Blogging Q & A

Look details: Striped t-shirt here (40% off right now!)| Green vest here | Black, distressed shorts here (30% off!) | Boots here, less expensive version here | Sunglasses here | Necklace here

Over the last few months, I have received so many sweet messages asking about how I started blogging and what tips I have to share with those who are interested in starting. I began to save these questions and today I am sharing what I have learned so far, but I must say that I do not consider myself an expert by any means! Most of what I have learned has been through trial and error- kinda just learning as I go! *Warning: this is a long post ya’ll- I tried to include as much information as I could!

How did you start blogging? Is this your full-time job?

Many of you may not know this, but I have a Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree and work in healthcare as a nurse practitioner. Once I finished school and started working, I realized that I had a lot of downtime and missed being “creative.” My full-time job in healthcare included working 4 days per week and on my days off, I was spending time trying to decorate our new home (literally living at Home Goods haha!), finding new items for my wardrobe, or whipping up a new recipe for hubs to try! Friends started reaching out asking for advice with shopping and decorating- literally, I had friends Facetime me all the time when they were shopping asking for help!

I obviously followed a few bloggers and loved the content they were creating. I started thinking that I could possibly start doing something like that on the side- create a space for my friends where they could shop all my clothing and home finds! I started doing a little research into blogging and quickly realized it was so much more than throwing up some cute photos on Instagram! For about a month, I spent my free time looking into exactly what it would take to start- I compared cameras/website hosts/blog names/website themes/etc…the list really went on and on!

After buying a camera (I went with the Canon EOS Rebel T6) and creating a website on Squarespace, I started shooting content. I uploaded a few different posts and then decided I was ready to share with everyone! And oh my goodness was I nervous! I started posting to a new Instagram account and crossed my fingers people would like it!

I officially launched my website in late October 2017 and it has been so amazing watching it grow! After a few months, the blog started taking up more of my free time- I literally would spend every day off shooting content, answering emails, editing photos, and writing blog posts. I decided to drop from full-time to part-time at my healthcare job. That allowed me a little free time to actually have a life and spend downtime with family and friends!

I recently left my healthcare job, but should be starting with a new company soon. *This is why many of you may have felt like you were seeing more of me on stories during the last few weeks* It is my goal to continue working in healthcare part-time and devote the rest of my time to Lately with Lex.

What books or sites have you used to help with blogging?

I haven’t used any books, but I did start listening to Julie Solomon’s ‘The Influencer Podcast.’ She provides excellent information, especially for those who are just starting out in the blogging field. I have a background in healthcare (I know all you can about anatomy, physiology, physical exams, presciption medications), but I felt lost when it came to marketing and pitching myself! Her podcast definitely helped me, but I have also learned a lot from fellow bloggers! Let’s not forget about Google too- you can find a wealth of information about blogging there!

How do you grow your Instagram and blog? How do you retain followers?

For those of you that have asked how I have grown, let me tell you- it has been a slow, but steady, process. I started with nothing and it has taken a lot of work to see results. For the first 6 months, I was spending approximately 4-5 hours on Instagram daily. Seriously, it was insane. I would be on my phone during my one hour lunch break and then come home and get back on from 7-10/11 at night. I would mainly engage with other accounts (like/comment) in the hopes they would come back and follow me. I have never tried the follow/unfollow method (I think that is mean), have never been a part of “pods” (seems like too much work personally and not very authentic), and I have never bought followers.

I have seen the most growth by posting consistently (daily, sometimes twice per day!) and being present on social media. I also have grown by having giveaways/shoutouts with other bloggers! Ultimately, I wish I knew the “secret” to growing, but I think it is just different for everyone!

As far as retaining followers, I think that being authentic is most important. Who you see in my stories is exactly who I am in real life- I am silly, wear a baseball hat at least 2-3Xs per week because my hair is dirty, and currently talk with a slight lisp due to Invisalign. I don’t think followers want perfect; they want someone who is relatable!

The other thing I want to stress is that I know the comparison game is tough- believe me, I know. Comparing yourself to girls that may have started the same time as you or watching girls grow exponentially can certainly bring you down a bit. My advice- don’t worry! Social media is nothing to stress out about- stay true to yourself, be kind, and don’t get so wrapped up in this!

What is your favorite blog topic?

