Friday Five April 1

 Can't believe it's already Friday! It feels like just yesterday I was home for a quick weekend. Honest time for you guys: I actually went home to surprise my mom for her birthday and Easter but I obviously couldn't tell you guys my plans since she reads the blog. It was the perfect surprise and it was awesome being home!! ONE / Baseball Opening DayIt has been such a crazy week, I'm so glad it's over! We're getting ready for Opening Day in the office and while I'm so excited for the baseball season to start, I've been walking around like a zombie all week. Excited for another new season ahead. Don't forget to put your #CapsOn Opening Day!!  TWO / Random Things I Never Knew I NeededObviously I love shopping on Amazon (duh) and buying things I randomly need. Some work, others don't but I did find two really amazing (and cheap) items that I thought were worth sharing! First is this slip, random I know, but I find a ton of dresses are see-through and I just thought it would be good to have one. It was only $10 which may seem weird but it's a great quality! Next is this breast lift tape (also random, I get it) but totalllyyyyy worth it. I have a larger chest and there are dresses sometimes I can't wear bras with. These make sure the girls stay in place and that they're perky.  THREE / Red Scallop BikiniI bit the bullet and bought this bikini for my trip to Exuma! I loveeee the way it fits (I've had major problems with this brand in the past). I snagged a M in the top and a L in the bottom. Both fit great!Speaking of swimsuits, I also snagged these two before my trip to Mexico but never got around to blogging about them! First this green and black one piece that is SUPER flattering on and second this navy/white top and bottom. Totally different than my others but I love it!  FOUR / 11.22.63Okay, I'm hooked. I originally signed up for Hulu when I wanted to binge watch old seasons of The Challenge. I was just about to cancel my subscription until I heard a ton of friends talk about 11.22.63. I decided to give it a try after finding out J.J. Abrams and Stephen King were behind it (I was a little weary about James Franco starring in it). It's based off the book and is about trying to figure out who shot JFK and make sure whoever it was is stopped. It's a historical thriller in ways but it's definitely worth a test run!  FIVE / Instagram UpdateThanks for all the kind words/comments/emails/tweets about my Instagram blog post! I really love writing long form blog posts (if only I felt that way in college) so I'm glad you guys like to read them. It means a lot to me!  ---------------

Weekend Plans: Shooting some blog photos, cleaning my apartment (much needed) and hopefully filming some videos! I've been so bad (sorry!) about getting YouTube videos up recently. With the season starting and life kind of taking over, it's been so hard. But I have plans to get back on track!
Favorite Blogs: Loving this look from my friend Emily! She's always looking amazing!! The real question is do I need that bag?! Recent Purchases: I haven't been shopping as much as I've been holding in my cart until Exuma but I thought I could share a few of those items! THIS white eyelet top (only $65!), THESE turquoise earrings, THIS cross body (begging for a tropical vacation) and THIS floaty!

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Friday Five April 1

Lilly Pulitzer Mallory Maxi Dress

What better way to say hello to summer than this beautiful maxi dress! Wowzers, am I right?? Pack your bags and read on!

SHOP MY LOOK HERE:

Lilly Pulitzer: Mallory Maxi Dress c/o / Ray-Ban: Flash Clubmaster Sunglasses / BaubleBar: Baha Drops c/o / BaubleBar: Maldives Beaded Stretch Bracelets c/o / BaubleBar: Paleo Stone Cuff c/o / Old: Garadin Wedge Sandal / BaubleBar: Ribbon Letter Monogram

I got this dress a week  before my trip and I no joke just had it hanging out of my closet so I could see it everyday. It's that beautiful. The beading, the material, the colors... I mean what more could you ask for?

This was by far my most worn piece on the trip. I wore it to a casual breakfast with flat sandals (you can get away with Lilly at all times of the day), to the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, to a fancier dinner another night with tall wedges -- it was perfect for everything!

