Networking in the digital space is important because….
I definitely have gotten more [page views] and readership by guest blogging on other sites. Also, running giveaways and commenting/promoting fellow bloggers posts has been really helpful. Social media is really the most important piece of the puzzle. It is well worth the time and effort, because your numbers will go up and that is very attractive to advertisers.
The biggest lesson I learned about branding in the digital space is…
Making my brand separate from me, personally. Savvy has her own social media pages. That way no matter what is going on in my personal life, it doesn’t overtly affect Savvy. When at blogger events, I usually go by ‘Savvy’ and not Karama, and when those that I’ve met contact me again, I will know how and where I met them instantly. Best decision I ever made.
My idea of success is…
Being able to have a choice. To choose to work, choose to travel, chose to help someone, choose to write or choose to stay in bed all day. When you’re all stressed out, strapped for cash, unprepared or ill, you just can’t do those things.
None of my success would be possible if not for…
My mom, who always loves me no matter how crazy what I’m doing sounds, my best friend, who will tell me to my face that I’m crazy but will help me anyway and my ancestors, who have gone through so much more and come out with so much less just so I could be here. So failure is not an option.
In business you should never be afraid to…
Surround yourself with people smarter than you. You will learn something. It’s like osmosis or something.
If I weren’t in the digital space…
I can’t picture my life without the digital space.
My advice for running a blog is…
1) If you’re looking to make a whole lot of money really quickly. Don’t blog.
2) Find something that you love, read everything there is to know about it and blog about it. But write it well. Content is king.
3) If you are trying to make money with your blog, realize that it will take at least a year of working like you have an unpaid part-time internship working for a toddler for you to see any real revenue.
4) Ad sales can only do so much. It’s e-books, speaking engagements, paid writing gigs and consulting born from your blog’s audience are the things that get you paid.
5) Don’t let anybody tell you you’re too old to do it.
Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.