How To Turn Your Blog into a Branded Business with Cassey Ho

I warned that I have a whole segment of notes drafted in my computer from the IDEA World Fitness Convention and BlogFest to share with you guys.

That is exactly what this post consists of, so if you aren’t into the idea turning your blog into a branded business, enjoy the pictures and I’ll see you tomorrow morning with Friday Favorites!

From what I gather, however, there are a lot of bloggers who click over here every now and then. I love that, and I hope you enjoy the tips I have learned from the pros along my journey on how to figure it out as well.

How Turn Your Blog into a Branded Business with Cassey Ho

You miiight have heard of Cassey from Blogilates before.

source

She created her first YouTube video in 2009 after moving from Boston to L.A. for her first job. Her goal back then was to produce a channel to stay in touch and share workouts with her customers and friends back home. She kept getting requests to do more and, six years later, now has over 1.5 million views a month! Yup… million.

Currently, Blogilates is the number one fitness channel on YouTube, not to mention the inspiration behind her very own fitness line, BODYPOP active!

With an obvious success in turning her blog into a money-making brand, she spoke to our group for just about an hour on how it all happened and what fuels her to keep going.

Curious about the details? Yeah… I was too!

Cassey claims that she only became successful because her focus wasn’t to make money. She started documenting her workouts to teach them to her friends and naturally grew an audience! She attributes a lot of her success to social media and preaches that utilizing it is what can take you and your brand to the next level.

Here’s the breakdown filled with business driving tips straight from Cassey:

>> Get Personal

Include personal tidbits in your posts and videos. People will be able to relate to you if you write in that style. Personally answer comments. Readers want to be heard, so try to answer as many as possible.

Don’t try to copy anybody else or be someone who isn’t you. Be YOU!

>> Increase Your Following

Utilize Instagram! Use hashtags on Instagram, and remember that you can also use the comments section for this. (<- great tip!)

Post full exercise descriptions and recipes on your photos. People on Instagram don’t want to leave Instagram, and it can take a lot unwanted effort to actually go to your blog since there aren’t direct linking capabilities yet.

source

If you are a YouTuber, be smart about what you name your videos. Consider word play with SEO in your tags and descriptions (temp pulling). Play off of the holidays and big events of the year. The first few words that you tag are more important than the last.

Example: Here’s a workout to get ready for the VMA’s! 

>> Never Buy Your Followers

You know you’ve seen them… accounts with thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers with barely any content.

Chances are, this person or company purchased followers to up their numbers, but there isn’t any true following behind them. The numbers might look good on paper, but the percentage of people actually clicking over to their website and helping their business grow is a small percentage. Work hard and allow your following to grow organically!

>> Collaborate

Connect with other people! Get to know people like you, then create a trusting and real relationship with them. Reach out to other bloggers and discuss content and contact information when you get the opportunity.

In return, offer your content and contacts right back. Most importantly, be genuine with co-hearts, companies, and in your content. Put your heart into everything you roll out!

>> Connect with Brands and Show Them Your Worth

Don’t underestimate the power of connecting with brands on Twitter and social media. Don’t be annoying, but be persistent and try to establish a connection in a couple of tries. Even something as simple as a tweet could turn into a future campaign or project with them.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a high rate. You can always negotiate, but have a rate sheet available to share when prompted.

>> Sell Merchandise

Make it official by making products. Merchandising is HUGE! People want a piece of you, even if it’s just a t-shirt. Everyone can have a store!

>> Keep Readers Engaged with Newsletters and Giveaways

Give away free content, but know when to draw the line. Don’t give away everything if you are hoping to sell products in the future.

Give away free plans or workouts to get emails for newsletters. Give away free workout calendars to email subscribers. Give away workout samples. Share a synopsis of a workout plan through your newsletter, but require a click to the online download for a full breakdown of everything!

source

Even if you have nothing to sell – but and want to build your following – get a newsletter! The main reason is to stay in touch with your followers.

>> Be Selective

Only work with brands that you believe in.

(Remember my recent post all about this?) If you get approached with a huge sum of money, be careful. If it doesn’t make sense for what you do, don’t sign up for it. Always trust your gut!

***

source

Previous Blogging Related Posts

• Tips on How To Start a Blog

• Tips For Beginners

• Dealing with Negativity on Social Media

• How To Approach Brands & Sell Yourself

***

Well that was fun. I’ll be continuing on with my IDEA session notes over the next couple of weeks, so keep a look out if this is something that interests you. I’m off to study (finally making some kind of progress here… finally).

See you in the morning!