Is this For Real? - My Website Got Noticed - By Whom?
I don't know whether to be excited or not. This is all new to me, so I would like some advice or suggestions please.
I was babysitting my friend's small warehouse, so I haven't been that active in the last two days inside WA.
Yesterday, I thought I should check on my website emails, to see if I got any notifications from any Affiliate Programs telling me some good news, but I did not.
What I did receive, however, was a little strange. An unusual email from, the Marketing Manager of the New Zealand School of Food & Wine.
She asked to meet me in person because they noticed an unusual bump in their Google Analytics reports that showed many of their online site visitors came from a little website, and in further investigation found out it was mine, so they wanted to know more about me and wanted to meet me to discuss something.
Let's back track a little here and let me explain why, I got this email.
Just before I joined WA, I had enrolled at the School of Food & Wine to gain my Food and Health Safety Certificate, to allow me to bake and sell my cakes from home.
When I was creating my niche website, I decided that I wanted to help other home cake artists do the same, and added the Food and Safety Course link inside my content, as one of my recommendations.
It was just an external link to their main page and I had only inserted, two or three links within my first post. I knew that I wouldn't get any money, as they did not have any affiliate programs.
Now, back to the email that I had received. I was actually quite afraid that I had done something illegal and was quite stressed. So I quickly replied that I was sorry and I will remove all the links, as soon as possible.
Fortunately I did not act on this thought, because, today, still very apprehensive, I checked
my site email again, to find that I had received another email which, this time came with an attachment.
You can see the response yourself here:
The attachment was an invitation to a formal lunch presented by their cooking students. I am asked to attend and to have a look around. They would like me to create a blog about their school.
I accepted the invitation - although I feel excited, I have no understanding of why I am.
Now, this is the part, that I ask you all, please to advise me on?
Has anyone here been asked to write a blog for a company? or has any Marketing experience?
So many questions running in my head, like: Do I ask for payment? Am I to expect payment? Or should I just build relationship first...
...shucks I am so nervous, and I have never done any sort of marketing either...please help me...
I will appreciate any advice or suggestion my friends :)
Ilaisaane
Recent Comments
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Sounds like the right doors are starting to open up, awesome job! It doesn't hurt to see what they have to offer and to see what their long term plan is going forward.
Hear them out, take some mental notes, let them know that you really appreciate the offer and your time is valuable. Inform them you need a day to process everything.
Thank you Newlife, so nice to bump in to you here my friend and as you say, yes I shall process the info slowly :)
They are reaching out to you. They are another company in your niche. No money has changed hands and you have a nice invite. Go along, enjoy yourself and discuss things. It might be beneficial, it might not, but if you don’t go you might be passing up a lucrative opportunity.
I have had similar requests myself and have acted on them. They aren’t sinister, they like what they see and are looking to foster a relationship.
Go for it!
Dave
You should get in touch with Lynne from South Africa.
She has done and I believe still does this sort of thing.
Another member is Erin (Henniston).
My opinion is to go for it and see what they have to say and of course you will want paid for your time and you should ask them about this.
Robert
No probs Lynne and always happy to point people in the right direction and this time that direction was your good self.
Don't know about Erin though.
I'm still trying to get my new apartment sorted out.
A lot of work when you live on your own and I don't have internet access yet so have to use an internet cafe uptown.
I will get there eventually and meantime will do what I can.
Hope you're having an awesome Friday and the weekend to come.
Take Care.
Robert
It's been an awesome Friday thanks, great start to the weekend, but time for bed now!
Geez yeah moves are never easy and when you are handling everything on your own it can be really overwhelming. Good luck with getting your internet going!
Thank you Lynne - your advice was sent to me again by LisaBrack (she is wonderful, thank you Lisa!) who knew, that I had not seen your comment. I have just read it and OMG! you are awesome!
I know that everyone else's advice was all excellent and I appreciate every single one of them, but yours jumped at me for some reason - I think its the fact that you called it - Online Influencer - this is the first time I heard the label/term.
I trully appreciate your advice and I actually like that business role - An "influencer" - because I think that's what I am slowly finding that I am good at - being a sign post or giving a ripple effect to other people in the right direction.
