The Long Awaited Blogging Q&A

For months now you all have been asking me to sit down and share my wisdom (or lack there of) on all things blogging related. I asked you all on Instagram to send in any questions you may have and am answering them today. I’m covering everything from brand deals to media kits to finding inspiration.

Please keep in mind that everything I talk about in today’s video and blog post is entirely based off of my own personal experiences. You asked for honesty and boy am I giving it to you today. I hope you enjoy and that this answers any questions you may have!

I decided to film the Q&A as it’s a lot easier for me to find the right words to your answers when talking. I’ve split the video into two parts because you all requested two twenty-minute videos rather than one long one. Below I will have them both linked for you enjoyment.

However, there were lots of you who requested that I also write out my answers, so here we are meeting in the middle. I have answered these questions a bit differently so feel free to read through or simply watch if that’s more your style!

How do you find brands – do you use an app?

I do not use any apps to find brands but I do have a few websites that help link brands to influencers. My favorite of these websites is Brand Backer. Once you are registered and have an account, you can start applying for campaigns. The compensation for these deals is almost always product exchange and through Brand Backer I have landed almost all of my skin care collaborations. I have had a really positive experience with them and although it may take a few tries to get accepted into your first campaign, it gets easier with the more experience you have.

I am also an Influenster member which is another popular linking company. I find that you have to do several surveys in order to finally get sent a product for review but I have loved all of the things they have sent my way. Unlike Brand Backer, Influenster does not make you submit a Rough Draft before publishing your content which is ideal for some people who are looking for an easier, less time-consuming collaboration.

How do you build your following?

Building your following is really tough, I’m not going to sugar coat it. Especially in this day and age where blogging has become so normalized. Bloggers are on the rise and suddenly everyone wants to be an influencer. To some people I have a huge following and to others my platforms are still in the baby stages. It’s important to remember that numbers don’t define you but they do open up a lot of windows.

My number one tip in building your following is to take time every. single. day. to engage with others. You must interact with others if you expect people to interact with you. I make time every night to engage with my followers and it’s not until I started doing that consistently every night for at least an hour that I really started to see a spike in my follows. Blog following is completely different and I’ve done separate blog posts where I talk about this topic!

How can a small account reach people?

Here are a few of my best tips for growing your following and reaching people as a small account:

• Switch to a business account – Make the switch on your Instagram. Yes, it will hurt your engagement at first but it will help so much in the long run. This allows you to view analytics, add specific features to your bio, and makes you seem legit.
• Utilize hashtags – Make sure you’re switching them up. Use smaller ones so your pictures aren’t lost in the floods of photos being posted each day but use a few bigger ones so you have the opportunity to get noticed. Change them up. Instagram catches on to people who copy and paste their hashtags each day.
• Start using the extra features – Add a location, tag accounts, and add ALT text to your images every time you post a photo. Instagram added these features for a reason… because they want people to use them. So use them. They reward accounts that do these things by sharing these photos with more people who will ultimately lead to an increase in engagement.

I have tons more tips so let me know if you’d be interested in a whole separate post about it. I’m still learning how to navigate the Instagram world myself with only 4,000 followers but I feel I’ve got a good hand on things…. if only there were more hours in a day!

How can a small account land brand deals/sponsorships?

Understand that being a smaller account doesn’t mean that you won’t land brand deals but it does make things harder. Understand that you need experience. Brands want to work with people who have worked with other brands. So I can understand how it may feel daunting to begin brand work but I promise once the first one comes it gets easier. Understand that growth takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight and you should be enjoying your time blogging regardless of whether or not you are getting free products or not.

You have to become the best version of yourself before someone lese will believe in you. Spend time perfecting your site – brands want to see a clean blog layout, active viewers and engagement, well crafted posts, and a consistent schedule. Try to have at least 6 months under your belt before you start expecting to get a reward out of it. Patience is a virtue and it will do wonders for you in the blog world! Appreciate your time as a beginner and use this time as a learning experience.

What’s your biggest piece of advice you can give to someone whose looking to start their own blog/Instagram?

Just go for it.

I cannot express that enough. I made a life changing decision the day I hit ‘publish’ on my very first blog post but it didn’t feel that way three years ago. Over the years I’ve added value to that action but at the time it felt so small, so nonchalant.