I own a lot of Lilly Pulitzer from the past 10 years but none compare quite like this dress. I felt like a million bucks in it and I can't wait to wear it again!

SHOP MY LOOK HERE:

Lilly Pulitzer Mallory Maxi Dress

Exploring Downtown Tulum

While we were in Mexico the other week, we decided to take a day trip to Tulum with some of our friends. I've always wanted to go and with it only being an hour away, how could you say no!

SHOP MY LOOK HERE:

1. State: Mesh Off the Shoulder Dress / Lulu*s: (similar) Tall Gladiator Sandal / Ray-Ban: Clubmaster Sunglasses / Lilly Pulitzer: Cuff (similar) Karine Sultan Open Cuff / David Yurman Pearl Earrings / BaubleBar: Ribbon Letter Monogram

There were so many vibrant colors and things to see it was really another world. The downtown is really just a strip of shops and places to eat. You kind of have to find the beauty in it, but once you do it's really quite amazing! We only had an hour to spend downtown so Andrew and I just stopped for a bite to eat (it was so yummy).

But boy oh boy was it HOT out. I knew Mexico was going to be hot but I don't think anyone could have predicted this. It was in the high 90's with 100% humidity. I'm honestly surprised my hair stayed this cute for as long as it did. Woof.

Thankfully I wore this super airy mesh off the shoulder dress. It was perfect for getting some color on my shoulders while also hiding my sweat haha. The colors on the dress were beautiful but totally seemed to fall in comparison to the streets of Tulum.

Here's to one day going back and spending more time there!

SHOP MY LOOK HERE:

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Exploring Downtown Tulum

What We Know (and Think We Know) About The Upcoming Instagram Update

I was going to write and publish this next week but with the absolute frenzy happening on Instagram, I felt as if it was better to get this out now rather than later. So stop what you’re doing, delete your “turn notifications on” photo from Instagram and let’s chat.

I currently work in social media and I’ve spent numerous hours talking to various people and reading everything there is to know about this new update. Learning about how it will affect a brand (like my work) but also how it will affect my personal (private) and business (blog) accounts. So I’d like to think I have *some* knowledge on the topic but in all reality no one really knows anything besides the people at Instagram. So take this post for what it is: a well-researched, long story with a lot of links and thoughts combined in one place.

All in all, I get it. People hate change. And I’ll be honest that when I heard about the new update I was upset. I think it came to ruin Facebook and I hoped it wouldn't happen on Twitter, but that’s because I don’t like change. You’re talking to a girl who hasn’t changed the background image on my computer (it’s still those mountains in Yosemite) or moved a single app on my phone since day one. But I was upset because I was misinformed. There are a lot of rumors running around and a ton of speculation on a topic that really no one knows much about. So I decided before I was going to make any type of decision, I was going to take a deep dive, learn what I can and go from there.

Users are freaking out that posts will no longer show up in others feeds but Instagram is actually doing the opposite. Let me tell you why:

What We Know:

…About the Update

In Instagram's blog, it says that people miss 70% of the photos in their feed and this update is meant to change that. Imagine if that number applies to you and your following. That would mean a TON of people who, as of right now, never see your posts. Now imagine if they started seeing and liking your photos – engagement numbers would sky rocket!

Influencers are also acting like it’s the end of the world and telling their followers that, because of the new algorithm, they’ll no longer see their posts. This is just absurd because it clearly states on Instagram’s blog that this is not the case: “As we begin, we’re focusing on optimizing the order — all the posts will still be there, just in a different order.”

That’s not to say that it will always be this way (see: Facebook) but I think we should worry about that more when it happens. In my opinion, I don’t even think you’ll truly notice a huge change when the update does happen. With Instagram's last update, they’ve changed the timestamp on photos to be under the comments. Tell me honestly: how often do you look at that now? I can say for sure I don’t.

