Ep. 60: Shifting from blogging to monetization

Authentic Online Marketing with Ruthie Gray

Would you like to learn how to generate funds in the online world and shift into monetization? Many of us enter the blogging and writing arena with starry eyes, loving this new creative outlet, but then later on we realize that we actually have to pay for our newfound hobby! Uh oh! (Newsflash: this happens to podcasters too).

Website hosting, email providers, video software, marketing fees and promo, apps and systems to make it all flow. Editors, book coaches, travel expenses and education. Pretty soon you realize you’re in the hole and all you wanted to do was write!

Resources

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Check out Authentic Online Marketing School

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A word on the Authentic Online Marketing School

If you’re thinking about turning blogging to monetization right now or have been there, today’s episode will get your gears turning and ideas flowing for how to shift. It truly is possible, so I’m sharing the beginning stages of some of our Authentic Online Marketing School students – their questions and observations as they enter the world of monetization.

Students enter Authentic Online Marketing School knowing they need help marketing their book, speaking platform, or product. They’re searching for clarity on how to promote and sell without feeling sleazy. They need guidance for building an authentic Instagram platform and newsletter list of followers and subscribers who want their offerings. The goal may be blogging to monetization. They need an email launch sequence for when they are ready show the world, and we provide all of this.

But SOMETIMES there is an in-between spot – we’ll call it the black hole – consisting of WHAT exactly could I sell, services, products, or something in conjunction with my main reason for being here to fund my project? Sometimes writers enter our school just wanting to know how to write better emails but come away with a whole new perspective and a toolbox full of ideas for monetization and future projects.

You (and your small biz) are worth it

But as they enter this journey sometimes doubt creeps in saying, “Who do I think I am to charge for this service or product?” It’s easy to discredit ourselves as not having enough experience or needing to know more or just feeling like we’re not authentic. And since that’s what this podcast is all about – authentic marketing, I felt this conversation needed to be shared with you, because if I as a professional still feel this way at times and these ladies just entering the world of online monetization are too, then probably, so are our listeners.

So here’s a candid conversation with two members, Jennifer Sakata and Naomi Fata, as they share their realizations and discuss monetization possibilities and I weigh in on my own journey from blogging to monetization over on blogspot to releasing a book and eventually shifting into a marketing career (which I adore)! To the wrestling of my spirit asking – am I good enough to charge for this?”

Honing in

Jennifer: I’m thinking of another way that AOMS has equipped me coming to this space. I didn’t think of myself much as a seller. Not only was this a confidence booster in what I’m writing and what I’m offering, but the blogging to monetization aspect of what I’m writing and offering isn’t something that I’ve had much head space for yet.

I’ve been published in three compilation books. But that is not a persona that I’ve worn very much yet, but our conversations are continually leading to that, and that is ultimately that’s what I want to be able to do if I want to continue ministering and speaking, it costs money to be able to do that, and God has given me an ability to create income that will allow me to continue doing that.

Growing and reaching

And that’s a whole part of a head space that has grown for me as a result of this school. Thinking about how could I offer these to people in a way that further supports my ministry and calling to speak to an audience that really wants to hear what I have to offer.

Ruthie: There is potential there, and I think that people, especially writers, don’t realize they are marketing whether they want to realize better or not, because they want to sell a book, they want to sell their speaking.

Engagements is all marketing with blogging to monetization. So learn how to do it and learn how to cultivate those relationships. And then be with an open mind, because you never know. When I started all of this, the blogging years ago, I was like, I just want to write.

Be prepared for change

But the Lord took me down a completely different path. And one day my mentor said, You’re not going to make any money by doing this, but you will if you do this. And it was a little subtle shift and I thought about it for a long time I don’t really want to mark it. But then I realized there’s actually energy in it.

It’s actually fun. Once I figured out what my niche was to market. So always keeping your mind open to the possibilities be paying attention to who God puts in your path. And being wise, of course about who you’re going to follow and how many voices you’re going to listen to. I tell my people don’t follow all the Instagram gurus.

Choose one, choose wisely

Just listen to one. Don’t follow all the email marketing gurus. Listen to one or two. Just there’s no way you can possibly process all of that. And you’re going to get conflicting information that makes you doubt what you’re doing. And when you doubt what you’re doing, even if it might not be the exact very best thing, you undo everything.

You’re just unsure about everything.

Jennifer: The gal who does all of my image at my graphic images for my blogs, I’m rebranding, as and doing different colors and all of that. I had asked if she would be willing to come up with a new logo for me and color design and all of that, and she sent me some samples.

So the second sample she sent me was stunning and amazing, and I kept thinking, “Why am I so reserved about what she’s just sent me?” Here’s where blogging to monetization comes in. Here’s what I figured out this morning. What she sent is so incredibly beautiful and professional that I was struggling with whether I see myself as that professional.

