1. You’ve been involved with IZEA for some time. What originally attracted you to our Community? Sometime after my oldest son was born, I decided to go to college and get my associates’ degree. In doing so, I began to look for ways to generate income that would allow me to spend an adequate amount of time with my son while letting me devote another portion of it to my studies, and a good friend suggested I look into paid blogging. Since it lets me make money from home and was something that I could easily do around my already existing schedule, I dove in head first!
2. Why “C’est La Vie”? Originally, I decided to name my blog after one of my favorite songs, “C’est La Vie” by B*Witched. It wasn’t so much the meaning of the song title (“that’s life”) as it was the catchy nature of the song, but as I began to blog more about my own personal life, I found the meaning behind the song name become that much more fitting.
3. What inspires you to blog? The majority of my blog is centered around the daily goings on of my life – what I do at school, what classes I’m taking, how close I am to getting my first undergraduate degree and how my two sons fit into all of that. If I come across something that strikes me as particularly interesting one day, I write about that. If something rubs me the wrong way and I need a place to vent about whatever happened, I write about that too.
4. What’s been your favorite SocialSpark campaign? Without a doubt, it would have to be the Parents’ Choice formula campaign. I actually supplement my youngest son with Sensitivity, and to this day it’s the only formula that his stomach tolerates well. He also wears Parents’ Choice diapers as well, so needless to say, I loved being chosen to write for them!
5. What do you most enjoy about SocialSpark v2? I really like how advertisers can hand-pick the bloggers that they’d like to write for them. Because of that, I get a lot of Opportunities that actually have to do with things I already use in my daily life.
6. You are not only incredibly busy, but you have children and go to school. How do you balance everything? If I can schedule in a set time for something, by all means, I do. From scheduling my classes around my sons’ needs to setting aside time to do homework and study, I make it a point to schedule everything that can possibly be scheduled so I’m not thrown for a loop when the unexpected occurs. I don’t let spare time go to waste, and I try to dovetail as many things together as I can – I’ve actually written posts with my youngest son in my lap! And if I have to leave the computer as I’m writing to tend to either one of them, I compose more of the post in my head and think about what I’m going to write so I can finish it once I sit back down.
7. How do you actively stay engaged with your audience? As I compose posts for my blog, I wonder to myself, “How interesting is this?” I also strive, first and foremost, to keep my blogs personal – to write about things that other people can relate to, or at the very least, keep them coming back for more.
8. Complete this thought: If I could I would ____. Go to Hawaii. I’m never going to turn down the chance to go on a nice vacation!
9. My favorite word right now is ____. Pi. I’m a self-proclaimed geek, and it’s become a bit of a thing amongst some of my friends to see who can recite the most numbers in pi from memory. (I’m at 3.14152, by the way.)
10. What are some great tips on how bloggers can build a brand for themselves? Be yourself. If you’re trying to fit into a niche that you’re not, it’s going to come out in your writing. And be interesting! If you have something that sets you apart from the crowd, write about that. Channel your interests and passions so they come out in your blog, and soon enough, you’ll be known as the blogger who __________.
11. What’s one word of advice you’d give to bloggers who are looking to increase the quality of their content? Write, write and write. Watch how you write, making sure that you’re using proper grammar, spelling and punctuation. If you need inspiration, look to your favorite bloggers to see how they’ve gotten as far as they have, but remember not to turn into them – always be yourself. Incorporate as much of yourself as you can in what you write.
Dani’s blog can be found here.
1. What originally attracted you to Sponsored Tweets? How easy it is to monetize my twitter stream without having to identify and solicit clients. Sponsored Tweets take away one of the hardest part of business for most people; gaining clients. It’s a win-win scenario for everyone involved in the transaction. This allows me to focus on my small business while creating an additional stream of income.