…About the Algorithm: 

So what goes into this algorithm and more importantly, how can you be a part of it? An Instagram spokesman said, as reported by the WSJ, the order is based on an analysis of posts a user has liked, commented on or searched for on Instagram. In addition to likes, comments and searches, Instagram will also factor in users’ “relationship with the person posting and the timeliness of the post” in determining what will appear at the top of their feeds (source).

It’s also worth a note to mention that Instagram already does a pretty good job at showing you what you want to see (whether you’re aware of it or not). Just take a look at your explore tab or follow someone new and see suggested accounts. It’s not like the new update will start showing you the crappy accounts you have no care for -- they're smarter than that.

…About Ads:

We’re all aware one of the main objectives behind this update is to sell more ads on Instagram. You have to think about the money generated from Facebook through ads and how any company, especially a younger brother company, would be dumb not to do the same. Over the years, Instagram has done a great job integrating ads into our feeds and while we hated it at first, it turned out to not be the end of the world. Go figure.

What We *Think* We Know:

…About Timing:

People are up in arms because they think the change is happening today. But I have no idea where they’re getting this information or what even started this snowball effect. I think the idea came from an article that mentioned it could be happening as soon as March 29^th. But all the other articles I’ve read (specifically this one from the New York Times) have mentioned, “the change would not be quick or jarring, and that it would start the shift in a series of small tests with a single-digit percentage of user groups before deciding whether to introduce the changes broadly” (source).

Instagram even posted on Twitter (ironically) yesterday, “We're listening and we assure you nothing is changing with your feed right now. We promise to let you know when changes roll out broadly.” And to really calm your fears, Fader reported Instagram "still has weeks, or even months, of testing to go." 

So it’s not happening today and it’s for sure not happening to everyone this week. Unless you're a test subject, mwahahahah!

…About Instagram’s Priorities:

Think about the types of accounts that rule Instagram: fashion/beauty, health/fitness, sports/entertainment and animals. If we know this, Instagram does too. Why would they try to help get rid of or minimize accounts that have helped them become so popular? 

They're creating this update for us. To help us grow, to help our engagement grow and to help Instagram as a whole. The more people you follow the harder it will be to keep up. This update is going to try to fix that. Digiday has a good article, Winners and Losers of an Instagram Algorithm that focuses more on this topic!

Good content will always remain king, algorithm or not. That will never change.

…About Strategy (and how to remain on top):

Instead of asking fans to turn on notifications, focus on engagement. Ask followers questions, learn their habits, post content they enjoy, know your followers, respond to them and be engaging! This will keep you at the top of any feed and it will make sure your followers never miss a post.

Think about it in Facebook terms: who's post do you see the most? Family? Close friends? How about that person you're always chatting with or searching for? Facebook knows all of that and puts that profile first in your feed because they know it's what you want to see. Instagram will probably do the same.

It's all about engagement and that's what people should be worried about and develop more. Check out this article from Entrepreneur (more towards the bottom) that reinforces my theory! The people who will be hurt most by this update will be those with already low engagement. Even if you have a small following but killer engagement, you will be OK.

It's just funny to me out that out of all the people freaking out it's bloggers. And in my opinion (and after a ton of research) we're the people with the least to worry about. I can really only see this helping us! So let's all take a big breath in...

...About How it Will Affect Content:

I'll say it again, but content is KING. Good content -- no matter the format, algorithm, platform -- will reign supreme. I of course have ZERO basis to say this (just want to make this clear-- haven't read it once in any of my research) but I have a pretty serious hunch that this update will start to favor video content.

Instagram is making a big push towards video content. Whether it's a 15-second spot, a stop motion film or a video created via Boomerang. You can see it by the way they're updating reporting (seeing video views AND likes), by scrolling through your explore tab and by the featured posts they're boosting. It's the same direction Facebook and Twitter have gone, and I wouldn't be surprised if Instagram will soon follow. 

A HUGE plus I see coming is the fact that you'll no longer have to worry about time of day when you post. With this update, you can post a photo at 3am on a Friday night and it will be there first thing (presumably) the next morning on your followers' feeds. This is one of the major factors behind the whole update: seeing content you care about while you're away.