Stay true to yourself and know that your potential lies within your own hands. That’s a really powerful feeling to have – I promise.

I didn’t mention this in the video, but I do want to touch on it here. If you are wanting to start a blog or YouTube for what appears to be a glamorous life, free clothes, and lots of followers – don’t do it. I promise those are not the right reasons to start. And yes free clothes are nice but it takes years and years of hard work, dedication, and so much more to get to that point. You must have relationships, authenticity, and passion to truly have ‘made it’. Remember that.

Is there a certain image you have to uphold?

Nope! One of the things I felt like I’ve done a really good job with over the years is staying super authentic with my viewers. I feel like my site is a really accurate reflection of who I am as a person and for some of you who have been around for a while, have practically watched me grow up through Weekly Wrap Ups and such. That’s really special to me and as I get older I’ve realized that this platform can be whatever I want it to be. I create work for you but I also create it for me and my own personal enjoyment!

What’s it like balancing school, blogging, extracurriculars, etc?

It’s a struggle but it also comes naturally all at the same time. I began my blog freshman year of high school so I’ve honestly never really known anything different which has been really beneficial in the long run. I am in 5 AP Classes, am apart of two Varsity sports, am in tons of clubs, Honors societies and other extracurricular activities which leaves me busy all the time pretty much. Depending on the season, my blogging schedule looks a little different in terms of how I space it out… I’m going into more detail with this later on this post so you’ll have to scroll a bit. Let’s just say in the summer I’m a lot less stressed and have tons more freedom but a part of me knows I’m often times better when I’m busier. I’m curious to see how this balance will come once I’m in college!

How do you plan content when you’re super busy?

I’m a huge planner. Like insane. My Happy Planner from Creative 365 is how I keep my sanity. I’ve considered doing an entire post on my monthly, weekly, and daily planning but have never gotten around to actually doing it.

I tend to have a rough draft calendar, play around with that, move things around, pencil in dates, etc and then move that into my actual planner once things are looking a little more finalized. If I’m feeling overwhelmed with ideas, creative thoughts, and deadlines I take a huge piece of poster board and dump it all out and the organize from there. I am a hands on person and never do thing electronically when it comes to planning out!

Do you have/use a media kit when pitching to brands?

Yes, I do have a media kit and I created it using my Canva account. It’s a simple template that I designed myself. It’s got a picture of me, an introduction to myself and my mission, some brand work experience, a handful of my most notable stats, and my contact information. I do not include it in all of my brand pitches but when I feel the time is right I will go ahead and attach it. I’ve landed awesome deals both from including it and from leaving it out.

However, it is nice to have one as some brands who pitch you may ask for it when wanting to learn more about you. And, of course, if you are free lancing in order to make a career out of it (aka $$$) media kits  a way to showcase your pricing for your services.

Do you reach out to companies or do they reach out to you – what’s your process?

Both! Some of my favorite deals I’ve ever taken were when a brand pitched to me and some of my favorite deals I’ve ever taken were when I pitched a brand and they said yes.

However, pitching is a really personal topic and I discussed this in great detail throughout both of these videos. Although I am addressing this question here, I find the ‘process’ to be a really personal experience. I have so many people messaging me how I got to work with this company or how much I receive from that company and a part of me finds it to be disrespectful. I know often times it can be out of sole curiosity but often times it’s because the person messaging you is looking to get something out of it. They want to see if what they are receiving is comparable, if you can hand over your contact’s email address, if you’re getting paid, etc.

It’s sort of hard to type my thoughts out on this one so you’ll have to watch my videos if you’re wanting to hear more on this question. I also go into detail as to how your coworkers are also your competition, respecting others privacy, and my pitching process – watch the video.

How do you get inspiration for your posts?

I used to really struggle to come up with post ideas but over the years it’s gotten a lot easier. I’ve always posted my Weekly Wrap Up’s on Sundays and I honestly don’t foresee that changing anytime in the future. That’s a nice ‘built in’ blog post for each week. I mentioned earlier that I’ve almost always kept a consistent uploading schedule which means posting at least three other blog posts a week.

I find tons of inspiration through looking at other people’s content. It’s important to read through and like other blogger’s posts and Instagram’s not only for engagement purposes but for inspiration as well. I love saving things to folders to refer back to later.