And I just sent her a message. Explaining that has been part of my struggle. It has nothing to do with what she designed. It’s stunning. When you see it, because I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m going to land with. It’s incredible. But that is not a mantle that I’ve held for very long in that way.

Professional struggles

I’m moving into it. It is fitting me a lot better than it used to, but that’s what I was struggling with because I looked at that and I thought, Wow, that is incredibly professional.

Is that really me?

Jennifer: I am a professional person and I am a professional speaker and writer, and what she designed is a reflection of where I’m going. And so anyway, I didn’t even realize until this morning that I was wrestling with that.

Ruthie: We all wrestle with imposter syndrome. When you’re struggling with imposter syndrome, it talks about those very things and how you don’t really believe yourself and you don’t really know if anyone else will believe you, and you don’t really know if you’re worthy of that. It’s all a process that you step into, but when you’re following the leadership of what you believe, God is leading you in.

“Then it’s not wrong to accept that God confidence and walk in that.”

Naomi: I was going to just say that as far as imposter syndrome sounds funny, even. I joined a seamstress group online, and up until then, I didn’t even realize it, but I had I’ve been sewing for people for 15 years and I have people tell me all the time that’s amazing.

And I still had imposter syndrome because I didn’t go to fashion school. And I was like, What do you mean? I finally feel like I’m starting to charge what I’m worth. I think it’s a lie of the enemy. Like to make us feel defeated and like it’s not something that we can offer the world.

Ruthie: Yes, when I created my first high ticket. I had just come off of I was coaching one on one and I had a course that was $47.00 And so to go and charge $497.00 for my first high ticket offer, I was really nervous and scared. And nobody’s going to buy this. But because I had spent so much time growing my platform and sewing the seeds and sending the emails and working one on one with people, I think I had 16 in that very first class, because they were waiting for me to offer something like that.

Beta testing

But I beta tested three times. So then my coach said, “You have no idea how much value you offer and how much expertise you already have. You just need to step into it.” There’s a lot of guts and it still takes guts for me to launch.

It really does. And just knowing and realizing your value with blogging to monetization and what you’re worth and then deciding you’re going to put a price on it.

Naomi: I finished shooting my video today. So I have it ready to load into Teachable. It’s 40 minutes for the first class and then I was going to have a free download and a transcript.

So trust me, I’ve been thinking about this for four years. So the fact that I’m actually doing it is good.

Ruthie: So this class was probably impetus you needed.

Naomi: Yeah, it was, it’s been a slow journey. Like I had people starting to ask me to teach in person classes in the spring, and it was like this thing that just kept punching me, the Holy Spirit kept nudging. And I either have to do this or I have to do something else. I have to turn my back on sewing and everything else and do something else.

Ruthie: One suggestion I have for you, you might beta test this with a few of your clients. People that really love your stuff so that you can get some testimonies and put those testimonies on your sales page and everywhere. It would be helpful if you could. Because that could catch some mistakes, but it is not completely necessary. However you want to go about it. Just whatever’s the easiest way to get somebody to go through that for you.

Giving yourself courage for confidence

I found it so interesting that Naomi discredited her years of being a professional seamstress because she didn’t go to fashion school. But she is good at her craft! What are you discrediting in your life? What experiences do you have under your belt that could help someone else? This is how to market – discover a need and fill that need.

So let me just wrap up some thoughts here to help you process this concept.

1. Allow yourself to dream. You have lots of possibilities, many of which are yet to be discovered, so open your mind and explore them.
2. You are the expert at something. Own it. Don’t give in to impostor syndrome by the way, you can listen to one of my earliest episodes, called 5 truths for overcoming impostor syndrome, which I’ll link in the shownotes.
3. Test drive your product and don’t give up. Thomas Edison failed many times on the way to his successful inventions. In fact, he said, “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.
   Marketing possibilities are endless in our age of technology, and I will readily admit to failing at least 10,000 times just in technology alone since the start of my journey!

Blogging to monetization: Is there a dream in your heart to fund your hobby? Don’t discredit that dream.

One way I can help you do this is in Authentic Online Marketing School. Doors open Black Friday where you can immediately reserve your spot for our 8-week class starting next year, January 9, but while you’re waiting, you can receive our bonuses, one of which is our behind the scenes training, how to discover your super power through beta testing.

We’re offering even more bonuses to get you started and ready for the class, so be sure to join our waitlist by clicking the url in the shownotes. You’ll immediately receive our Reels Creation Mini Course to help you focus on the creation aspect according to your unique personality, based on research we’ve done within our mentorship. One of the things we capitalize on in our trainings is leveraging your own unique personality to market effectively, so if this sounds like what you’ve been looking for, check out Authentic Online Marketing School in the shownotes and get on the waitlist.

Thanks for listening today, I hope you were encouraged to dream a little and take the next steps to monetization. Until next week be sure to keep sharing your unique message your way in your own authentic voice.

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