It’s no secret that one of the biggest goals of many a beauty blogger is to collaborate with a wide range of blossoming brands, reviewing the latest lotions & potions… am I right girls? However since launching Confetti & Curves I’ve slowly watched my own blog grow from something so tiny into what feels like a full-time job. Now although I’m not by any means an expert on PR, through my own trial & error (not to mention a wholeeee lotta reading) I’ve picked up a few valuable little tricks that has helped make my blog more appealing to a range of exciting companies. So to kick off Monday’s post, here’s a few of my top tips that just might inspire any budding beauty blogger to create a PR Friendly site that will *hopefully* help welcome some great PR opportunities.
Sitting comfy? Then let’s get started…
Contact Page
This is SUPER important, yet the vast number of blogs that don’t have a dedicated page highlighting how others can contact them is huuuuuge. Okay, you might have Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram… blah blah blah… but when a PR representative intends on approaching a blogger they prefer to do it privately & professionally.
WordPress makes it incredibly easy to include a contact form to your blog however do make sure your email address is also readable in plain text format. Some PR reps may need to email you without using the form. If you’re not happy sharing your personal email addy with the world then set up a free one just for your blog!
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About Page
Although not every one has them, I personally think an ‘About Page’ is incredibly useful – consider it a tiny intro to your online haven if you will. Although you don’t have to be overly specific, useful things to include can be your age, what country you’re living in, hobbies, interests and when & why your blog was born. It literally only needs to be a small paragraph, not your entire life story, however it helps any browsing PR reps make an instant decision as to whether or not their product are right for you.
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Social Media Accounts
From a personal perspective I find Twitter & Instagram are by far the best for driving traffic to my blog. However whatever you’re signed up to always ensure you have your Social Media links completely accessible down the side bars of your blog, or at the very least nestled in your contact page. If you’ve just signed up to a multi-tude of online hangouts & are trying to build a following it may be useful to include any social media links at the bottom of each blog post. PR reps love to see bloggers making an effort. Showing you’re keen to subtly promote yourself will certainly give you brownie points when it comes to being approached for PR opportunities.
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Content Is Key
Okay, so lets imagine you’re a PR guru for the next big brand. Your mission, should you choose to accept, *couldn’t resist that line* is to be on the lookout for great bloggers to help showcase, promote & review your products. So what would you be looking for? Does relevant regular content, eye-catching photography, user friendly layout, GREAT CONTACT PAGE *aah hmm* & active social media accounts seem about right? If so, then there’s your check list. Simples 😉
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TABs
When someone stumbles across your blog they’ll more than likely take less than 5 seconds to mentally determine whether they want to hang around or click the dreaded ‘back’ button. By having a neat little row of tabs along the top of your page PR Guru’s can easily find whatever relate-able content they may be looking for. If you’re often blogging about more than one topic (i.e beauty, fashion, lifestyle, health & well being) then by organising your posts into individual tabs, new visitors can get an immediate visual of what’s on offer than having to aimlessly plunder through a sea of old posts that’s filled with features that may not tickle their pickle.
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Utilised Space
Think of your blog as one extreeeeeemly valuable bill board for advertising space, particularly the side bars! By creating your own little side bar Widgets (or image links) you can help show case some of your most popular posts. Remember you’re highlighting valuable content for PR gurus (and readers) by promoting some of your blogs best features so make use of the free space! Widgets are super easy to create on any editing package and you’ll be well impressed by how much extra traffic they create to other posts.
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PR Badge
Not every blogger wants to be approached by budding brands however if you’re eagerly hoping to take avail of opportunities then it may be helpful to create a little PR badge to display on your blogs side wall… again another reason why that often barren space is so darn useful! I created mine on a simple editing package so it’s immediately recognisable that Confetti & Curves welcomes exciting PR propositions 😀
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Consider Your Audience
It’s always exciting when you open an email from a company proposing to work together, however before you eagerly reply with a big fat ‘YES!’ there’s a few basic questions you need to ask yourself:
1) Does the product (or collab) fit the general content of your blog?
Meaning: will your readers appreciate it?! Blogging for PR isn’t the same as posting pics from a birthday night out with the gal pals. It has to be well thought out in terms of what the goals are. You’re no longer blogging just for personal pleasure but with a mission in mind – to promote said product or brand. Sure we all love a freebie but if you’re blogging solely to clock up a cupboard full of non purchased goodies you could end up losing the respect of your readers, not to mention having a mish-mashed blog bunged with irrelevant content. Wittering on about eyelash curlers one day & must-have potato mashers the next isn’t exactly relevant now is it?! I do hope you’re nodding in agreement here *sigh* Just don’t forget to reply back with a ‘thanks but no thanks’ email. It’s courteous, it’s professional & although the opportunity may not be right for you, there could always be a next time when it will! Alternatively, if you know another blogger that just might fit the bill you could ask to relay their details instead.
2) What’s the Terms & Conditions?
Before you agree to anything ALWAYS ensure you are 100% clear on what’s expected from you & what you expect from the brand. This is often clarifying how the post will be laid out, content ideas, images, web links to be included, correspondence addresses & if in fact any products are to be returned. Also be clear about who covers the postage and what happens in the event that something arrives damaged? Who’s expected to fork out for a broken bottle of polish or cracked eye-shadow palette? The only stupid question is one you don’t ask!
3) What’s in it for you?
Remember you’re doing this to predominantly benefit someone else… if the product ain’t free then what’s your hourly rate? Might sound harsh but this is eating into YOUR valuable time so ensure you get some remuneration from it – whether that be to keep the goods, a check in the post or at the very least shared on the company’s own social media accounts to help drive traffic and new readers to your blog!
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PO Box
If (rightly so) you’re not in any way comfortable with sharing your address with a complete stranger via the internet but feel eager to participate in some promotional opportunities then it could be worth while setting up your own PO Box. However do keep in mind these don’t come cheap so you really have to utilise them as much as possible to get your money’s worth. One thing a PO Box will do is give you peace of mind with protecting your privacy. Check in with your local post office for more details on how to set up a PO Box or you can *click here* to view details & prices via Royal Mail’s website.
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Product Positivity
From time to time we all take possession of products that just don’t work or generally baffle us beyond belief. That’s okay, it’s completely normal. Letting your readers know too is also okay! However there’s a rather bold & obvious line between clear constructive criticism and brand slagging. If you don’t like a product state (diplomatically) why. It’s even better to make realistic suggestions as to what the manufacturer can do to potentially rectify your grumbles. Getting drawn into a hugeeeee rant on a Sunday afternoon over a face mask that left you feeling like you’d stared into the mouth of Vesuvius may certainly capture your readers attention spans but it could end up doing damage in other ways… particularly if you’re expecting a flood of PR invitations any time soon.
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Found this helpful? Then you just might like to feast your peepers upon a few of my other blog related hints & tips:
So You Want To Start A Beauty Blog?
My Top Tips For A Healthy Blog
My Top Five Basic Photography Tips For Beauty Blogging
Do you have any great PR tips for budding bloggers? Whatever your thoughts do let me know in the comments below! As always thanks so much for stopping by & don’t forget to say a quick hello. Wishing y’all a fabulous Monday & week ahead 🙂
Cheerio chums…
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PS: HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THE CONFETTI & CURVES GIVEAWAY YET? *CLICK HERE* TO FIND OUT HOW YOU COULD WIN AN URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE OF YOUR CHOICE!
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