However, over time I’ve learned that sometimes asking what people want to see is best. I love creating content that you all want to see and sometimes you have the best ideas! Also with sponsored content, and free product comes with inevitable blog posts that naturally fill up my schedule.

I’ve found that as I find what I’m truly passionate about, inspiration is overwhelming. True inspiration is found where your passion lies. So my advice to you, is if you’re lacking motivation, desire, and the creative juices to be excited about your work, perhaps you’re chasing the wrong passion after all.

What apps do you use for Instagram and blogging?

I’m not very exciting when it comes to apps. I use VSCO to edit my pictures for Instagram and the blog. UNUM is my go to for planning out my Insatgram feed. I do care about my feed’s cohesiveness to a certain extent but I use this app more so for making sure I don’t forget to post specific sponsored posts / collaborations!

I also use both LIKEtoKNOW.it to find out where other bloggers outfits are from and Reward Style to add links to my own personal outfits so you all are able to shop what I’m wearing too! That’s pretty much all – boring, I know. Oh, I also use the app Phonto to add text to my YouTube cover images.

How much time per week do you spend on your socials/blogging?

My schedule is a lot different in the summertime and during various parts of the school year (cheer season, winter, baseball season) but as of right now (winter) my schedule is the freest – well besides for summer but that’s a completely different McKenz, lol.

The thing about being a teenage blogger is that my schedule sort of revolves around everyone else. Madison, my mom and my dad are the three people who take my pictures most often and depending on whether tor not they are free, available, and the weather determines how much work I get done and when. Luckily, I am able to do a majority of my shooting on Sundays. Occasionally I’ll film a video or shoot on Saturday rather than Sunday but for the most part, everything is done for me on one day of the weekend. Because I’m home from school in the afternoons during the wintertime, I’m able to shoot looks after school a couple of days a week if need be on days when Madison isn’t working.

Blog posts are almost always edited and uploaded one-two days beforehand (or the day of like today) and YouTube videos I edit whenever I have a spare chance. I try to spend at least an hour on Instagram each day engaging with other people’s photos – liking, commenting, and watching their stories. On top of that I try to get a picture up each day as well as respond to the previous day’s picture’s comments. Oh, and emails. I check my email like a crazy person. I’m constantly refreshing it trying to respond back to brands and be courteous of the fact that my work hours and theirs are almost always the complete opposite! With all of that, my work week totals up to be around 20 hours during this season.

Once baseball rolls around things will slow down a bit and I have to be a bit more preparatory and intentional with my work but for now this is how my time is spent. In the summer I like to challenge myself to get a bit more creative and blog every day if I can while filming lots more for my YouTube channel so things are far different. However, I’m not going into detail on my seasonal schedules today. If you’re interested in that being a separate post let me know but I hope this kind of gives you a  rough idea as to how much time I spend a week.

How do you get in contact with brands?

I’ve already touched on this but the three ways I’ve established relationships with brands is through 1) reaching out on Instagram via DMs 2) pitching via email 3) using a linking website such as Brand Backer or Influencer.

Have you ever been cheated out of a deal or had a bad experience with a brand?

Luckily, I cannot say I have and I hope that I never will. It’s important to only take deals that you feel fit your branding and personal message. If the product and/or company don’t feel right, then simply say no. Staying true to yourself and only taking deals with companies you feel you’ve developed a real relationship with will keep you from having a bad experience.

How do you phrase your brand pitches?

I’m not going to go into much detail with this one because again, I feel this is one that you need to figure out for yourself. It takes practice to develop the perfect pitch and each person’s voice is unique to themself. I will tell you though that it’s important that your pitch is not too long or too short. Make sure you introduce yourself, your brand’s mission, and your collaboration idea right off the bat. If you have a media kit and feel it would be beneficial to add, then go ahead and attach it but remember what I said earlier, this won’t necessarily make or break the deal for you!

Make sure that your pitch is free of spelling errors, you have an eye-catching subject, and that you’re spelling the person’s name right – there’s nothing worse than seeing your name wrong from someone who ‘loves’ your stuff.

Of course this blog post is long enough by now so I’m going to make this short… I will definitely consider doing another one of these if you all are interested or creating a blogger beginners series where I break down some specific topics and share all of my best tips and tricks in detail – just let me know below! Hope this helped all my fellow boss babes out there. Best of luck!

With love, McKenz

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