13 Days until you can shop till you drop
Tuesday, July 27, 2010When I started this food blog, the sole goal was to share with my reader my passion with food and my new found hobby of food photography. I never thought of using my blog to make money.
Well times are a-changing folks. And everyone is feeling the pinch. And as I dedicate more and more time to the blog, it means that somehow I need to balance it out and find a way to monetize it a little – because I need to buy more flour and eggs so I can continue to post and share.
So off I went to research in how I was going to go about this. I visited other food blogs and started to jot down ideas. Ask for donations? Nope, nobody can afford their own coffee, much less be able to make a donation to anyone’s blog. – Scratch that. Affiliate links? I have to be real, Sweetbites, is nowhere near the high rankings to be pulling enough traffic to see profitable results. – Scratch that.
I did open an Amazon Shop but, I hated the fact that I was sending my readers, to a giant warehouse. It was so sterile and frankly lacked that personal factor I was looking for. I mean have you ever tried to find a live-breathing person to help you via Amazon? mmm, Yep, I rest my case.
See, I had a vision – and usually I’m very obsessive when it comes to getting what I want.
Sweetbites is like my virtual kitchen - A place where, I open the door and invite my readers - my friends - to come and cook with me, sharing tips, ideas, recipes and knowing there was a personal connection at the end, it makes you feel good and valued. And that was the feeling I wanted Sweetbites store to have, a personal feeling, a place where you could buy stuff from someone you actually know, like and trust.
So I did a bit more research and reading and emailing back and forth with other fellow bloggers and do you know what? I found such a place, a company that understands my vision because it’s very similar to their own.
So I took the plunge…
And I’m so proud and excited to announce that I’m partnering with OpenSky and launching The Sweetbites Shop!
Throw the confetti!
Blow the horns!
Go SHOPPING! (in a couple of weeks)
Soon you will be able to browse through my favorite kitchen gadgets, accessories, appliances and tools…and with one click, you can purchase products that I feel personally connect to, and you’ll be on your way to creating your “Sweet” experience right in your very own kitchen. And I get a bit of dough to keep buying chocolate and pork chops so you can keep on cooking along with me.
And if you love something and you cannot find it, let me know and I will try to get it for you – see that? That is called a personal shopping experience – like having your own personal shopper right at your fingertips – how great is that!
You can read more about OpenSky here and if you are a Supplier and would like a unique selling platform, you can read more about how OpenSky can help you achieve that.
Reader Comments (5)
Wow, amazing! Can you bottle up some of your "obsessiveness" and sell that? I'd buy a case! Kudos to you for thinking this up and following through. Can I hire you to do all this for my horse tack invention? I detest this side of business.
Congratulations on the partnership. So I should hold off on my shopping for 2 weeks!
But but but.... I need to buy something now..
Okay kidding..
But seriously, I am looking forward to checking out (and perhaps purchasing) something from your store :).
Vicki: Can we use your horse tack for cooking? AHA! I will totally market it for you!
Jenn: thank you, I'm really looking forward to the partnership, they are such a great company and love that their vision is so clear and meaningful. I love the internet, but at the same time it has an ugly side and the personal part of it has sometimes fallen off the wagon. I will make sure you know when the door will be open – did you click on the link? You have a chance to win something :)
Jenn: I stand corrected, YESTERDAY was the last day to click and have the opportunity of winning something... shoot!
Yup, blogging is very bad for the body, as well as the purse. Waiting to check your shop out~