Oh gosh- I like talking about everything! I think I really enjoyed my recent splurge versus save post about fall shoes! I had fun looking for identical items at different price points and I felt like you all seemed to like the post too!

I hope to get into more personal posts soon, but I am unsure if that is something my followers would enjoy. Mainly just talking about things I have struggled with (like anxiety) and sharing my experiences!

Do your get paid? How do you get paid?

There is really no straight answer to this question because it all just depends on a few factors. Recently, one of my close friends asked me if bloggers make $1,000 per 10,000 followers they have on Instagram for one post- I was like “WHAT?! Um, no way!” That has definitely NOT been the case with me whatsoever, so if someone is doing this then I definitely need to figure out their secret haha!

Currently, there are two main ways that bloggers/influencers can monetize their blog- brand partnerships and affiliate links:

Brand Partnerships

Many brands are now seeing how lucrative working with a blogger can be, especially if that person has a very engaged following. Typically, when bloggers work with a brand, they will be given a customized link/promo code to share with their followers. This code is how the brand will track the blogger’s sales/how many new customers the blogger brought to the brand. For instance, when I place a swipe up link in my stories,  I sometimes may be using a specific link that is tracking analytics for the brand I am working with. This is why- if you end up actually buying the product- that it is so important to use my links (and other blogger’s!). Say you swipe up and see the product, but you are busy or don’t like buying on your phone (I get it, I used to be like that too!). Maybe you screenshot the item, go home, and then search for that item on your home computer. Guess what? I wouldn’t get credit for that sale. The brand wouldn’t know that I helped with the sale and possibly may not want to work with me again- especially if my sales were low. 

This is very similar with discount/promo codes that I give you all too! These codes are another way that brands can track my sales which ultimately determines if they want to work with me again.

Ultimately, I feel like you (my followers!) have all the power here- if you all do not respond well to a brand that I work with and do not utilize the links/promo codes I provide, that particular brand will likely not work with me again (which I totally get!). That is why I am so appreciative of your continued engagement with me! I also love when you all message me for particular links- thank you thank you!

Affiliate Links

These are the links that I give you all to shop my products- if you end up buying that product from that exact link, I receive a very small comission. However, like I mentioned before, if you save the item (maybe you screenshot it or write it down) and then google the product later to buy, I will not receive any comission on that purchase because my exact link wasn’t used (I totally used to do this before I started blogging). So, thank you again to each of you that has asked for a particular link- you guys are the best!

For those of you asking how much I make doing this, let’s just say I am not quitting my job in healthcare anytime soon. I have good weeks and bad weeks as far as income from blogging, so until it becomes something more consistent, I will definitely be continuing to work.

How Did You Get on Reward Style?

After I had been blogging for about 2-3 months, I applied as an influencer and was accepted! It can be tempting to apply for Reward Style as a brand new blogger, but they really are looking for people who have a little more “blog-time” under their belt. My advice- just wait a few months before you apply!

What were your first collaborations?

My first collaborations were mainly with online and local boutiques (and still are!). My blog is mainly fashion, so it makes sense to partner with boutiques who carry pieces that I love! 

I receive many e-mails on a daily basis about collaborations, but I am extremely picky. I only work with brands that I am genuinely interested in and actually end up turning down about 85-90% of the requests I get. 

As a “micro-influencer,” I have not had any massive collaborations, but I hope that as I continue to grow more doors will open!

How do you reach out to companies? How do you get brands to collaborate?

Brands will either reach out to me directly via e-mail or if I am really interested in a brand, I will reach out to them directly. At first, I would get really nervous about pitching myself to a brand, but if I never hear back/they say no, it’s not the end of the world. Maybe the timing is off or I’m not their ideal choice- and hey, that’s okay. There are plenty of brands out there; it’s just a matter of finding the right fit!

What filters do you use?

I use Lightroom to edit my photos and have the VSCO presets built in. I tend to use the filter A6 and then tweak the lighting, contrast, etc to get exactly what I want. 

Well, alrighty then…..

Anyways, if you have made it this far- congratulations! I know this one was a long one, but I wanted to be as thorough as I could be! I hope this provided some insight into what it is like to be a blogger and hopefully I answered your questions. Please don’t hesistate to reach out if I missed your question! As always, thank you for reading and sharing! -A