PATHFINDER

DAYThe Path to Media Company

The Path to Media Company

Danielle Smith // Extraordinary Mommy.com // DanielleSmithMedia.com@DanielleSmithTV

Riese Bernard // Autostraddle.com // @autowin

PATHFINDER DAY

Riese’s Story // Autostraddle

Riese Bernard // Autostraddle.com /

/ @autowin

2009 2009 - 2010 2011-2013

2014

www.autostraddle.com

Danielle’s Story

Danielle Smith // Extraordinary Mommy // @DanielleSmithTV

Small Business vs. Media Company

• You have a product• Not monetizing

content• Consulting• Freelancing• Etsy

• You ARE your product

• Content Creation• Move beyond your

properties• Multiple Streams of

Revenue

Keep your eyes open• What resonates with your

audience• Pay attention to new

media channels• Consider partnerships

o Be carefulo Mutually beneficial

• Negotiate• Know your worth

Money Makes The World (Wide Web) Go Round

Diversifying Revenue Streams: How Autostraddle Makes Money

• It’s Complicated• The business of making

content involves selling a lot of stuff that isn’t content

• Double Bottom Line

Merchandise

• T-shirts, hoodies, boyshorts, boxer-briefs, flasks, journals, pins, tote bags, calendars

• We design, print and ship ourselves

A-Camp & Events• “Rodeo Disco” Pride Parties in

2009 & 2010• A-Camp: a-camp.org in April

2012, Sep 2012, May 2013, Oct 2013 & May 2014.

Advertising / Affiliate Marketing• Network ads• Direct sale display ads • Sponsored content (the actual worst)• Affiliate Links, e.g., Amazon, Babeland,

ModCloth

Reader “Donations”• Mostly random for most of the

time• Indiegogo Campaign in 2012• Launched Autostraddle Plus/

A+ “Membership Program” in July 2012

• Works because of the community focus of the site

Diversifying Revenue - Making Money with Media

• Be a Spokespersono Featured Magazine Advertisemento Commercial campaignso Satellite Media Tours

• Commercialso (Non-spokesperson roles)

Spokesperson

Television and Correspondent Work

• Television Segments• Live Stream/Hosted Events• Red Carpet• Interviews

Yes - Content Creation is a part of it….

• Topic based Video Content (SheKnows)

• Partnerships - content lives elsewhere, on your properties or both

• Yes, Sponsored content

Books, Webinars, Speaking

And the extras….

• YouTube Partner• Sell current content

o Ask!• Tracking Widgets• Affiliate Sales

How We Work

Working with a team• In the beginning: seven people• Now:

o Five full-time paid staff memberso Four part-time paid staff memberso 18 paid-per-post Contributing Editorso 75+ contributors, interns, illustrators, etco Two paid A-Camp co-directorso 40-person A-Camp team

• That’s why I’m insane• Virtual office software: It’s A Thing (but we

prefer skype & e-mail)

Working Solo

• All by myselfo Hourso Setting limits

• The Tipping Pointo Knowing

when to ask• Starting with a VA• The next steps

o Hiring Writers

The Balance Myth

MISTAKES WERE MADE.

ALSO… SOMETIMES WE WANT TO QUIT.

AND SOMETIMES WE CRY SOFTLY AT OUR DESKS OR I WRAP MYSELF IN THE FLEECE BLANKET ON THE COUCH AND CRY LOUDLY INSIDE THE BLANKET WHILE G-CHATS GO UNANSWERED AND I WONDER IF MAYBE I COULD RUN AWAY FROM THE INTERNET FOREVER OR MAYBE GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND GET A DEGREE IN SOMETHING PRACTICAL LIKE MAYBE INVOLVING THE OUTDOORS SO THAT I’LL NEVER HAVE TO SEE A WORDPRESS DASHBOARD EVER AGAIN OR MAYBE I COULD JUST DISAPPEAR INTO THE ETHER AND EVERYBODY WOULD BE LIKE ‘OMG WHERE DID SHE GO, IS ANYONE COVERING PROPOSITION 76860 OR RECAPPING GLEE’ AND I’D JUST BE LIKE ‘HAHAHAHA WOULDN’T YOU LIKE TO KNOW’ BECAUSE I’LL BE SITTING ON AN ISLAND DRINKING HEAVILY AND READING BOOKS PRINTED ON ACTUAL PAPER OR MAYBE SOMEBODY COULD BUY THIS WEBSITE SO THAT I DON’T HAVE TO STAY UP ALL NIGHT WORRYING ABOUT HOW TO PAY EVERYBODY OR IF I NEED TO RESPOND TO THE HATERS IN THE COMMENTS AND THEY’LL PROBABLY RUIN THE WEBSITE BUT THAT’S OKAY BECAUSE I WILL BE LIVING UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME IN THE ALASKAN WILDERNESS WITH A LARGE DOG AND HARD DRUGS

So, What Keeps Us Going?

Community

Having a Voice

• Participating in and driving forward the larger cultural conversation around LGBTQ & Feminist Issues

• Getting recognized: Webblog Awards, GLAAD Awards, being quoted and linked to

• Promoting good work• Earning the money we need to publish

more underrepresented voices• Creative outlet

FUN FUN FUN

Connection

The People

My Small People

How Do You Maintain Your Sanity?

Riese’s Tips:• Start drinking at 6pm • Days off and vacations• “How vain it is to sit down to write

when you have not stood up to live.”

• Maintain an active life outside of your business so that Google Analytics won’t determine your entire self-worth

• Sometimes your writing is better if you take two hours to go outside and interact with other human beings and then one hour writing it than it is if you take three hours writing it.

Danielle’s Tips

• Participate in your own life• Work Hard, but Unplug• Find a tribe• Take a Break• Look for the good

Time to Breathe

Your Turn

• Do you have a media company or a small business? Are you looking to switch?

• What scares you about this process? This work?

• What are you most passionate about?

• You can’t be everywhere/do everything: what is the first new source of revenue you’d like to add?

o What will be your first step?

• Do you have the support system you need? If not, how will you get it?

• Where do you see your Media Company in 5 years?

• Have you made an mistakes so far? Would you change them or did you learn from them?

• How do you maintain your sanity?

Do you have a media company or a small

business? Are you looking to switch?

What scares you about this process? This work?

What are you most passionate about?

You can’t be everywhere/do everything: what is the first new source

of revenue you’d like to add?

o What will be your first step?

Do you have the support system you need? If not,

how will you get it?

Where do you see your Media Company in 5

years?

Have you made an mistakes so far? Would you change them or did you learn from them?

How do you maintain your sanity?