How To Sell Your Own Products On Your Blog

Kat

August 26, 2014

One of the things I learnt pretty early on when I started to monetise this blog, was that having multiple income streams was a good idea. While I continue to earn the bulk of my income from banner advertising and sponsored content, only relying on this every month wouldn't be that smart. I mean, what if all my advertisers suddenly decided to go elsewhere? Around mid-2012 I started to brainstorm other ways I could make an income from this site. One of those was selling products. I dabbled with a number of things but the most significant for me have been The Blogcademy, my print magazine and my headpiece collection with Crown and Glory.

Rock n Roll Bride Advertising End Of Year Discount!

Kat

Shell De Mar

August 26, 2014

With the madness of wedding season finally coming to a close, I'd imagine that many of my wedding supplier readers will be thinking about their marketing strategy for 2015. To help you start of the new year with a flurry of enquiries, I'm offering discounts on some of my most popular advertising options for the rest of 2014!

Perspective & Dealing with Mid-Season Burn Out

Kat

Jessica Withey

August 19, 2014

It's the height of summer and wedding season is in full swing. Everywhere I look my wedding industry friends are lamenting about how busy they are, how tired they feel, and just how much they're really looking forward to winter... and a well deserved lie in! Whatever industry you're in, there are likely to be particular times of year that are much busier than others. So how do you survive, no thrive, when you feel in completely over your head?

On Overcommitting and Why I Haven’t Written My Book Yet

Kat

August 12, 2014

I thought that if I said it out loud, it would force me to actually go through with it. I started this year with one big goal: to write a book. A massive undertaking at the best of times, but with a schedule like mine? Madness. Yet I reasoned that I could definitely get it done. I thrive on being busy.

Live Your Own Truth

Kat

August 5, 2014

Iris Apfel, American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion icon is a pretty amazing woman. At the ripe old age of 93, she still consults and lectures about style and fashion, and she continues to rock the same imitable style that she became so well known for.

I Ruined My Friend’s Wedding

Kat

July 29, 2014

Dear Kat, I need your help... advice... anything. I'm an aspiring wedding planner. I'm just out of university and when a friend asked me to help her plan her wedding I was thrilled, honoured and terrified all at the same time. I've always wanted to go into events and even though I've never planned anything as big as a wedding (and I told my friend this) I was super excited to be involved.

What If You Fall Out Of Love With Your Brand?

Lisa Devlin

July 22, 2014

It’s A Blog Eat Blog World Out There: Best Practices for Blogging Success

Kat

July 8, 2014

Someone tweeted me last week that I should write a post titled "It's a blog eat blog world out there". It made me chuckle so that's exactly what I've done. I hope it's helpful as well as just slightly amusing though! Here are my thoughts on what makes a successful blog:

On Feeling Guilty

Kat

Devlin Photos

July 1, 2014

The rumours are true, I'm obsessed with my work. But I have a dirty little secret... I sometimes feel really guilty about just how very obsessive I am. Confession time (deep breath). On an almost daily basis I have that overwhelming feeling of guilt that I'm devoting too much time to this blog and not enough to everything - and everyone - else. As painful as it is to admit, I often feel like I'm letting everything else play second fiddle to work. That, by the way, is an awful feeling to have.

Taking Risks Vs Being Reckless

Kat

Diane + Mike

June 24, 2014

I speak a lot about jumping in feet first, launching and learning and making mistakes to grow your business, but the truth of the matter is you can't always lead with your heart. You have to weigh up the pros and cons of each major decision that you make so that you don't end up losing it all.

On Mistakes, Friendships and Not Going it Alone

Kat

Assassynation

June 17, 2014

Being your own boss is the most wonderful thing. Since launching Rock n Roll Bride in 2007 I've discovered a LOT about myself, the wedding industry and running a business. But if there's one lesson I learnt faster than anything else, it was that I couldn't do everything myself. For example, I could have spent hours wrestling with Photoshop to come up with a design for my site, or I could work a little harder on the things I am better at so I can pay my designer to do it for me.

