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Read Past Featured Site Interviews
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Perhaps you can begin by telling us a little about yourself?
My name is Scott Yeti, Content Editor of WoooHah.com. I’m based out of Los Angeles, CA and have been in the hip-hop music and film industry for over seven years. I have worked with most of the major record labels and film studios which has allowed me to gain a great deal of contacts and information that is relevant to my site.
Ok, before we go on, how does one get into the Hip-hop industry – I don’t recall that class being offered at my school?
Ha ha…I actually took a hip-hop culture class in college! But I actually got my start by promoting concerts for local hip-hop acts. It was basically minimal wage at first but within a year that eventually built up to me producing concerts for big time artists such as 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas and Xzibit. This then led into making connections with the artists, their management and eventually led to my first record label job in artist development.
Where did you get the idea for your site?
Being in the entertainment industry and here in Hollywood I began to see more and more film deals, corporate partnerships and fashion trends all stemming from hip-hop culture. With the slowing down of the music industry and album sales, more artists are reaching out to find other ways to make money. Hip-hop is not just about the music anymore and there were few sites that focused outside of the hip-hop music aspect. I wanted to develop a site that just focused on the entertainment, fashion, business and lifestyle aspects of hip-hop. I wanted to show people that this really is a culture, a lifestyle that popular culture and Corporate America is finally fully embracing.
Is this your first site?
Yes…so I have had many ups and downs trying to figure out the right layouts, marketing, content, unwritten rules…everything!
And how long has your site been live now?
It’s been live for over half a year but it really started to take off probably in the last three months.
Is this your primary job or do you also work elsewhere?
I have another job as the go between with record labels and film studios. So there are many late nights where I’m working on WoooHah.com. Since my job and my site are very similar though, it’s easy to combine the two. It also helps that I’m not a big fan of sleep…so I guess it all works out. Red Bull is my friend.
Do you do all the writing for the site yourself?
I write the majority by myself but I also have a great team that helps pitch in, find content, and provides plenty of feedback.
I notice you have some nice custom graphics on your site, including your menu text. Do you create that yourself? For those just getting started, how do you go about creating them?
Yea I created everything myself with Photoshop but I’ll be the first to admit my Photoshop skills are probably the equivalent of a third grader. But the best are the online tutorials. You can pretty much find step-by-step instructions to do anything with Photoshop using free online tutorials. I highly suggest them!
How many people in total does it require to run your site?
I’m still the main representative of WoooHah.com and am responsible for the site’s content but I also have a partner who runs the administrative and business side.
How long have you used SiteMeter?
I started using it maybe four years ago when I was doing my own personal blog and wanted to find out who actually cared enough to read about what I ate for lunch. Once I created WoooHah.com, I added SiteMeter right away.
Can you think of a particular instance where SiteMeter has helped you?
It helps me everyday. The visual layout is simple but more important I’m able to see where my traffic is coming from for that day, what entries are most popular and the weekly reports are great for finding out what time of day readers are on my site the most. SiteMeter has been a very important tool in helping me develop a more efficient website that our readers would enjoy and thus, helps increase our traffic.
Are there other blog/site tools that you currently use that you are especially impressed with? If so why?
I use Feedburner for our RSS needs. It’s a very simple interface and provides a great way to monitor RSS readership and trends.
I am always interested in knowing what it was like during the first few months. What was your level of experience? How did you go about learning what was required to get going initially?
I had no previous website experience so it was very hands-on. The extent of my level of experience was web surfing, e-mail and a Xanga blog in college. I kind of just took the “jump” and thought I could figure it all out as I went along. Luckily there were some key “players” in the online hip-hop world that gave me some great advice about how to break through the clutter. There were also a couple websites that were great in explaining the nuances of launching your own site. A lot was trial and error at the beginning though.
From the first days of working on your site to today what is the primary difference?
Because WoooHah.com is a very specialized site, it was harder to find content to publish at first. Now I have the right resources and know-how where I am finding my content much more efficiently. At the beginning I was also very focused on increasing the number of my readers. Of course I always want more readers, but for now I’m able to focus less on growing my readership and more on providing our readers great content and coverage. The readers will follow if the content is strong.
And now, how much time do you think you spend on your site on average a day?
Roughly an hour to an hour and a half a day of generating the content, graphics, etc. But I also spend a lot of time looking for ways to do better, looking at other sites and researching the SiteMeter numbers to see how I’m performing for the day.
You mentioned earlier that your site has really begun to “take off… in the last three” months. What do you attribute that to? Anything you’re willing to share?
The biggest help has been the support of other hip-hop sites. I reached out to a couple major sites and luckily they embraced my vision and have been helping me with advice and supporting WoooHah.com by posting some of our stories on their sites. This adds a sense of legitimacy to my site and readers are then more likely to take a chance with WoooHah.com. I have to thank Clyde, Dove, Eskay, Rizoh and Jokesta for all of their support from the beginning.
So what has been the most rewarding part of owning your own website?
I know it sounds cheesy but the best part is when readers interact with me through e-mail or comments. Since the internet can feel like this big vast ocean, it’s nice to know there are people out there who actually read my site every day and enjoy it. Also watching my site grow in readership has been rewarding as well. I just hope it continues!
What do you think is biggest challenge you face in running a site like yours?
There are hundreds of hip-hop sites out there...the key is to maintain fresh content that readers can’t find elsewhere and keep the look and feel relevant to today’s market. That requires a daily commitment to update the site with quality, not quantity which obviously can be a challenge. The online hip-hop community is also very tight knit…keeping word of mouth positive about WoooHah.com is definitely important.
From a financial perspective how is the site doing? Are you staying above water?
From a financial perspective we are doing fine. As long as I break even every month and have enough money for some Del Taco…well that is sufficient for me.
Financially speaking, what methods have you found to be the most effective?
Banner ads alone are not an effective way of generating dollars. There needs to be more. My partnerships and promotions with major hip-hop sources have helped drive relevant traffic to my site which in turn has allowed my banner ads to be more effective. I am currently in talks with some major entertainment publications and corporations for permanent sponsorship…but I’m going to hold out until I find the right one that fits.
What are your goals for the site?
My goal is for WoooHah.com to be the number one resource for the latest entertainment, fashion and lifestyle news in hip-hop. I want the site to reach beyond the core hip-hop fan and help generate new hip-hop fans. I also want entertainment companies, fashion houses, trend setters and corporations to use WoooHah.com as a resource to help them better understand how the hip-hop culture can positively influence their own business objectives.
In the near future you will see a new layout that makes it easier for readers to navigate through the hip-hop topics of entertainment, fashion, business and lifestyle. I got big plans baby!
To people just getting started what piece of advice would you give them?
The best piece of advice I can give is BE PATIENT. Most of us have these huge internet dreams of launching a site or blog that we feel readers will instantly flock to and money will come in by the truck load. While that can happen, it takes time and a lot of work. Be patient and don’t get discouraged when readership is low or if you feel you are not connecting to readers.
It’s also important that you differentiate your site from competitors. Give readers a reason why they should take a chance on you. This includes making your site visually appealing. It doesn’t have to be all graphic intense, but it should be easy on the eyes. Most people will say that content is king. This is true but you still have to market yourself to show people how great your content is. Most people on the net are willing to help others out. Don’t be afraid to reach out to websites that you like or think you could learn from and ask for advice.
Thanks again for your time Scott, and of course we wish you and your sites the best of luck.
Visit Scott's site at www.wooohah.com
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