I am writing this article , not because I am frustrated , not because I have bad relationships with any PR or media companies , in actual fact it is quite the contrary.

Many bloggers ask me how and what I do to get opportunities and all I can answer is ... Be yourself , be honest, be courteous and be loyal .... Build relationships  ...do not use and abuse PR/ Media companies and most of all be THANKFUL and APPRECIATE the opportunities that land at your door.

In the same light I am going to offer up some suggestions based partially on personal experience , partially on feedback from others ... In the hope that it gives some insight and understanding from a bloggers point of view to the PR companies.

NB - I did run this by a few PR friends first to make sure I was remaining objective and on point ...

'This is fantastic. Clear and to the point, but very insightful as many of the things you mention I don’t believe PR people know.' Sonette Donker - Strategic Communications Manager

'I found your ‘Tips for PR and Media” quite insightful. Good to see what it looks like from the other side of the lens and I believe it will make everyone’s life a bit easier. Have shared it around the office' Wired Communications

  - know the blogger and her/ his blog
By doing this you will understand the ethnicity of the person , their brand , their age and their audience
**too many a  time, a blogger will receive merchandise to review that is the wrong size , the wrong skin colour , the wrong skin type,  a product they don't align with which results it the product being passed on and never reviewed.

- introduce yourself as a PR/ Media person
Too often Press Releases will land up in our inbox with no 'hello' , no introduction ... Just a Press Release
** bloggers are people not machines and normal societal politeness is required or else you will inevitably find your press release lands up in the deleted items. (I personally filter and delete more than 100 emails/day)

- yes bloggers are spoilt , but they are also abused by brands
I personally have worked with two big brands in SA,  to market and cover new releases or in-house events... but when actual media functions , promotions and/or campaigns came out, I have been blatantly excluded and to this day continue to be over looked. I have heard of this happening to many bloggers and it really does leave a bad taste in ones mouth.
** I personally blog for the joy of it , but nothing makes my heart happier than to build a relationship with a brand and I will often go out of my way to continually support the brands that support me , it really is quite offensive when you feel abused ... Would you like it?

- Sorry but NO , you will not get a review of a product if I have never tried the product
No blogger is going to breach the trust and relationship that they have built with their following by posting a review of a product that have not personally tested or tried out. If they do ... To be honest I would not trust their reviews ever again.
** we spend years nurturing , growing and building a community based on transparency and honesty and we will not misrepresent ourselves and/or mislead our followers  ... Sorry but no!

- expectations , what are they and what are the guidelines
I have worked with two companies recently, signing a contract and in both cases it has been the most fabulous experience. They were both clear and concise in what they required and they put it on paper ... No grey lines = fabulous!

**  If you are clear and explicit it leaves no room for dispute or disappointment on either parties side

 

- events
Many bloggers actually work a full time job , it is only media personnel and  stay at home mums that can attend daytime events. It would be so nice if more people would consider those of us who can only make after hours events
** what is nice however is that more and more events are being held at around 3pm making it a little easier to take the occasional few hours off in the afternoon.

- location , location , location
You have no idea how often we get invited to events in the wrong parts of the country ie. Johannesburg and we are based in Cape Town , please get to know the location of the bloggers

- interact with me on Social Media
If we interact on Social Media , we will create a buzz , engage others and stir up some excitement. This communication will be of great benefit to you and the blogger.
** I once ran a Q& A Session with a large skin care brand and a group of bloggers on skin care, we had such fun and the time went way to fast for the slot or window period we chose.

- bloggers are not editors

We often get asked to submit our 'briefs' , but we are not beauty editors , we do not work according to seasons , guidelines or requirements ...

We are whimsical writers that love a spoil and surprise. We are not used to submitting or pitching an idea and waiting to see who contributes ...

In fact ,there are more often than not two outcomes in this regard:
1. The bloggers will be too scared to offend you as brand and seem desperate as a result  they will never ask for anything for fear of offending you.

OR
2. The blogger will take total advantage and abuse the opportunity, leaving a bad taste in both of your mouths.
** just surprise them with something every now and then you'll be amazed at how great it works.


So there you have it. I personally just want to thank the brands that make my life an absolute pleasure to work with and that continue to loyally support me and work alongside me ... You guys are amazing!

