blogging BTS

HOW TO GET BEAUTY PR PART 2: ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS

blogging BTS

I am so excited to update this post! I am not an expert in the influencer space at all, but I want to open up the conversation. I wish I could impart more advice but there are so many aspects of this online world I have not yet experienced… so here is just a bit of advice for you to take with a grain of sale 😉

*I use the term influencer and content creator interchangeably, choose your fighter hehe*

Is being an influencer a ‘real job’?

Kicking things off with a BANG. Oh my, you lot did not hold back haha. Of course it is! However, is that why you want to do it? To pay the bills? Personally, I started blogging as a hobby. I have a lot of feelings about monetising your hobby. So it probably won’t be my full time gig anytime soon (never say never!). Social media can also complement your day job nicely. Teachers sharing their outfits and lunches are one of my fave kind of accounts to follow. At the end of the day we are just particles of matter floating around on a giant rock, so yes I think an influencer’s work is real 😉 The question is, is it real to YOU?

Do I need a media kit?

It certainly can’t hurt! I gave mine a refresh on Canva recently and it was free, easy to use and looks profesh. You can keep it short and sweet! I use my media kit to explain what ROLLY Mag is in terms of vibes. It often looks nicer on a graphic than in a paragraph slab on an email.

How do you disclose when a product is received for free?

The language I use is *PR with obligation to post* if I received the prodcut on the condition I posted content about it.

Or *PR with no obligation to post* to disclose that the product was free but this content I am making because I want to!

How do I negotiate with brands?

As an influencer, you are doing the work of the photographer, the copywriter, the assistant, the model etc so time is precious. My conditions are always that my post with be honest (so that I don’t get stuck posting about a product I didn’t like) and that there is no time frame to deliver the content.

Be clear and concise in what you want. Especially if you are pitching yourself to a brand, make it known from the get go what the terms of working with you will be. I am still learning this one to be honest.

What is a posting schedule and should I have one?

A posting schedule is having a set routine for when you post your content. This could be everyday at 7am for example. Instagram’s algorithm is a tricky one (lol, that’s an understatement) and there is so much speculation about whether or not having a posting schedule works from a system POV. My suggestion would be to figure out what your audience likes. Play around with posting times and days and see when you get the most engagement. Consider that you might be located in a different timezone to where majority of your audience lives. I have two side notes here however: 1) it might be well and good for your audience to like a 7am post, but this may not be well suited to your own schedule outside of Instagram… and 2) there isn’t much method to the madness. There’s no trick to posting, sometimes you just get lucky with good engagement. Don’t be hard on yourself!

I am happy for my blogger friends but i’m also jealous they get so much PR! How do I fight the green monster?

Ah, sweet friend. I feel you!!! I feel like I experience jelaousy in this space in waves. Sometimes, I don’t post content for weeks/months and so I can’t expect to receive PR. Or, like right now tbh, I’m working my butt off to refresh ROLLY Mag with little pay off (ie. the brands I want to work with leave me on read) and others in the space are going to epic events. Here’s the secret… do not take it personally. A brand did not look at your profile and actively choose to not invite you/not send you PR. And if they did, their loss. There are so many people in this space and there is room for all of us. But not all of the time. Keep your eye on your ‘why’. My why, is because I am a beauty enthusiast and I want to have fun with beauty. You must check your privilege and realise the freebies are a just a bonus. (I know easier said than done, and I also know that I am not perfect… but it’s food for thought, yeah?)

How do I grow my audience?

I am leaving this one in the hands of @lucymneville – because she knows her shit! And I could not agree more! This also links back to your ‘why’… (In life in general I’m trying to do things for the fun of it, and so why shouldn’t that apply to the blog too ya know!)

How much do you charge for your sponsored content?

Ah, the million dollar question! I’ll answer in two parts:

  1. I do not currently charge for content. Realistically, I should. Applying a price tag will continue to show brands that mirco-influencers like me should be taken seriously. However, I do not have the mental capacity for the logistics of it right now. Therefore…
  2. This section of the answer will probably leave you with more questions, but given I have no direct experience I’m going to link this resource that might be helpful! Danni Duncan’s highlight, aptly titled ‘don’t work for free’. It’s such a tricky space and one that is not very openly talked about. I think a general rule of thumb is to charge more than you think you should, do not undersell yourself!

I would love to hear your thought in the comments below!

Take care, friends xx

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BLOGGING BTS: FREE PRODUCTS DON’T PAY THE BILLS

blogging BTS

Editor’s note: This post was originally written in 2020. I found it in my drafts and have decided to share it, nearly two years later. The brand mentioned no longer sells makeup from their website, and free shipping on the site is for orders over $50. Also with this title, I actually never accept monetary payment for my work. I mostly work on a ‘product in exchange non-obliged content’ basis. However, it is something I am working towards for the future. The notion behind it however, is that brands need to take the role of influencers seriously, and this means respecting and appropriately paying for our time. Please remember to be kind.

It has been a minute since I’ve done a Blogging BTS post, but I’m so excited to be back. At first I
thought I would speak about this on stories- as there are some things I feel like are better explained in spoken words- but I saw two complications to this which I will get to. So instead, I saw it as a good opportunity to reignite this series.