2. What has been one of your favorite campaigns to participate in? Zenni Optical – I research each of my advertisers before tweeting a link to them. All of the research I have found on Zenni Optical is positive including some from my best friend. I will be using them myself depending on my upcoming eye exam. This campaign allows me to combine a great brand with helping people “Do more with less”. I am sure there is probably at least some negative press on the world wide web about this company, but the overwhelming majority is happy with the service and product provided by Zenni Optical. Not to sound like a commercial, this is the result of personal investigation of the company’s online reputation.
3. What do you love most about Twitter? Instant communication, relationships, and camaraderie. I have used Twitter several times to reach out to major corporations and successfully resolved issues using only Twitter as the platform. This was after utilizing the ‘normal’ methods of resolving customer issues. Then five minutes later I used Twitter to catch up with friends who live throughout the world. Some I have met in person, but the majority I have only met via online communication tools.
4. Finish this: Without Twitter I would ____. “not have met some incredible cyber friends, attended Blog World, or expanded my knowledge exponentially.”
5. How do you get creative with your Tweets? Variety in topics and approach using actionable words. Think about the attention getting headlines in newspapers? It’s those who elicit a reaction from the reader.
6. What do you do to market yourself, and get new Followers? Honestly, I don’t do any marketing. I am an active participant on Twitter. I answer questions from those I follow (general questions not just those who specifically mention me), and I participate in several Twitter chats. My followers come from active engagement and having a conversation with both my followers and those I follow.
7. Any advice to other Tweeters on how to get more Sponsored Tweets Opportunities? Keep your Sponsored Tweets profile updated, chose keywords carefully, and do not accept Opportunities which have no relevancy to your twitter stream.
8. A Tweet a Day ____. “keeps the followers coming”.
9. What’s your favorite bird (tweet, tweet!) Penguin. My 4 year old son has a chronic illness which requires regular medication and blood draws he doesn’t let it get him down. No matter what I ask of him, he faces the task with bravery and tries to understand.
Follow Nicole’s Tweets at @nickelnm.
1. Why do you WeReward? Because it’s fun! I love the social aspect of the application and the way I see it, if I am going to engage others through social media by checking in places and reviewing products anyway, why not earn a little coin for it?!
2. What device do you claim rewards from? iPhone 4 covered by the toughest case on the planet, The OtterBox.
3. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear WeReward? YOU Reward? Where?! CHA-CHING!
4. Where have you checked-in the most? Probably Starbucks, I am a sucker for a Café Cubano. I am a caffeine fiend when I am brainstorming.
5. What’s been your favorite WeReward reward claim so far? Easy. The Reese’s Halloween Promotion! Reese’s had WeReward takeover where they awarded 50 points as a task and 300 points for a Reese’s check in. If the user got selected as the overall winner, they won the grand prize of I think $100 bucks! It was a great promotion and a lot of fun. I went all out and made a day project, invited some friends over to carve out a Reese’s Jack-o-lantern! We all had a blast interacting with the brand and taking the photos with eerie mood lighting!
6. What other mobile social applications do you actively use?
- Gowalla
- FourSquare
- Tweetdeck
- Hurricane Party
7. Sky’s the limit – what company would you love to see using WeReward? I would really like to see Sports teams using WeReward. A fan’s relationship with their favorite professional team is a very intimate one. What better way to strengthen and capitalize on that relationship than to reward that person for staying with the brand through thick and thin.
It would also be cool to see integration with Gowalla, another Austin based geo-targeted application.
8. Tell one thing about yourself nobody knows. Music Moves Me. There is nothing like kicking back to some live blues, jazz, or rock. Especially blues.
9. If Chops were to have a girlfriend, what would you name her? Porquette.
10. Most importantly, what’s your favorite way to eat bacon? BACON FLAVORED SUNFLOWER SEEDS! Bomb!
11. Have you purchased anything interesting with the money you’ve earned from WeReward? My guilty pleasure, Cigars. I have already purchased a desktop humidor and a box of cigars to kick back and relax with. Thank you WeReward!
12. Finish this: WeReward makes me excited about mobile marketing. Since I am into marketing and advertising, it gets me to think outside the box on ways a brand can engage and interact with the consumer.
