The Wildly Creative Women Podcast hosted by Sarah Layton

What Is Blog Sponsorship?

There are a number of ways you can make money with your blog. Not everyone starts a blog with a goal of earning money directly through their platform. Some folks wish to position themselves as an expert in their niche or to sell their products. Others may utilize their blog primarily as a means to showcase their writing or other skill. Some bloggers write in order to express their creativity or to connect with others. Blogging can simply be a lot of fun. However, if you’d like to earn direct revenue from your blog, you may be wondering about blog sponsorship and just what is involved in this broad concept. Read on for an overview of how bloggers can benefit from sponsors.

About Blog Sponsorship

Sponsorship involves a wide array of methods in which companies can provide money or other agreed upon benefits in exchange for advertising or promotion on your site. You can choose to work with sponsors in ways that best fit your preferences. Some bloggers like to write advertorial posts about a brand’s product. Others may prefer a more passive method of earning such as receiving a monthly fee for placing a banner ad in their sidebar. It’s even possible that a company may pay a substantial sum to become an exclusive sponsor of a well-known blog within their niche.

Benefits of Sponsorship

You can benefit from blog sponsorship in ways that don’t involve direct monetary payment also. For example, travel and conference sponsorships are popular for bloggers who wish to take advantage of professional networking opportunities without paying out-of-pocket for the bulk of the trip. Terms are negotiated on a case by case basis, but often involve writing future posts on behalf of the company or mentioning them in social media posts while attending the event. Sometimes you may receive opportunities to attend such things as press events, tours of brand headquarters, exclusive blogger activities and more. Many bloggers also consider access to review items a perk of the job, particular if the item is useful to them or is of high monetary value.

Some Considerations

Acquiring blog sponsors, choosing quality opportunities, negotiating terms and providing value to your readers are all aspects to consider when deciding to work with advertisers. It’s important to choose only opportunities you believe will provide benefits that go beyond the money. Working with sponsors that are relevant to your blog’s subject matter and your readers’ interest should be something you strive to do. In addition, placing too many sidebar ads can be distracting and take away from the visual appeal of your blog’s design. It can also cause your blog to load or run slowly. Communication is essential when working with advertisers. Be sure you understand the terms fully before agreeing to them. Always ask questions if you’re unsure about something. Doing so will increase the odds that you’ll feel satisfied with the work that you do on behalf of the sponsor, as well as keep the door open to the possibility of future opportunities to work together.

Blog sponsorship can be a great way to earn some income. Securing advertising partnerships that are fulfilling takes a lot of time, dedication and maintenance. Once you discover what works for you and your readers, navigating the details becomes much easier and sponsorship can become a significant piece to your monetization strategy.

Whether you want to touch a nerve, reach a new audience, or boost your sales, storytelling is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. As humans, we love a good story, and when it resonates with us, it can drive us to take action when nothing else can.

Think about it. Which would you rather read, an interesting story or a sales letter? Which are you more likely to remember a week from now, a compelling story or a features and benefits comparison? And which are you more likely to buy, a story you can see yourself in, or a product that does x, y, and z?

If you think back on your most recent purchases, from the business coach you hired to the car you bought last summer, chances are you’ll find a story that resonated with you, and that drove your decision to purchase.

Stories About You

You’ve heard it time and time again: People buy from those they know, like, and trust. And part of getting to know you is hearing your stories. Your potential clients want to know how you came to be in business, what experiences you’ve had that drove your decisions, what lessons you learned along the way.

Your stories don’t have to be directly related to business to be powerful, either. That anecdote about the time you nearly got arrested for not having a valid driver’s license is the perfect lead in to a blog post about better record keeping. Or the story about how you accidentally seated two warring families together at your wedding reception? It’s just what you need to drive home a point about relationship building.

Stories About Your Clients

Otherwise known as social proof, stories about your clients are incredibly useful in your marketing and branding strategy. Testimonials, white papers, case studies and the like are all just stories, after all, and they showcase how you and your products have changed a life or a business for the better.

Stories About Your Products

Yes, even your products have stories to tell. Why did you decide to create that new coaching program? What will it help your clients achieve? Who is it not suited to? These stories and more can show your potential clients more about your products and services than any sales page ever will. When you openly share your thought processes as you were creating your program, buyers will instantly know if it’s a product that will work for them or not.

Clearly, stories have a lot of power when it comes to branding and marketing, but you have to use caution. Beware of the awkward insertion of a story just because you’ve heard it’s good for your marketing. If you find yourself midway through a blog post and you write something like, “but anyway, enough of that, let’s get on with business” and then making a total shift to a completely different subject, chances are the story isn’t working.

But if you can tie your story in naturally to what follows, that’s your golden ticket to better branding, more sales, and a more profitable business. We love stories. Don’t be afraid to tell yours.