I have been trying to figure out what I am to call myself - to the outside world. I am already getting lots of communities asking me, what I call myself officially, which is why I haven't really promoted myself as a brand.
Thank you once again from the bottom of my heart, and be sure I am going to follow all your blogs and training - so keep me on your list.
Ilaisaane
It is an absolute pleasure Iliaisaane :) I am so glad to help you understand what an online influencer is and to help you get established.
It is loads of fun and an amazing source of income to add to the rest of the ways I earn online.
Keep in touch with Lynne and I'm sure you will pick up lots of good tips and advice from her.
Robert
I am thrilled to bits and pieces for you!!
Other than my mother asking me to blog for her preschool website, I have not had this experience. Everything seems very legit. I would go to the school website and look up faculty. See if 'Hayley no last name' is a member.
Please keep us in the loop!
Amy
Boy Amy, you are a spark of light and you don't know it. I never thought to look up their website at all and you have reminded me this. Thank you so much for mentioning it :)
Hello, Ilaisaane.
Congratulations on being presented with this opportunity.
If you go ahead and it's going to be a regular thing, I would ask for payment. Perhaps do the first one for free as a sampler.
For a while I was writing product descriptions for a tool catalogue but I gave it up because the money I received was not representative of the time I put in.
It does take up a lot of your time writing for someone else, you have to make sure your research is spot on and the posts are structured exactly how the customer wants. Plus you have to meet their deadlines.
I don't want to put you off. It's good work and it will also enhance your reputation as a writer. I would probably still be doing it if the remuneration had allowed me to give up my day job.
Best wishes,
Steve.
Thank you Steve, I am going to make sure that I keep your advice in mind, and take my time to agree to anything :) while I eat their free food lol :)
SO SO SO GREAT
I think you are becoming an incredible copywiter,
without even having wanted it.
I can't advise you but I hope it's the beginning
of something very big.
The best event happen when we don't wait for them!
Good job honey!
I can't wait to hear more!!
I'm so happy for you!
Ingrid
I wish I knew what a copywriter did or does though haha, I guess I have just been kicked off the cliff again lol...thanks again my friend.
It sounds like you accidentally landed yourself a copywriting gig!
One of my side gigs is freelance copywriting. Creating and maintaining a blog for a company is one potential role of a copywriter.
I'm jealous, Ilaisaane! I'm always on the lookout for blogging opportunities and one just lands in your lap! LOL Good for you!
As far as what you need to know to run a good blog for any company,,, research, research, research!
Develop a relationship with whomever you would answer to as far as okaying the content. That way, you can have a more intimate relationship with the company's culture and become a subject matter expert (SME) on them and thereby able to more easily create relevant content for the blog.
Oh, and you should *definitely* be paid! Blog writers usually get paid quite handsomely!
Good luck with it!
Joe
Haha Joe, I don't even know what it is but you have just given me a name and thank you for your honesty - I used to be jealous of everyone else lol..SME is new term also...Thanks for the enlightenment. Have a great day :)
Wow..thats great!
Definitely BILL THEM!!...
and dont worry about marketing , because you already know, to get this far and get an invitation, just use what you do for SEO..
All the best.
Also get them to open an account at WA and you build it for them. :)
Passive income on your side! :)
Wow! That's so awesome!! Good for you! Enjoy your lunch and just see what they say.
I don't know if I would ask for payment, honestly. This could be about a bigger opportunity to build a relationship with the school which could lead to bigger things.
But, see what they want you to do, and perhaps they will offer to pay you in some way anyway.
- Christina
Thank you Christina it seems that is what the majority are saying just enjoy and let it happen 😄
I agree with Christina. I have a feeling that this is going to show you a bigger opportunity.
Just go see what they say and enjoy your lunch.
You are a smart girl.
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You were in the right place at the right time. I say go for it and start writing for them. Not sure what I would charge if any at all at first. My guess is, they will pay you anyway. Judging on how well you crafted this post I think you will do just fine.
Way to go!
Cal
Thank you Cal - I was thinking maybe not asking for money but for them to pay towards a charity I support...it sounds crazy but thats what I feel I have to do lol.