Philosophia Botanica , Dermalogica , Dermaceutic , Ster Kinekor , Hills Pet Nutrition SA , Mio , Juliette Armand SA , Inoar SA , Retail Box , Style Bar SA , City Lodges , African Pride Hotels , Protea Hotels , Evolabs , Revlon SA , Avon & Justine SA ,Go Beauty , Hey Gorgeous , Tropitone , Penguin Books, Aromatic Apothecary, Shimmer Accessories, Rain , Dr Gobac , Ren Skin Care, Filorga , Bio Oil, Skin  Renewal/ Health Renewal / Body Renewal, John Frieda , Blend Box ,Love Milo, MD Lash, The Laser Beautique, Skinny Tan, Bedouin Cafe and Deli and I am sure there are more that I have missed.

THANK YOU all from the bottom of my heart , my blog and I wouldn't be what we are without you.

 

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It has been sometime since last I posted some handy hints for you on this blog , but here goes with some fab new  and hopefully useful ideas.

These tips are based on questions I get asked all the time and they are my personal opinions and views ...

How do you add images into your blog when you need it in HTML code?
I use Photbucket for this function purely because I am already familiar with the software and it also gives a variety of options , from HTML to a URL.

Where can I resize my images?
I use Photobucket which gives you the option of the size you are looking for and actually maintains the correct aspect ratio for you , in so doing it does no distort the picture in anyway :).

Where can I edit my photo's?
 I usually edit my phot's in PicMonkey , it is an easy template driven site where you can add special effects , text and correct all the basic errors in your pictures using their editing function and It's FREE!

Once you have finished editing you can choose between three sizes in which to save your image, which help to also reduce image size and file size.

Where can  I find FREE Blogger or Wordpress templates?
Here are a few of my favourites , however please note for some of the responsive and more interactive sites you will need to understand some basic code in order to insert your page names links etc. ... even I get lost sometimes and need help ...gulp!

That being said , these days you can Google just about any 'how to's' and soon figure it out ...just relax and breathe!

FOR BLOGGER
www.mybloggerthemes.com
www.allblogtools.com

FOR WORDPRESS
www.fabthemes.com
www.elegantthemes.com

If you are looking for someone to design , develop and build a blog ... obviously at a fee , I would highly recommend Chicara from www.lipglosskisses.com (this is her blog) , you can contact Chicara Joubert on any of her social media or chicara@gmail.com

Here are a few resources I have picked up along the way from other bloggers which I find to be super useful ....

SOURCE - http://www.paperlarkdesigns.com/

SOURCE - http://www.twelveskip.com/

SOURCE - http://www.blogging4jobs.com/

So there you have it folks , next I will be doing a post on my journey and lessons learnt ...till next time!

x Heather

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This is an interesting subject and really got me thinking. I hadn't thought about it much, until Heather suggested a post for Bloggers Who Bless.

I started blogging to share my thoughts, fashion ramblings and have a concrete outlet for my passion. There aren’t that many people around me who understand, or share my fashion ‘obsession’ for lack of a better word. Hence the birth of http://www.rubescloset.com my formal platform to express my thoughts and share them with like minded people.

As with everything I do, I just jumped right in and started, whether I had the knowledge or not. I was extremely green, having only read blogs; and lacking any IT knowledge- so the layout was my biggest challenge. Regardless, I started tentatively and took it one post at a time. It was such a refreshing break from writing financial proposals!

As time passed I gained some confidence and felt less intimidated by other really awesome blogs, and met various people along the way. Some amazing readers, fellow bloggers and just downright nice guys and gals. There is a ‘dark’ side to the blogging community as well - the subtle nastiness, haughtiness - the list can go on and on. I choose to focus on the positive.

So here’s what I’ve learnt:

The blogging world is filled with different kinds of people and its naive to expect it not to be, real life is peppered with good and bad people.

How you choose to deal with that will determine how you value your blog and your person by extension.

There will always be individuals who want ‘fame and fortune’ and will just want to be ‘seen’ and be fake like that. Sigh. Again, it’s no different to real life.

And just like in real life, there are those people who are in it for more personal reasons, to meet new people, to communicate with others and broaden their world.

It’s important to not compare yourself with other bloggers, each blog has its own special feel and personality- and that’s necessary in a world where everyone wants to be someone else. So celebrate your individuality and your blog because its a reflection of you.

Be true to yourself and remember your reasons for blogging and goals when you started out blogging, it may change as you progress, but that’s good too.

It’s rare to find people who are willing to help just for the sake of helping you. When you do, embrace it.

The readers will come, and there will be critics and fans- it’s all just part of the journey.

And just like the ‘outside’ world there are a bunch of gorgeous people you meet, connect with and forge new friendships. Treasure those.

Bottom line: there will be haters, there will be carers. Most importantly have faith in yourself and confidence in what you do. Your blogging journey is meant to be fun after all.

Above all, enjoy the experiences; life is too short to waste time on the niggly bits.

Ciao for now,

RuBe

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