tips for food photography!

How to grow your Instagram Following

Instagram grow nab

 

How to grow your Instagram Following

I wrote this Blog Post for all the people who are interested in my Instagram growing and for those people who follow me and supported me at any time. I also wrote it for people how like to grow with their own Instagram account and for those people who wants to start one.

I recently reached 100.000 Followers on Instagram and I’m overwhelmed about the heartwarming nice words and congratulations from all of you.

To be honest I wasn’t a social media fan in the past because I don’t want to see others regularly daily routine or boring videos. But when I started Instagram I recognized the otherness on this platform. The difference for me is that I can follow only people who are interested in my niche and who are follow the same passion. The passion of a vegetarian, vegan and healthy diet and living. So I don’t have the feeling to get spammed with input I don’t like to see. Sure Instagram changed a lot but I know my favorite accounts and I can decided who I
give a visit. This and other points are reasons I felt in love with this social media platform. As you can see in my social media activities I focused myself on Instagram. Why? The simply answer is: Because I really love it!

I’m lucky to choose this platform because Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform. Instagram announced a new milestones: 500 million users per month, of which 300 million use it daily. Eighty percent of the total users live outside the US. Instagram was established in 2010 with 1 million user. So if you like to decide to invest time in social media you should use Instagram.

Back to me. When I started with Instagram one year ago I never expected to grow in that way I grew. When I uploaded my first food pictures I don’t had the idea to collect lots of follower. I only want to share my first food pictures to see what others think about it and to learn how to take better food pictures. I already read two food photography books and thought my pictures wasn’t that bad. I quickly got a response from others and I was so proud when I got 30 clicks on my picture.

I like to share some tips which helped me to grow in that way I grew on Istagram.

1. Helpful and creative content

Instagram is a photo community and special platform. Your first intention should be to produce good, helpful and creative content to give others an idea. As you can see in my feed I pay attention to vegetarian and vegan food. I found my personal niche. It’s so much easier to focus yourself on only 1-2 topics in your Instagram feed as well its easier for your follower. Content means not only the picture you show. It’s even more. It’s the caption you choose, it’s the context you choose and it’s your personal style. Don’t confuse your follower by changing your style or context too often. To produce helpful and creative content is the best way to promote followers loyalty. For me is isn’t difficult
to publish helpful content because I mostly publish all the things I learned new by myself. LOL. Don’t be afraid to be creative and try out new things. It’s often new for others as well.

2. Photography and Videos

In the last year I met lots of Instagramer who produce really good and high quality content. Because Instagram is a photo community it IS necessary to upload mostly the best pictures you have. Please be realistic! Don’t match you with high professional photographer or Instagramer who are already have a big experience. In the beginning I matched myself often with the wrong people and was really frustrated. In the meantime I focus myself more on me and the possibilities I have. Keep in mind to use the best content you can produce with your own possibilities. I recognized videos are watched 10% more often than pictures. I tried out if I have fun with producing my own videos and it works good. But I’m sure if I won’t have fun by producing them I wouldn’t do it only to get more likes or follower.

3. Have fun and be authentic

One of the most successful way to grow your follower is to be YOU! This is the difference between you and others! Don’t be someone else. You will only have success when you are authentic. I can’t be some else who is more successful or who have other possibilities like me. Instagram is a place you will invest a lot of time. So it’s is really important to have fun with what you are doing there. If you don’t have fun don’t start with Instagram.

4. Be social and interactive

Instagram is a social platform. Means you need to be interactive with follower. In the beginning you need to learn from others. I was and I’m still interested in other feeds. When I see a picture I love I like it, when I stop to looks at a picture and think “Wow, what a great shot!” I give a comment with a compliment. I notice that I’m really interested in other feeds so I give an authentic comment. I often see short comments from others. It seems the people try to be active on more feeds to get the possibility to “collect” follower. That’s not the way it works. You will have more success by comment less pictures but more extensive. If you have some experience or knowledge don’t share it only on your feed. Share it with others in other feeds as well. Because others can learn from you and maybe they think you are interesting enough to visit your feed as well. Be nice. Be kind. Be real.

