Color Lover

Happy Saturday! I hope your weekend is off to a lovely start. I was surprised with breakfast in bed by John which is the perfect start to the weekend :)

I would have posted this week's Friday's Fancies yesterday, but we were getting the house ready for the appraiser! So far, things are moving in a positive direction for the mortgage refinancing. More to come in the next few weeks.

Gap neon ruffle cardigan and jeans, Kate Spade All Aboard studs,
J. Crew bubble necklace, Hunter boots

So back to Friday's Fancies. This week, the suggested theme was to create an outfit based on the color you're crushing on. At this moment, I don't think I'm craving a particular color. It's a bit gray in Chicago, so I enjoy an overall jolt of color in my winter wardrobe. Neon is currently enjoying a moment in the spotlight, so I decided to create an outfit around bright and happy colors. And yes, it's realistic because we finally had our first real snow of the season. My Hunter boots are getting ready for a heavy rotation.

Beyond the outfit, I wanted to share a quick PSA. Please back up your blogs! I heard that reminder at FINCON11, but never got around to backing mine up until a few weeks ago. And then {av} lost Long Distance Loving for a grueling 28 hours because Blogger thought her blog was spam. It's now back up and running, but she learned the hard way to make regular back-ups. I would never wish that on anybody, so please make back-ups!

As for how, I have the newer version of Blogger. Simply go to Settings > Other. Then click on "Export blog" under Blog tools. Then click "Download." This should save all of the coding for your template, posts, comments, etc. Chelsea has instructions if you have the older version of Blogger and a commenter also explains how to back up with WordPress. It's super easy and will save you loads of heartache.

Have a fantastic rest of the weekend!

Pin It

First Annual Fiscally Chic Reader Survey

Hi, friends! It's finally time for the first annual Fiscally Chic reader survery! As you may remember from my experience at the Financial Blogger Conference, many presenters suggested sending out a reader survey as a way to get to know all of you, what's working, and what needs room for improvement.

So here's your chance! Let me know what you like about Fiscally Chic and things that need a little work. Are there posts or areas that are lacking? Want to see videos? Do you have a burning question that needs to be answered? Chances are, someone else has the same question.

I put together a quick survey with only 8 questions. You should be able to fill it out in 5 or 10 minutes. The survey will close the evening of Wednesday January 4, 2012.

Click here to take the survey.

Thanks in advance for your participation! Your feedback will help make 2012 the best year ever for Fiscally Chic!
Pin It

The Big M: Monetization

Today is all about one of the stickier topics in blogging: monetization. Deciding whether to profit off one's blog is a personal decision and I've slowly worked on monetizing Fiscally Chic over the past year. I'm extremely selective about what I air on the blog and want to be sure not to spam you. I'm not rolling in the dough, but it helps pay for my domain name. As my Nana would say, it's chewing gum money.

Grace over at Design*Sponge wrote an epic series about online etiquette and ethics based on a panel discussion at Alt Summit. Part 2 is all about about blogging and the moolah. I highly recommend the read if you have some time.

Google Adsense

Back to my monetization journey. I slowly started with Google Adsense. Nothing crazy, just an ad or two on the homepage. Let's just say I'm nowhere near the initial payout of $100. I still run those ads, but am sure to filter the types of ads I show on the blog.

Product Reviews

About 9 months ago, I was approached about my first product review. You might remember my review  (ETA - removed due to a request by Whooga) about Whooga ugg boots. (By the way, I'm wearing them as I type this post.) Since then, I've received more inquiries, but have turned down a majority of them. Do you want to hear about hair extensions? Probably not. I have no need for them, so I couldn't properly review them. On the positive side, I'm currently reviewing a few more relevant products and will share my experience in the next few weeks.

The challenge with product reviews is balancing meaningful feedback while looking out for the readers' interests. As I'm sure you know, the FTC requires bloggers who review products to disclose any connection with advertisers, including the receipt of free products, and whether or not they were paid in any way by advertisers. So yes, I received the Whooga's for free.

Affiliate Programs

More recently, I joined some affiliate programs. Particularly through ShareASale. These are when a blogger promotes a product or a service in exchange for a commission should that product be purchased or lead generated. Bloggers also need to disclose when they're being compensated through affiliate programs. Amazon has their affiliate program, but it's not available in Illinois...boo! Your favorite companies and products might also have affiliate programs.

Here are a few of the affiliates I currently promote on my sidebar (I'm being compensated!):

Michelle of When I Grow Up Coach created an amazeballs creative career change workbook. I purchased it when I was grappling with my job change. She also has a package that combines the workbook with an hour coaching session. I totally recommend it if you're not sure what you want to be when you grow up. Even if you're not looking to make a change, Michelle has all sorts of great life coaching advice on her blog.

I first learned about Prosper at FINCON11. Per their website, Prosper is "the market leader in peer-to-peer lending—a popular alternative to traditional loans and investing options. They cut out the middleman to connect people who need money with those who have money to invest...so everyone prospers!"

Prosper's statistics show actual investor returns averaged 10.69% since July 15, 2009. Borrowers can get fixed rates ranging from 6.59% to 35.84% depending on their credit history and application. Borrowers receive their loan after it's fully funded by investors and passes Prosper's verification process.