This is not only great for time of day but also for followers not in the same time zone as you are. Ever traveled abroad and tried to post when your regular followers are awake even though it's 2am your time? I know I have. This update will change that and the worry will be no more!

Final Thoughts:

We've see this before: putting all your eggs in one basket (that isn't even yours). It started with Facebook. People were relying on it to drive traffic and to grow their business. but their pay-for-play update over time killed those dreams. 

We saw it again with Pinterest. People were making livings off of affiliate marketing and one day Pinterest decided they wanted that revenue and cut everyone else off. I knew people whose worlds were turned upside down and lost a lot.

And now we can start to see that happening with Instagram. While I don't believe this update will be *the one* to kill off influencers, I do believe it's a possibility down the road. It's hard to not think that. Especially when the value of social ads are rising.

So I remind all bloggers and influencers: don't put all your eggs in someone else's basket.

One of the best pieces of advice I've received to this day is to make sure my blog is my number one source of traffic, income, sponsorships ... everything. Because it's the only thing that I 100% control and the only thing that no brand, platform or person can take from me. My eggs, my basket. 

You can apply this to life and the blog, but never focus your efforts on things you cannot control.

And finally (for a little more reading) this was one of the better articles I found about blogging + the update: How Instagram’s Algorithm will Affect Fashion Brands.

So what are your thoughts?? I'd love to have a real conversation below in the comments to see what you guys are thinking/worried about/hoping for, etc!

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

What We Know (and Think We Know) About The Upcoming Instagram Update

Lilly Pulitzer Enna Top

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a very enjoyable Easter weekend and are ready for another fun week ahead. I'm sharing some more photos from my trip to Mexico today and this look was my favorite of the trip!

SHOP MY LOOK HERE:

Lilly Pulitzer: Enna Off Shoulder Top c/o [also comes in white!!] / AG: The Legging' Skinny Ankle Jeans / Kate Spade: Danah wedges (available in black) / Quay: My Girl Sunglasses / BaubleBar: Ribbon Letter Monogram / Lilly Pulitzer: Cuff (similar here) / David Yurman: Pearl Earrings 

I wore this look our first night in Cancun for a walk around the hotel and dinner. It was my first chance to break out these shoes and my second time wearing this off the shoulder top from Lilly (first seen here). It was perfect for dinner because it was super flowy and so so comfortable.

The shirt is a summer time favorite: off the shoulder, fun print, pom pom trim... what more could a girl ask for! I always get so many compliments when I wear this shirt too! I'm pretty tempted to buy it in white as well. It would be so perfect with a pair of denim shorts, or even as an all white outfit with these jeans!!

And these shoes... I mean how CUTE are they!! They were recently sold out everywhere in this color but as of right now there are some good sizes available HERE. I've searched high and low online but have only found one place to carry the multicolored pair. So crazy right? Here's to hoping 1- they have your size left in stock and 2- that they make/sell more online. When they do I'll make sure to let you guys know right away.

The shoes are pretty comfortable but do need some breaking in. The sole is a harder material but I've noticed it warms up with time. They're TTS and are seriously my favorite shoes right now! If you're not totally into this color, they also have a black and white pair that are TO cute. They're also available in ALL SIZES here!

Yay! Happy shopping :)

SHOP MY LOOK HERE:

Monday, March 28, 2016

Lilly Pulitzer Enna Top

Friday Five March 25

Happy Easter weekend! I'm not Catholic, but I do try and participate in Lent every year. This year I gave up chips (specifically Flaming Hot Cheetos) and I'm soooooo excited to finally have them again on Sunday! It's been a long, hard road without them but they've just been replaced with french fries and Milk Duds so that's not any better. Whoops!ONE / #CapsOnOpening Day is almost here!!! It's crazy how quickly the offseason has flown by, I can't believe we're really gearing up for baseball season again. As a huge leave initiative, we're promoting #CapsOn on Opening Day. So grab your favorite baseball hat and show your team pride! MLB will be retweeting and re-gramming photos all day. Who's in?