Let’s jump in.

I recently saw a creator I really love share that she was gifted some makeup products from the brand
Flora Remedia, and shared her first impressions on her stories although there was no obligation to post.


You see, my issue with sharing this on stories would be the anonymity of this creator. I am not
sharing her name purely because this is not about her. I love her work and admire her a lot, but
don’t want her to be dragged into this. I imagine some of you may be able to guess who it is. I am
happy for her to see this. But it isn’t about having an issue with her at all and so that is why I’m
sharing on my blog where I have a significantly smaller audience. I hope those of you reading this respect my decision.


Anyways! I have purchased Flora Remedia essential oil products in the past but never their makeup. I didn’t even know they did makeup until I saw those posts.
The creator really loved the products they tried, and so I thought I would reach out to Flora
Remedia. I did my usual DM to brands that I would like to try more from: I introduce myself, tell
them how I found out about them, and ask if they would like to see my media kit before discussing further.


I contacted them on the 6th of August, and they replied back a week later, on the 13th .
They said they would love to work with me if I could ‘post’ in the same way as the creator I first saw receive their products.This is where the issues arise for me. I was being asked to produce content in exchange for free products, whereas this creator I’ve been telling you about, received them with no obligation.


The audience size between me and this creator is significant. I have a MUCH smaller account that
she does. I understand that. However, I really felt like this brand was taking advantage of me by
saying ‘sure, but…’

Especially because I know these were not the same grounds as the other creator.
And the way they mentioned ‘post’ confused me… was it just a first impressions they wanted? Could this be done on the feed or as stories? It wasn’t clear. In my reply, I did ask for this to be clarified.


But before I had even thought of any of this, I honestly thought, ‘no I can’t do that… I’m not a
professional like her.’


The creator is a makeup artist- that’s her job. I use makeup for fun and blog as a hobby. I didn’t feel right giving my audience a demonstration of products, when I was new to them myself.
The whole situation really didn’t sit right with me.


I messaged back Flora Remedia and explained my feelings. I said my content is generally still images, with a review for my audience. I explained that I understand my content style may not align with them at the moment.


They’ve left me on read ever since.


That is just another story… they could’ve liked the message, at the very least, in acknowledgment?

Since then, I’ve created content that is a bit out of my comfort zone by sharing my Reel about Thin Lizzy. The irony here is that Thin Lizzy said they would consider me for PR if I could create content like other creators who have received their products and do a ‘full face of’ style video accompanied by a picture of their face on the feed. That just isn’t what I do. And yet, I purchased that Thin Lizzy item myself and made them free advertising for it, that was out of my comfort zone. Agh. But you know why? I do this because I love it. I genuinely love that Thin Lizzy product and wanted to show you guys how good it is.


I genuinely love the new Sand and Sky Tasmanian Spring Water range and wanted to show you guys how good it was and how I was using it (see this highlight for those stories.)


However, all of these situations have made me realise, oh dang, this is why creators don’t want to
work for free. Getting product in exchange for content is not easy!!! It’s fun, yes, but it doesn’t pay the bills. Despite my not so positive interactions with Flora Remedia, I still really wanted to try their products. So, with a quick Google I was able to find quite a few discount codes for their website. There was variety of codes available, some from Mother’s Day it seems haven’t been turned off. So I used the code CLEAN30 which got me 30%.


Despite being an Australian brand, they don’t include tax in the price of the products so that
additional cost was a surprise to me when I went to check out. They do offer free shipping above
$30.


I purchased their highlight, bronze and blush cream sticks. They are all $30 each which is reasonably priced for that style of product at the moment. However, they bronzer and highlight come in a duo for $30 so that’s good bang or buck. It’s actually odd that they would do that combo for that price, and the fact that they don’t have a blush combo is odd to me. But anyways.

I also bought the BB cream. This comes is a despicable three shades, the fair I believe will be too
dark for me anyways. I really like this style of product but I am honestly annoyed at myself at giving into temptation and supporting a brand that is so un-inclusive of skin tones.


On one hand, I feel like I don’t want to provide a review on these products that I’ve purchased
because ultimately, they will still be getting free advertising out of me.


But on the other hand, I’m reminding myself WHY I do this. For the love of beauty products. That’s it, that’s why I am here. Occasional free stuff is a bonus.


Priceline *never* work with me despite the countless times I’ve supported them on IG and the
thousands of dollars I’ve spent there- but does that stop me? No. (Editor’s note: two years since writing and I still have never worked with Priceline despite having made so much content about them… cries!)


I hope this all makes sense. It was a tricky one but I’m glad to have shared it because I want to help break down the stigma of talking about the ‘behind the scenes’ of the blogging world. It’s all so hush hush- but I don’t believe it has to be!

Take care, friends xx

Catch up on previous newsletters here 

Follow along on IG @rolly.mag>>> https://www.instagram.com/rolly.mag/

Love a bargain? Me too! Find a bargain in my Discount Directory >>> https://rollymag.home.blog/rolly-mags-discount-directory/

And say hello via email >>>

hellorollymag@gmail.com