Last year, we announced that we were going to connect bloggers with advertisers. Over the course of the next 5 months after that, a lot was learned about the ins and outs of what it takes to manage a blog outreach campaign.
With that knowledge in mind, you’ll soon see some new features in your Rafflecopter dashboard. But starting today, you’ll be introduced to the first installment of what we’re calling the ‘Rafflecopter Brand Showcase’ series.
During this weekly program, a brand that we have a relationship with will be showcased in a blog post. You’ll hear a little bit about the company, their products, and what they look for when they form relationships with bloggers. And to top it off, we’ll run a weekly giveaway for some of the products the brand is promoting.
Brand Showcase: 365alphabetphotography.com
For the first brand showcase, we’re happy to introduce Jodi at 365alphabetphotography.com. We’ve worked with Jodi in the past 6 months and we’ve also received several prints from her business. And from first hand experience, it’s pretty darned cool what she does. After she created a Rafflecopter print for the office, we were hooked!
So – Tell Us About The Person Behind The Images!
My name is Jodi, and I was born and raised in Colorado and currently live in the metro Denver area with my husband and son (and 2 beagles … arrroooo!).
I have had several career paths so far (title insurance, real estate agent, website manager) and have been an entrepreneur for over 10 years doing photography. I thrive on the challenge of turning a hobby that I enjoy into a way to earn a living.
How Did You Get Started In The ‘Letter-Photography’ Business?
I have always been a “watcher.” You know – watching people at events, watching how children grow, play, and live (that’s what started portrait photography business), and watching nature and the environment in all its glory.
Several years ago, I started noticing how every day architectural and natural objects resembled letters of the alphabet. What started as a project to create inexpensive Christmas gifts in 2008, it has evolved into my passion.
I still do portrait photography, but letter hunting (don’t worry, it’s legal) has made me a little obsessive some days but is what I truly enjoy. My newly launched site 365alphabetphotography.com is all about individual letter prints.
They are offered in 4×6, 5×7, and 8×10 and also in full color, black & white, and sepia tint. I also create custom-designed prints using these images at Artistic Letters.
Can You Go Into A Little More Detail About Your Company’s Products?
I have created a huge database of images that resemble letters of the alphabet. Those first Christmas gifts that I created back in 2008 REALLY generated strong reactions. I was a little surprised, but every recipient felt an emotional tug towards seeing their name spelled out with these letter images.
Those family members started requesting more as wedding, housewarming, and birthday gifts to give. Next thing I knew I had a business. While some products and images have evolved, the main product of a spelled out name or word has remained the foundation.
How Important Are Blog Outreach Promotions In Your Marketing Strategy?
Blog outreach has been an amazing way to promote my business. A blogger who does a review gets to sample the product and express his/her feeling about it. Bloggers have such a genuine relationship with their readers and excitement over my product can create such a positive buzz during the post.
I also have learned a lot about pros/cons about the way I run my business because of comments made. I’ve made many enhancements based purely on reader’s and customer’s comments.
In fact, my new site 365alphabetphotography.com is a result of customer feedback! My original database only contained 4×6 black & white letter images. People kept asking if I had any full color images or whether I have sizes in 5×7 or 8×10. Well … now I do! :-)
What Characteristics Do You Look For In A Blogger?
My “perfect blogger” is someone who really wants to experience my product and write a thoughtful, professional review. Of course a tutorial of what project he/she created with quality photos is very important too. While I do consider stats such as the number of facebook fans, Alexa rank, etc., it is not as important to me as you might think.
The target audience of the blog is what I am really looking for. For my products, I am looking for blogs about photography, home décor, and certain DIY topics. Even if a blog has awesome stats, but is geared towards “the lives of a toddler and 4-year-old,” it just may not be a good fit for what I offer.
Jodi says: “Just a tip from a photographer to all the bloggers out there: your chances of being selected by a company for a blog promotion will increase greatly if you have quality photos on your blog :-) It adds a level of professionalism that will attract companies and readers alike.”
How Does Rafflecopter Help With That Process?
Not only is the Rafflecopter widget an amazing program, the connect of bloggers AND companies to Rafflecopter is fantastic. I have been in touch with Greg for several months now and he really wants to make a positive contribution in the world of bringing bloggers and companies together. He cares about what everyone is experiencing and pays attention to every comment made to him.
Rafflecopter has been working hard to introduce its new promotion platform so it can be the best it can be. There is a LOT of thought that goes into everything Rafflecopter does. With Rafflecopter, we’re looking forward to working with bloggers on a more personal one-on-one level.
Tell Us What You’re Promoting Today!
To help get the word out about recently launched 365alphabetphotography.com and our new blog created to showcase project tutorials submitted by bloggers and customers, I am thrilled to give away three $50 gift certificates towards the purchase of individual letter prints valid at 365alphabetphotography.com. There are four ways to enter – giveaway ends Wednesday 4/18 at 12:01am.
And hey crafty bloggers: Be sure to visit Jodi’s new project tutorial site at www.365alphabetphotography.blogspot.com. She’s got a “blogger friendly” page and is currently looking to partner up!
In addition … she’s also offering a 60% Discount – that’s right, a 60% Discount for ALL Rafflecopter fans! Whoop whoop! All you need to do is use Coupon Code: RAF60 at 365alphabetphotography.com and you’ll get 60% off site-wide. No minimum or maximum order (coupon code valid only at 365alphabetphotography.com; may not be used with any other offers).
Thanks for your generosity Jodi! I’ve personally bought several images from her site; they make great gifts and are awesome conversation pieces. Rafflecopter was not required to write this post, we asked Jodi to be featured. As a way to say thanks, Jodi provided us with a piece of art for our office :) All opinions we’ve expressed are our own. We’re disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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