4.4.16. #CapsOnhttps://t.co/4mARCotNUK

— MLB (@MLB) March 24, 2016

TWO / Shoe CrazyI've been on a kick (no pun intended) recently for buying shoes. There are just so many great summer sandals coming out I can't help it!! I'm loving these Tory Burch sandals, these Kate Spade espadrilles (the colors are amazing) and these Raye Halle heels!! Can I just have them all??
THREE / 25% off J. Crew25% off everything!!! Stock up on my favorites like this dress (THE dress), these shorts, this blazer! Just ordered this scallop tank, this dress, pom/stripe shirt.
FOUR / Instagram Update for BloggersWhile we're all trying to figure out how this Instagram update will change the way we use and manage the app, Digiday did a great job kind of calming my nerves and explaining how the process will affect bloggers. Hopefully this is true, but only time will tell!
FIVE / Dangerous WomanTOTALLY loving this song. Gah! The A Cappella version is pretty amazing too. ----------- Weekend Plans: Just a lot of relaxing and hanging out with friends. Always so exhausted after traveling that I turn into a crab and just want to sleep all day! Then on Sunday I'll celebrate Easter with Andrew and family! Excited to finally eat chips again :)
Favorite Blogs: Carly looks AMAZING in this post. Not going to lie, I totally bought this swimsuit after seeing her in it. I also have a fuller bust so it's really hard to shop for good-fitting swimsuits that also have nice coverage. Thanks, Carly!!
Recent Purchases: Bought this swimsuit top and bottom. Also snagged these sandals and this beach bag for my trip to Exuma! Already so excited :) I'm close to getting this dress as well!!

Friday, March 25, 2016

Friday Five March 25

Blogging Better: How to Work with Brands

Welcome to my Blogging Better series! Each week I hope to come up with relevant and fun topics to help you become a better blogger. I originally started this series in my weekly newsletter but I thought it would be more fun to open it up to all blog readers.

Today's topic is going to be super long but (hopefully) really helpful: How to Work with Brands! After a couple of years under my belt and a ton of collaborations, I think I have some good advice and tips to share on the subject. I hope you enjoy!!

One of the great things that has come from my blogging experience (and one I’ll look back on fondly) is the ability to work with brands I love. It’s so crazy how much the landscape has changed with blogging and social media coming into the picture because before any of this, you had to actually be famous to work with brands. So it’s really cool we’re all able to do this for a living now!  I’ve made some close friends by collaborating with different brands. It’s awesome to have that sort of connection with companies you really care about! But with all that being said, I didn’t start working with brands for a while after I started blogging. In all honesty, there are brands I would love to work with but am not big enough for. I'm still told "no" occasionally! I tell girls this all the time, but don’t start a blog with the intentions of working with brands and getting free stuff. That's not how it works and it’s a lot of hard work to get to that point.  So when working with brands, there are two ways for it to happen that I’ll discuss in detail below: reaching out to brands proactively or having brands reach out to you (directly or via networks). Let’s talk about it. 