The Wildly Creative Women Podcast hosted by Sarah Layton

The Surprising Link Between Mental Load and Creativity

Would you believe that being idle could make you more interesting? A recent study suggests that mental clutter stifles creativity while unburdening your mind encourages originality.

Researchers at an Israeli university looked at what happens when your mind is occupied with stray thoughts and nagging concerns. Subjects who were tasked with remembering 7 digits responded slowly, and gave boring conventional answers on a free association test. On the other hand, subjects assigned only 2 digits were quick to come up with innovative replies.

Learn how to liberate yourself from mental overload. Explore these tips for meditation and other intuitive experiences.

Reducing Mental Load Through Meditation

1. Face yourself. Some unconscious thoughts can be disturbing. Remember that bringing them to the surface is the first step in healing. Once you spot your baggage, you can develop more constructive habits.

2. Scan your body. Your body is an excellent guide to how to find your flow. Notice what conditions help you to lower your shoulders and unclench your jaw.

3. Focus on your breath. Simple breath work helps beginners and advanced practitioners to become more mindful. Notice the air as it enters your nostrils and travels through your body. Spend as much time exhaling as inhaling.

4. Develop clarity. Picture your mind as a pool of water. As the ripples settle, you can see under the surface. What’s going on when you put aside housework and utility bills? Connect with your aspirations and dreams.

5. Count your blessings. Engage with the present moment by noticing what you’re grateful for. Celebrate the taste of morning coffee and the sound of your children laughing.

6. Practice daily. Work your way up gradually and consistently. Even a few minutes of stillness can be beneficial.

The Wildly Creative Women Podcast

Tap Into Your Inner Creativity With This Heartfelt Strategy

Everyone has the ability to be creative - including you! Once you learn how to unleash your

inner creativity, you'll be able to tap into it, no matter what else is going on in your life. You

might even be amazed at what you're really capable of!

Discovering your inner creativity begins with looking inside yourself. The idea of

"looking within" might seem foreign or even silly, but it's really not as crazy as it sounds!

There are many successful people who understand the benefit of turning inward for

inspiration, happiness, and decision-making.

You may not always profit from your creativity. In fact, more often than not, your ingenuity

will only benefit you and your family, and that's okay! Your creativity can still bring

you great joy and happiness!

Some people write, draw, compose music, build sculptures, or paint. There are plenty of

creative pursuits for you to explore and enjoy. Even redecorating your house, revitalizing

your wardrobe, or experimenting in the kitchen can be a creative outlet for you. After all,

someone has to try new things, or the world would never change. So let that person be you!

Tips to Focus on Your Inner Creativity

If you haven't given much thought to your inner creativity, getting started can be the hardest

part.

Here are some things to think about:

• What do you do for a living?

• What are your hobbies?

• What would you do if you could do anything?

• Who would you be if you weren't worried about the judgment of others?

1

Ask yourself these questions - especially the last two - openly and honestly, and discover

your answers. You just might be astonished about what you find out about yourself. Perhaps

it's time to take that hobby and turn it into a living. Maybe it's time to shake off the idea of

living for others and begin to live for yourself.

Today is a new day to be creative, and a new day to touch the hearts and minds of others

with what you have to offer the world. Are you worthy or capable? Of course you are! Let

your inner creativity come pouring out.

Once you've started to discover your creativity, practice and experiment with it:

• Make it a point to be creative every day.

• Try new ways to do things, even routine chores.

• Seek creative solutions to your challenges at work and home.

• Any time you do something differently or see something from a new perspective,

you're flexing your creativity.

Continue your exploration by branching out into entirely new hobbies and activities that

help you in your pursuit of original creativity. Try expressing yourself in music, dance,

writing, painting, or even crafts or woodworking.

Avoiding Discouragement

There are people who simply don't like change. You might even know some of them. As

your inner creativity comes out, these people may not support you. That's okay, because it's

not their life to live. It's not their race to run. Focus on what you feel in your heart and

surround yourself with those who do support you.

Getting support from others can make a huge difference, but either way, you must be your

own #1 fan! The best support comes from within, not from what others think is right or

wrong for your life.

Using your creativity will inspire you to do even more with your life. You can't

possibly imagine where your creativity can take you if you just let it out and enjoy it. It

doesn't have to be perfect - and you don't have to be perfect - to bring great joy to yourself

and to the world around you.

Wildly Creative Women Podcast hosted by Sarah Layton Anderson

Take Advantage Of Your Imagination To Unlock Your Creativity

You are creative, even if you’ve failed to realize it. In fact, you can’t fail to create. You

created the life you’re living right now, even if you don’t appreciate it very much!