5. Find others in your niche and engage with them

One of the best I did on Instagram is to connect with others in my niche. I already have a close relationship to some of my first Instagram friends and we support each other as best as we can because we respect each other’s work so much. We sometimes send us DMs (direct messanges) or e-mails with questions we don’t want to share official. Here you find a list from my favorite Instagram
accounts and friends:

Janine from @nutsandblueberries (my account)
Kathi from @blackwhitevivid
Ellen from @ellencharlottemarie
Karin from @theofficialkalista
Niki from @rebelrecipes
Dee from @greensmoothiegourmet
Marisa from @missmarzipancom
Traci from @vanillaandbean
Klara from @klaraslife
Bo from @boskitchen
Marie from @8thandlake
Maya from @delicious_and_healthy_by_maya
Bettina from @Bettinas_kitchen
Heike from @tastyashek
Lynn from @heavenlynnhealthy
Tiina from @myberryforest
Amy from @amylecreations

6. Real Follower

Your Goal should be to have REAL loyal followers who are really interested in what you are posting and not those ones who follow you to speculate in a follow back from you. And don’t buy follower. Please don’t! I never bought follower because it wasn’t my intention to have thousands of follower. In my opinion it’s wrong to buy follower. Instagram isn’t collecting follower. Instagram is more than that. Instagram is a place where you can share your love, your passion. A place where you can learn so many things from others.

7. Contests and celebrating’s

In the beginning of your Instagram journey it’s a good way to share your pictures as well in contests to find connections to others in your niche. This one is tricky, sometimes difficult to manage and time investing, but it works. If you can get yourself featured by bigger profiles, it will get you a lot of followers quickly sometimes. You can arrange an own one or join others. When you publish a picture in a contest and the organizer like it, he / she will give you a feature on his / her page. When you are lucky you find more follower with this way. You can also organize an own contest with your own idea. I run one contest alone and one with other Instagramer. The topic was #healthytoppings and
#nabhealthysummersnacks. I featured some people with the best ideas on my feed. Some people are also celebration their milestones on Instagram to share their happiness and to “give something back”. Your Follower can share a picture from you and if you like it you will share it on your account. I only celebrated two times. When I reached my 20.000 and when I reached my 60.000. I’m not a fan of it because you have lots of other content on your feed.

8. Don’t spam others

On the downside of contents and celebrating’s is that you will have many other pictures on your feed which can confuse your follower. It is a nice way to grow a little bit faster and I often see people who are celebrate a lot. But in my opinion it isn’t the right way to build up a stable Follower base.

I really often implement nice words about other people and Instagram feeds in my page because I really love their work and love to share it with others and I love to support them. It’s a great way to spread some love and support others without having other pictures in your feed. To make sure the people will see your comment tag them in your picture.

9. Please do not follow by follow

As I said it is tricky, sometimes difficult to manage and time investing to get featured by bigger profiles. I get ask so often if I can feature someone on my feed (because it’s big now) or if we can do a follow by follow. To be honest I did it two times without thinking about it. After thinking about it I stopped it because I DON’T want to feature someone I don’t “know”. Call me vintage but I only want to feature or recommend people I really like. I’m sure it hasn’t a real authentic character to make follow by follow.

10. Analyzing

A high professional way is to leant when you can publish your post as best. I read about a program called Iconosquare. You can analyse your Instagram posts and see what works good and what not. I’m sure it’s a great idea to fill Instagram more professional. Unfortunately I don’t have the time to use it at the moment. I listen to my body and work with regularly publishing times.

11. Regularity

At the moment I publish one picture regularly in the morning (Central European Time) because it’s MY BEST TIME. It’s my morning ritual I really love. Sitting in my blue chair, enjoying my espresso and write my post. Sure, I could reach more people if I would make another post on the United States Time Zone. But this would stress myself to much and that’s the reason I don’t do it.

12. At least something about the Instagram Changing

I’m sure if you are already working with Instagram you heard or feel about the changing. The posts are no longer in chronological order of newest posts first. Instead you will see posts in the order that Instagram deems the most important to you. It’s how much Instagram thinks you care about that particular Instagram user. For example, a photo with 5 likes and no comments from two hours ago from
someone you occasionally engage with is several posts ahead of a photo with 140k likes and 420 comments from an hour ago from a celebrity with a verified profile whom you rarely engage with. If you want to ensure that you see specific people’s posts more often, you have 2 options. First, visit their posts out and get active with them, means like and comment. You can do it on my account if you like to see more from me. Or simply give a regularly visit. The other way is to click on the triple dots at the top right of their photo or their profile and select Turn On Post Notifications. I don’t want to tell my follower to clock on the triple dots because I’m sure they already read about it and when they like
to see my posts they will do it.

Instagram published a new function calls

“Tell your story”

a few days ago. You can show your follower what you are doing in time and it will be online the next 24 hours. I tried it out and think it’s a nice way to tell your follower more about you without posting it on your feed. It is similar to snapchat. But unlike Snapchat, you can tap on the left-hand side of the screen to rewind the feedback to an earlier post.

If you like to know more read this article: Instagram Tell your Story

Follow my blog with Bloglovin