Collaboration with Henri Bendel   You Contact Them: This is obviously the more taboo of the two but I don't understand why more bloggers don't do this. I reach out to brands all the time to work together. I will be shopping and come across a brand I really like. Once I do a little more research to see if it's something my readers will like, I'll reach out. Just like there are a lot of brands you might not know about, there are also a lot of bloggers brands don't know about. It's mutually beneficial and a great way to build a relationship with a brand. I can't tell you how many brands I originally reached out to that are now some of my closest partners.  How to Go About Reaching Out: I'd like to think I've mastered the skill of reaching out to brands since I do it a lot. Start with finding a direct email or contact. These are usually under their "contact" or "press" pages on their site. Finding the right person to cold email will help cut down the process time. I always try and email someone directly rather than filling out forms, not sure why but I just think it's more personal this way! Once you have an email address, it's time to draft an email. There are some very important steps in crating an email like this so read below! 1. Introduce yourself (who you are and what you do): most emails go, "I'm Krista from Covering the Bases, a fashion and travel blog based in New York City." Straight and to the point so they're aware of who I am, what my blog is, what it covers and where I live. 2. State your reason for emailing: "I'm reaching out today because....." or "I'm reaching out in hopes to...." are usually good places to start. You want to be direct and to the point as not waste their time. But of course direct doesn't mean rude. Make sure your language is always very open and inviting.  3. Tell them why you like their brand and why you think it's a good fit: This is where you need to be detailed and personal. Tell them what you love about their dresses or how your followers react when you feature them. Mention the first time buying from the brand or good memories you have with them. Make it personal! Convey to them that you care and show them that you're a loyal brand representative. 4. Send them examples: When working with a brand I truly love, I always make sure to send over old blog links to posts where I feature their clothing. It shows that I truly am a fan of their brand, collaborations or not.
5. Tell them what you can do for them: Here is where I tell a brand what I can offer in exchange for collaborating and about my blogging skills. For example, when working with hotels I can promise them a blog post/review, Instagram photos with the geo-location on and @mention in the caption. Here is where you need to evaluate, think strategically but don't oversell. Maybe they are pushing for more Instagram followers and you can offer them a takeover; things along those lines! 6. Share social and blog numbers: For bigger or more established brands, I usually send over my media kit for them to review when deciding when to work with me or not. It tells them a little more about me, my blog and my reach/influence. It also references old partnerships for them to review and look over my work. For brands I don't send my media kit to right away, I always put, "If you'd like more information on my blog, I'd be happy to send over my media kit with blog and social statistics for you to review!" That way if they're interested but want to know more, they can! 7. Wrap it up: Thank them for their time, tell them you look forward to talking more soon, have a great day, etc. And leave your information at the bottom (I have direct links to my blog, my TW and my IG as my signature).  What's Next: Waiting game. Some brands will get back to you right away, some will take a week or two, some you need to follow up with, others will never get back to you and there are some who will say no. All of these are OK! Because if nothing else, you're on their radar now. Collaboration with HauteLook ----- Funny story about one of my biggest running brand collaborations (that should hopefully make you feel better). I had been dying to work with this one brand that I loved and I mean loved. It was in 2013 and the blog was much smaller but I knew my readers had a strong desire for this brand. I thought of a great series collaboration idea with me and a fellow blogger and wrote out this whole big pitch to them. It was well thought out, detailed and didn't ask for much. I had the right email and I was feeling super confident. That was until I got an email back within the hour with a very kind "no." I was sad, but not devastated because they were a big brand and I understood (my love was unconditional). A few months later I was at a random brand press preview in Flatiron. I was having a great conversation with a PR contact and we were talking about his other clients. He mentioned casually that this one brand (THE brand I had reached out to) was actually hosting their press preview at the same time one floor upstairs. Trying to contain my excitement, I asked if they could introduce me and stop by the showroom. Which they did and I was in heaven. I loved it and I was first introduced to the very person who told me "no" just a few months before. We started talking and I mentioned that they actually re-pinned a couple of my blog photos wearing their items and she was in shock it was me. I think she loved me right away. We started talking more about what I do and how her company is a sponsor for baseball. The conversation went on and it only got better. I even felt comfortable enough to tell her it was me who sent that email not too long ago. She remembered right away and said it was a great idea and how