Do you want your Blog or Influencer business to be a hobby or a thriving business? The distinction between the two is how you set it up, run it daily, and plan for its growth. Creating a thriving business means first, setting yourself and your blog up for success by legitimizing it. Second, you need to identify strategies and tactics to monetize and grow. And third, establishing credibility. Whether you focus on food, travel, home, beauty, fashion, lifestyle, health, fitness, business, tech, legal, photography, or any other category, if you want to know how to grow your blog or influencer business – as a legitimate business – read on!
Set Yourself Up For Success
While being a Blogger or Influencer may have been a more of a hobby in the past, today it can be – and is! – big business! But too often, bloggers start blogging and influencers start posting to social media for fun. They hope to making money, but do not set themselves up from the start as a business to make money.
Get Started, Set Up Your Business
When you think about how to grow your blog, it begins with setting yourself up as a BUSINESS from day one. That means registering it legally with your State. In order to do so, you need the following:
- Determine your Business Structure
- Business Name
- Business Address
- Select a Registered Agent
Registering your business means legitimizing it. This will help establish a legal and professional foundation for your new business. It also means being compliant with bookkeeping and tax filings. It will allow you to set up a payment system to charge/invoice new clients and set up business accounts with most paid social platforms.
In addition to the tangible benefits, there are also personal, mental, emotional benefits. When you take that first step to legitimize your blog and turn it into a business, you get an overwhelming sense of motivation, empowerment, and drive.
How to Grow your Blog or Influencer Business
Growing your business means finding the opportunities to monetize and drive your audience or customer base. But it also means operating your business and executing those opportunities with absolute professionalism. Let’s start with monetization.
Growth & Monetization Opportunities
You’ve already heard about companies and brands that pay bloggers and influencers to promote their products. This is definitely one way to monetize your business. However, when thinking about how to grow your blog, there are so many other ways to monetize. Most of these ways require that you be set up formally as a business to reduce risk and liability.
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Advertising Income – Income from advertisers that advertise on your website. This can come through advertising networks, media companies, or individually working with companies
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Affiliate Income – this is compensation for converting customers for brands and/or companies. Many businesses provide affiliate programs where you are given a code or link that is unique to you. When a customer purchases from that Brand or Company, you receive a commission.
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Sponsorships – When a company partners with an individual blogger or influencer to promote their brand through various content, this is a sponsorship. A Food brand may sponsor a food blogger to create a branded blog post with 3 social media posts, for example. A Fashion brand may sponsor an influencer on Instagram. Sponsorships may be one-off or on-going.
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Partnerships – There are also opportunities to partner with other businesses on projects, projects, or programs.
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Products – You can sell your own products! This could be in the form of merchandise, guides, e-books, or other.
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Memberships/Courses – You could establish membership programs with monthly or yearly subscriptions. Or launch online or in person courses based on your expertise.
One of the things that all of these amazing monetization opportunities have in common is that you need to be set up as a legitimate business! You must have an EIN to open a bank account, you will want a professional business address (read more on this below), and will need to set up a Payment Gateway to accept money from customers.
Using a Virtual Office to Run a Pro Business
Unfortunately, bloggers and influencers are not always seen as business professionals. Because the brand is often the person, it can be viewed as a hobby, something done for fun. While it certainly can be fun, it can also be professional – a Pro Business. In order to be taken seriously and not be perceived to be amateur or even a one-person show, It is essential to set the framework for a professional and formal business identity. That’s where a Virtual Office can really make a huge difference!
A Virtual office is a service that combines the physical aspects of having a real office address with many more benefits of working remotely. For Blogging Businesses, a virtual office can help you formally start your business when you register it with the state. A virtual office can provide the business address, as well as a registered agent. Having both come with your Virtual Office keeps everything in one place, which is not only easier for you, but also more professional. You can read more about what a Registered Agent is here.
In addition to helping you to register your business, a virtual office can help you run it like a pro! You get activities such as mailing, conferences, messaging, reception services, among others. Blogging businesses are often lean with few employees. However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have an extensive team of people who you work with and lean on. Virtual offices are perfect for these types of remote teams. Teams that mostly or entirely work together virtually.
Gain Privacy & Credibility with Physical Business Address
With a virtual office you get a professional, physical business address. Many bloggers and influencers think that since they work out of their home, they can just use their home address to start their business. While, yes, you legally can do this, there are risks with this option from a privacy and credibility standpoint. Your business address must be included on all marketing emails, published on your website, and be listed in various places for gaining brand, customer, or advertising inquiries. Having a virtual office address gives you the piece of mind – as well as credibility.
Never Miss a Business Opportunity!!
A virtual office can come with a variety of features and services that maximize your efficiency and boost your business credibility. Depending on your provider, a virtual office may include virtual mailbox and mail management services, local or toll-free phone numbers, virtual receptionist or answering services, access to meeting spaces, and more!
As you think about how to grow your blog, promoting products is at the top of the list. Bloggers and Influencers get a lot of packages with free products to test out and promote. But if you travel it can be problematic to get your packages. Virtual Office Mail Management Services, can allow you to have packages forwarded to wherever you are in the world as needed!
Waiting for that dream brand to call you with a proposal or follow up on a sponsorship opportunity? Never miss that call with Virtual Office Live Virtual Receptionist Services. A virtual receptionist is offered by many virtual office providers and is in fact, a live person! You can customize how you would like calls answered. Calls can be forwarded or messages taken. You can even have only that ONE BRAND forwarded through to you wherever you are!
It only takes one big break to propel your business, so don’t miss any opportunity that may be coming your way.
Go from Amateur to Professional with a Virtual Office
Try Starting your Business Blog with Starthub Virtual Offices Risk Free Today!
At Starthub, we offer comprehensive virtual office solutions. We’ll even give you your first month FREE. Just click here to get started. You’ll receive a prestigious mailing address in downtown Miami, dedicated mail handling services from a talented team, and an innovative digital platform to receive and direct your mail. Plus, 24/7 customer support. For more information on why Starthub is the best choice for your virtual mailbox, click here.