However, unless you’ve tried to maximize your creativity, you’ve only been operating

at half-throttle. It’s possible to be much more creative than you have been in the past.

Accessing your imagination and then using it to find creative solutions will

make life easier, more enjoyable, and bring you greater fulfillment.

Enhance your ability to access your imagination with these strategies:

1. Practice without distractions. Turn off the TV and dim the lights. Have a seat

and close your eyes. Allow your mind to wander, but don’t fall asleep. Instead of

trying to steer your thoughts, let them run wild. Practice being an observer

instead of a director. Do this daily for 15-20 minutes.

Use all of your senses. You can do more than just see. You have the ability

to hear, feel, smell, and touch. Use all of these senses when you’re utilizing

your imagination.

Your imagination will feel stronger if you use it daily. Try not to skip a day.

2. Read something outrageous (for you). Try reading a fictional book about aliens,

fire-breathing dragons, or time travel. Expose yourself to new ideas and

concepts. The more you experience, the more your imagination will have to

work.

The same goes for movies. Branch out. You can only watch so many action

movies or romantic comedies!

3. Take up a creative hobby. Learn to paint, sculpture, or play the accordion. Try

writing a screenplay or drawing a monster. Use the creative part of your brain.

4. Explore your passions. Do something you’ve always wanted to try, but haven’t

yet. New mental states can increase your level of creativity.

Use your imagination to find creative solutions:

1. Set an intention. Think of an intention as a short-term goal for an activity. What

are you trying to accomplish with your imagination? Find a solution for your

relationship challenge? Figure out a way to earn more money? Invent a gadget

that will change the world?

It’s important to have an objective for your imagination to focus on.

2. Choose a method of addressing your imagination:

You can turn off the lights and focus on your intention.

You could sleep on it.

You could sit at a clean table with a pad of paper and write whatever

comes to mind. Keep going for at least 30 minutes.

You could ask yourself questions and listen for the answers.

Take part in an activity that engages your mind, but not completely. This

can include activities like cleaning the house, taking a shower, mowing the

lawn, or listening to classical music. These activities occupy part of your

mind, but leave the remainder to create ideas.

3. Act on what you discover. Creative solutions are worthless unless you act

upon them. Reward yourself for being creative by putting your ideas into action.

Sort your ideas and choose the best one. Try and see if your imagination was

correct! You’ll get better with practice.

Our great creativity is one of the things that separates us from other forms of life.

Wildly Creative Women Podcast hosted by Sarah Layton Anderson

The Secret To Increasing Creativity Through Incubation

Secrets to Increasing Your Creativity: Learn How to Incubate

Many popular theories about creativity break the process into stages. The most mysterious of these intervals is incubation. Over the years, psychological studies and real life breakthroughs have come to suggest the best ways to use this step.

In general, creative thinking starts when you identify an issue and prepare to tackle it. Next, you hit an impasse and decide to take a break. Then, the answer comes to you while you’re taking a shower or getting up from a nap.

That productive rest period before the Eureka moment is called incubation.

Guiding Principles for Effective Incubating

1. Prepare carefully. This is the time to do your research and engage in critical thought. Figure out the challenge you want to solve and state it precisely.

2. Plan ahead. Incubation is more effective when you remind yourself that you’ll be returning to your dilemma later. Look forward to coming back feeling refreshed and full of new answers.

3. Slow down. Think about coming to a gradual stop rather than slamming on the brakes. Allow your body and mind to quiet down. Take a few deep breaths. Relax your neck and shoulders. Observe your thoughts without pursuing them.

4. Choose non-demanding activities. If you spend your break studying calculus or the Peloponnesian War, it’ll be difficult to get anything else done. Devote your time to routine tasks that require little thought.

5. Let your mind wander. Relax and let your thoughts flow. Free yourself from any expectations and see what happens.

6. Play more. Clowning around stimulates your imagination. Lighten up and have a good laugh.

7. Keep it brief. You may find that the results you want are already close at hand. Short breaks often work better than taking a whole day off. Take it easy for about a half hour.

8. Appreciate the value of sleep. REM sleep unleashes creativity in amazing ways. When you dream, you form associations and consolidate memories. You’re able to see things differently and spot new opportunities.

The WIldly Creative Women Podcast hosted by Sarah Layton Anderson

8 Ways To Energize Your Creativity

Creativity is a muscle that requires attention and nurturing in the same way that you might expect your body needs attention and nurturing. Creativity is not something that you can just flip on and off like a switch, and if you're anything like most freelancers and service providers, that poses a very real threat to your ability to scale. Until now...

In today's episode of the WIldly Creative Women podcast, we will explore some exciting ways you can reenergize your creative muscles and learn to start tapping into that inner pool of creative prowess whenever you need. 