The Seven Secrets of Making Money Online

Kat

Death to the Stock Photo

June 10, 2014

We've all seen them, those business coaches promising that they can make you rich. Swearing that for the measly sum of (insert number with way too many zeros on the end here) they can turn your business around by showing you their top secret techniques that will make your pockets bulge with excess cash. They brag about their seven figure incomes, their thousands of happy clients, their giant mansions and the exotic vacations they take at every opportunity. Don't be fooled my friends.

Positive Peer Pressure

Kat

Chris Barber

June 3, 2014

When you’re a teenager, peer pressure sucks. That constant squeeze from your peers to act the same, think the same, be the same as them. It forces you to fit in, to conform, to not be your own weird 'n wonderful self. As an impressionable, confidence-lacking 14 year old, peer pressure can define you. It can make you take up smoking (yep), start drinking (er... yep), sneak out of class and lie to your parents (yep, er... yep!) I think we can all look back on those times and realise that peer pressure was actually a form of bullying, dressed up with a more socially acceptable name. And bullying sucks. Period.

How Do I Know What to Charge?

Kat

May 20, 2014

Hi Kat A quick query: how much do you charge for product reviews? I am a virtual vet. I also have a blog, posting every day. This is becoming a larger part of my workload, but I do it for free, which is a challenge. Part of my mix is a weekly product review, which I have done for free up till now. A PR company told me that one of the reasons that they use me is that I am free whereas people like you charge a fee. So hence my question: how much do you charge?

20 Ways to Keep Your Facebook Page Active

Kat

May 13, 2014

Like most small business owners, I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. We all might moan about whatever new development they implement next, but it is still, by far, the social media channel that brings the most traffic to my blog, and the one where the most reader engagement happens. Although the reach of your page may be decreasing due to whatever it is Facebook is up to at the moment, it is still a vital tool for any small business owner.

How to Email Like a Pro (or, How to Get a Reply from a Busy Person)

Kat

Amber Gress

May 6, 2014

Dear Kat I'm a new blogger and I'm really struggling with getting my name out there... well, it's not even that really, I'm struggling to get any kind of response from people. You see, I've emailed a bunch of people in the industry that I admire, sometimes to ask for a little advice, but mostly to just introduce myself and say hello... but no one is replying to me. I'm starting to feel invisible! It's so difficult to get a new blog or business off the ground as it is and I already feel like giving up. What am I doing wrong?

You Will Be Judged (Or You Will Be Ignored)

Kat

Made U Look

April 29, 2014

It's a short but sweet one for you today because I really just want to ask you a question. Seth Godin once said "You will be judged (or you will be ignored)."

The Best Thing to Ever Happen to Me

Kat

April 22, 2014

Last Thursday I heard the sad news that the shopping channel I used to work for went into administration. Everyone was called up that morning and told not to come into work. They all lost their jobs with immediate effect. Although from the outside looking in it wasn't a massive surprise (there'd be whisperings of it 'being near the end' for years, even before I left in 2011) I was genuinely gutted. Gutted for all my friends who now found themselves unemployed, but also really sad that the place that gave me my first 'proper' job was no more.

How to be an Artist

Kat

Mitch Meyer

April 18, 2014

When people asked you what you wanted to do when you grew up, I'd imagine that not a lot of you said "work in an office", or "stack shelves in retail..." If you were anything like me, you didn't quite know where you would end up, but you knew it was going to be anything but a boring career. Ballerina, artist, journalist and film critic were all on my list at one point or another... What about you?

Don’t Be Afraid of Being Afraid

Kat

Craig Mcdean for Interview Magazine

April 8, 2014

We all have fears. It's human nature to want to protect yourself from something you perceive to be a threat. Which is why putting yourself out there as a creative is so scary. No matter what we might say, no matter how much bravado we might have, deep down we all want to be accepted and appreciated for what we do. But being afraid is not something to worry about. It's how you react to your fears that is the most important thing.