5 Blogs That Rock Original Content

By: Melanie Blodgett Image by: Besotted Blog

With the saturation of blogs, creating content that stands out is becoming more and more important. Luckily original content comes in all shapes and sizes so there is always a place for more creation. Today I’m sharing five blogs that set a high standard for content in the hopes that they’ll inspire you.

Design Love Fest

I’m pretty sure Bri is prepping to take over the world. A lifestyle blog that covers a variety of topics, what really makes Design Love Fest stand out is how each post is taken to a professional, editorial level (often by collaborating with talented friends) and given the Bri spin. Even the product posts are made original with creative layouts.

Pencil Box

Katie’s blog is original because it’s all about her life and family, something that nobody else is experiencing. What makes it appealing to more than just her mom is the beautiful photos that accompany each post, her writing style and friendliness, and the glimpses she gives into her life showing the beauty she sees in the everyday.

Mer Mag

Just one glimpse at Merrilee’s blog and you’ll be able to see her outstanding talent. Mostly a diy blog, I think what makes it successful is that Merrilee focuses on what she knows best and creates art and projects that come naturally to her. And convinces you your final product will turn out as great as hers.

100 Layer Cakelet

Cakelet is a prime example of a niche blog that’s curated and edited with consistent styling and top notch finds to create a beautiful site with original content.

Wit & Delight

Not only is the layout of this blog original, Kate has a talent of finding products and topics that you haven’t already seen hashed out all over the place. Her witty writing adds to the appeal of the blog.

Win a Ticket to Alt SLC 2014!

By: Melanie Blodgett

Do you get a tad bit anxious thinking about securing a ticket to the next Alt SLC? Well, today's giveaway is just for you. You can be eligible to win a ticket to Alt SLC 2014 (before they even go on sale!) in just three steps: 

1. Write a blog post focused on the theme father. Whether it's about your father or your husband, a diy project or gift guide for Father's Day, make it all your own. Just make sure to post it before midnight PST on Wednesday, June 19th. 

2. At the bottom of your post, make sure to include the disclosure: 

This post is part of a promotion with FamilySearch.

3. Send the link to your post to melanie@altitudesummit.com 

That's it! Winner will be randomly selected on Thursday, June 20th and emailed by a member of the Alt team. Can't wait to read your father-centric posts. Thanks FamilySearch!

Alt Connections: Caravan Shoppe

By: Amy Hackworth Image by: Caravan Shoppe

We all agree that the best thing about Alt is the incredible network, so we’re excited about a new series featuring the people, connections and stories that make this such an inspiring and vibrant community.

Graphic designers Alma Loveland and Melanie Burk first met at Alt in 2011, when Alma was on Melanie’s list of people she had to meet at Alt. When Melanie saw Alma in the hall she rushed toward her, calling Alma’s name. While they laugh now about Melanie’s enthusiastic approach, the two have been, in their own words, “joined at the hip ever since.” 

They each work independently as designers—Melanie at Fifth & Hazel and Alma at Ollibird (with her husband, Mike Loveland)—but joined forces to launch a new business in 2012. Their collaboration, Caravan Shoppe, is a brilliant collection of digital downloads for décor, toys, prints, cards, calendars and more.

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For Sponsors: How Long Term Blogger Relationships Can Benefit Your Brand

By: Sara Urquhart. Photography: Justin Hackworth

It’s a business adage that it’s easier to keep an existing customer than to find a new customer, and the same principle holds true in the world of social media. If you discover a blogger who is authentically and honestly talking about your brand online, developing a long-term sponsor relationship with her is much wiser than convincing someone who’s not already familiar with your brand to join your team.

A long-term relationship with a blogger who already knows and loves your brand offers great value. If she’s already a fan and you’ve worked successfully together on one or two small projects, she might be willing to participate in market research and offer valuable feedback and helpful critiques, which can save you time and money on focus groups. 

She’ll be a good fit, too, when it comes time to develop, launch and promote future products. Because her readers know she’s already mentioned your brand, their interest will be peaked when she promotes new products and her recommendation will be amplified. Running content campaigns, contests, or giveaways on her site will make sense to you, to her, and to her readers and the campaign becomes more effective because of the authenticity of your ongoing relationship.

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Shooting in Manual Mode: Are You Friends With Your Camera?

By: Jennifer Little

Are you friends with your camera?

In order to feel connected to your camera, you need to get to know it. Pull out your owner’s manual so that you can locate the camera settings we will discuss. Then set your camera to manual mode, and let’s discuss her strengths.

• Camera Meter: Measures how bright or dark your subject is
• Aperture: How large or small the opening of your lens is
• Shutter Speed: The speed in which your shutter opens and closes
• ISO: How sensitive your image sensor is to light

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