Wildly Creative Women Podcast Hosted By Sarah Layton Anderson

5 Reasons Every Coach Needs A Book - Plus How Start A Book Club Membership Site

Grab Your Ticket & Workbook For The Free Girls Night In Workshop: Recurring Subscriptions How To Create A Membership Site That's Fun, Easy & Profitable

5 Reasons Every Coach Needs a Book

Struggling to bring in new clients? Not sure what to do next in your marketing plan? There’s one simple answer you probably haven’t considered:

Write a book.

It’s true. This one thing—especially if it’s an actual printed book rather than a Kindle or eBook—has the power to grow your business beyond your expectations. You’ll experience a whole new world of opportunities simply by having your name on the cover of a book.

Authority

Imagine you’re at a conference or local networking group and you meet two coaches who both specialize in business branding—something you know you need help with.

One coach says all the right things. She’s been in business for years and worked with some top-notch business owners. She has great ideas for how she can help you solidify your branding.

The other has a similar history and story, with one added bonus: she’s just handed you a copy of her latest book. It’s a professionally printed, substantial publication that practically exudes confidence.

Which coach do you think shows more authority in her field? The one with the book, of course. There really is nothing better when it comes to establishing your authority in any niche than having a book with your name on it.

Expertise

So why does a book speak so highly of you and establish your authority so well? Because it gives you a platform to show off your expertise. It’s like being invited to present on any topic you choose on the world’s largest stage.

Not only that, but your readers are a captive audience. They’re listening—in that moment—only to you. That’s a powerful position to be in, and one that gives you an opportunity to really show off your stuff.

Market Reach

No matter how many readers Google sends your way, no matter how much traffic your YouTube channel receives, nothing will ever compare to the number of potential readers Amazon and other online booksellers can bring your way.

Positioned correctly, your book can reach millions of new readers, and thousands of potential clients. Combine that with the expertise and authority we know comes with being a published author, and that’s a recipe for success that can’t be beat.

Better Than a Business Card

If you’ve ever been to a conference, you’ve no doubt collected a stack of business cards. You get home and toss them in a drawer, and six months later you throw them out, without ever having contacted the people who gave them to you.

But if one of those people handed you a book instead, what happened? You’ve likely read it (or at least leafed through it). You almost certainly didn’t throw it away. And you remember it—and the person who wrote it.

Press Opportunities

Turn on your television to any interview show, browse through Huffington Post, or listen to any of a number of popular podcasts, and you’ll quickly see that most of the guest speakers and interviewees have written a book.

The fact is, interview shows depend on interesting, insightful guests to keep their audiences listening, and there’s no better applicant than an author. Writing a book will open up many, many opportunities for appearances that you may never have without your name on that cover.

Do you have to write a book to be successful? No. But there’s no denying the fact that a published author will find she has a much easier time growing her business than the coach who keeps putting it off until later.

The Wildly Creative Women Podcast Hosted By Sarah Layton Anderson

Episode 11: The Best Organic Inbound Content Marketing Strategy In A Decade

In this spontaneous episode all about organic, inbound marketing, I share one of the juiciest content repurposing strategies I have ever had! It all hit me in the middle of tap dancing on a Tuesday night and I had to rush to record this strategy for Wildly Creative Women everywhere on a mission to be seen, and be heard without a big bad budget for paid ads.

 In fact, in this episode of the Wildly Creative Women podcast, you will uncover:

This is one of the most exciting and actionable episodes yet and you're going to want to listen at least three times so be sure to download this episode, save it, and come back to it every time you want to grow you list!

Welcome to the Wildly Creative Women Podcast Hosted by Sarah Layton Anderson

Weeding Out The Wannabes: How To Design An Application Process For Your VIP Day Offers

Thank you so much for listening to the Wildly Creative Women podcast and for all of your feedback on our previous episode about how to plan your VIP Day and scale your business while working far less!

VIP Day offers are an increasingly popular strategy for in-demand service providers, coaches, and creatives to pull back the curtain and perform a deep dive that provides meaningful takeaways for their clients while giving themselves a major pay raise. If you are anything like most of the in-demand service providers within the Wildly Creative Women community, you know how draining 1:1 can be and you also know it is impossible to scale or sustain past a certain point.

Therefore, if you have a booked out calendar of clients and you find yourself beginning to burn out and you want to make more without adding more bookings you simply must consider the option of adding a VIP Day Offer to your offer suite.

But here's the catch...

There is a right way and a whole lotta wrong ways to go about designing your application process for a VIP day and it can make or break your entire schedule...not to mention your bottom line. So, if you feel yourself growing ready to scale your impact without necessarily adding more clients or hours to your schedule this eipsofe about Weeding Out The Wannabes: How To Design An Application Process For Your VIP Day Offers will have you brainstorming profitable ideas for days!