she loved my email but has a strict policy to not gift these particular items because they can't keep them on the shelf as it is. It totally made sense and it actually made me feel a lot better. It made me realize she wasn't actually saying no to me. Long story made longer, we see each other every time she's in the city, and we work together closely almost every month. I even follow her on all social platforms. They are still to this day my favorite brand and I'm thankful everyday I'm able to work with them! Moral of this story being that even when a brand says no, it's not a forever thing. Things tend to work out the way they're supposed to and without sending this email and taking a leap of faith, we may never have had the chance to work together like we do now. Emailing brands can only help your blog and your business! ----- Whew! So that's pretty much the gist of how you reach out to brands and how to work with them in that sense. Next comes the other end of the spectrum on what happens if they contact YOU. Of course the things below also (very much so) need to be applied to when you reach out first.  Collaboration with Absolut  They Contact You: It's always super flattering when a brand (or PR agency) reaches out to you. That's how you know they've researched and selected YOU to work with and represent their brand. It's an exciting feeling but one also that needs to be taken seriously and in a proper way! Sharing my tips below of what to do when a bran reaches out! 1. Read the email: Might seem silly but a lot of times people just skim it over and are not truly aware of what they want or what they're asking for. This is an important first step!  2. Research/review the brand: If it's someone you've heard of before, great! If they're new, make sure to research them, explore their website, check out their social, etc. You want to get a good feel for the brand because you want to... 3. Make sure it's a right fit for your blog: Readers can see right through your posts when they know it's off brand for you. Like if I were to blog about baby items, it would seem a little weird. Stay true to yourself. If it's not a fit, say no! 4. Review the details of the collaboration: You want to make sure you're going about this the right way. If they want a YouTube video and you haven't put one up in five years, it might not be the best fit. Here is where you can offer alternatives or better ideas for them to maximize their goals while going about it in a more natural way. You also want to make sure it's mutually beneficial, that you're being compensated appropriately and that it's doable.   5. Manage expectations: With traveling and work consuming a lot of my time and weekends, it's good to set expectations up front. Let brands know if you'll be out of town or that you have content booked until whatever date. The more they know the better because if you're up front about it now they'll understand when a post may be going live later than proposed. 6. Reply in a timely manner: This goes for just about any email, but brands are more than likely working on other collaborations. Responding in a timely manner only helps their job become easier. When it's easier, it's more fun and when it's more fun they like you better! It's a win win.  7. Be polite: (duh) This is a hard and fast rule always and forever. Be polite! It's easy to do and it will make people like you better. Even if you're saying no or have to pass on an opportunity, being polite helps things end amicably. How to Say No: I get a lot of sales and promotional pitches throughout the day and about 80% of them don't fit my brand for one reason or another. So I've gotten pretty good at saying no (even when there is money involved). It's hard to say no sometimes, but it will get easier! When saying no to a brand, I always make sure to thank them for thinking of me and tell them that it's just not the right fit for me at that time. There's also the yes-but-not-right-now reply as well. I remember I had some brands reach out to me in January about summer clothes and with no major warm weather trips coming up I told them I would love to but can't at the moment because I legitimately couldn't. Brands will understand (trust me) and appreciate you being honest. This goes back to again managing expectations and being polite! 

After You've Said Yes: Saying yes is the easy part! Now it's time to stick to your word, follow through and show them why working with you is not only easy and fun but also that you value the relationship and hope for it to keep progressing in the future.
1. Follow up and keep them informed: Brands love to be informed so keep them in the loop. Let them know when you've received the product, when you're planning on shooting, what day you will launch, when social promotion will follow ... everything! Follow up with links and updates. It will make their life a lot easier and make you seem super professional.  2. Stick to deadlines: We all set deadlines for a reason, so stick to them. When discussing deadlines also be sure to make sure it works for you. Don't promise something on a Thursday that you can't even shoot until Saturday.  3. Go above and beyond: Just like in normal 9-5 work places, going above and beyond in your job will get you more places. It shows you're ambitious, shows you care and that you value your collaboration. ----- I *think* that's about it. WHEW that was so long! But I really hope it's helpful. I wish someone had told me all about this when I started. If you want to know more or have any follow up questions, I'll be answering them below!Check out the other posts in the blogging better series HERE!

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Blogging Better: How to Work with Brands