John and I have recently invested a small amount of money through Prosper. We're able to select our specific investments (risk, time horizon, etc.), spreading our funds over several loan listings. I've seen listings to help consolidate debt, pay medical expenses, pay for a wedding, and starting business. As our confidence grows, we'll probably invest a little more, diversifying our overall portfolio.

Most recently, I joined the Tiny Prints program. You can order invitations, greeting cards (Christmas is fast approaching!), wedding invitations, photobooks, and more. They have some great gifts if you're running low on ideas. For example, what about a custom return address stamp for someone who just moved into a new house?

And to make things easy for you, here's the page with Tiny Prints' latest coupons. For example, you can save 20% off and enjoy free Standard Delivery or free USPS First Class Mail Shipping when you spend $49 or more using the code 20HOLDEC. Ends 12/8/11!

I've had some moderate success with affiliate programs, but it obviously depends on whether someone clicks on the link and purchases.

Products

One of the primo monetization strategies is creating and selling your own product. Like Michelle's workbook. I'm a tad on my way with the Etsy shop and have greater plans down the road. This will build on my accounting background and Etsy experience.

Paid Ads

I may start experimenting with paid ads on my sidebar in January 2012. I'll let you know when the time gets closer.

Etc

Other methods include sponsored posts and text link advertisements. Those aren't really my style, so I don't accept those inquiries. Though I'd be happy to offer giveaways for you lovely readers!

Disclosures

No matter your monetization strategy, it's imperative to disclose all of the necessary information. This fact was drilled into my head at FINCON11. You don't want your affiliate programs or Google Adsense accounts shut down for not having the required policies and disclosures. That's why I have a new page devoted to disclosures. There are my terms of service, privacy policy, and FTC sponsorship disclosures. You can create your own disclosure policy here.

Do you monetize?
Pin It

Recap of the Financial Blogger Conference

Oh, boy! The Financial Blogger Conference! If you ever have the opportunity to attend a conference or local meet-up, I totally recommend it! It's been over a day and I'm still riding the high. It's like coming home after a weekend retreat. I'm inspired and a bit overwhelmed by the ideas in my head. I have pages filled in a notebook and could sit here all day writing about it. Instead, here's a highlight of the things I learned from the conference.

Put the readers first

First and foremost, readers are first. That's you! J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly opened up the conference with this very point. We don't blog for ourselves. We blog to help readers. Our blogs should offer actual advice and be a resource.

Since blogs are for the readers, we should be reaching out to the readers and asking them what they want. Really get to know your audience. Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You to be Rich said we need to "stop preaching and start listening." I know I'm guilty of going on and on about myself...."I, I, I, me, me, me, blah, blah, blah, look how amazing I am." That gets pretty old after a while. Many presenters suggested sending out a reader survey, so I'm going to put one together over the next few weeks. Start thinking of things you like about Fiscally Chic and things that need a little work. Are there posts or areas that are lacking? Do you have some burning question that needs to be answered? Chances are, someone else has the same question.

Conference organizer, Philip Taylor of PT Money

Inspiring
Personal finance bloggers are extremely smart and inspiring. The conference was like a live Twitter feed or the "best of the best" of my Google Reader. Many of bloggers are documenting their journey out of debt. Others are sharing the ways they've created something out of nothing and have become quite successful. Not only are they bloggers, but they are mothers, fathers, and friends doing something they love. I've always heard you should surround yourself by people you aspire to be and this is a great group to be a part of.

At the same time, many of the speakers challenged us to do more. Be EPIC! In the words of Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income, "We know what we need to do, so why aren't we doing it?" Ramit also pointed out that "if you're doing the right thing, the money will come."

The importance of social media
Social media is a way to connect with readers on another level. In keeping with "Put the readers first," it's another way to engage your readers. Personal finance can be extremely dry, so sharing your story (and others') can add a little color. Plus, you don't know which method of communication works for someone. Twitter is perfect for the short updates. (Speaking of, check out the #FINCON11 hashtag for more highlights of the conference.) Tumblr and Flickr are great for sharing pictures. Maybe you prefer Facebook. That means a Fiscally Chic FB page is in the future.

Me, Amber, and Krystal

Fun!
Going to the conference was also super fun! I loved meeting some of the bloggers I follow and meeting new people! I spent a bit of time getting to know Amber of Blonde and Balanced and Krystal of Give Me Back My Five Bucks. There have been talks of collaborations, so I'll keep you posted.

Swag
You can't have a conference without a little swag! Unfortunately, I didn't win either iPad drawing. But I did win some tasty Tim Tam's from Kylie Ofiu. They're chocolate covered cookie sandwiches from Australia. I picked the dark chocolate. She also gave me a copy of her book 365 Ways to Make Money to review. One of my other favorite items is the right brain/left brain note pad. And the snap bracelet :)

As I said, I have page full of ideas for future posts. These will be spread out over the next month so you're not overwhelmed with blogging advice. And don't forget to start thinking of feedback!

Have you ever been to a blogger conference?

If you're in Chicago, Jess is having a "Business in the City" meet-up on Tuesday from 6-7pm at Next Door. Check out MML for more details.
Pin It