In case you can’t tell from the bag, I definitely meant to post this look before the holidays. It made it into my holiday gift guide and into my Instagram feed… but somehow never onto the blog. But today we’re fixing that. Because better late than never.
Which is also my excuse for getting this post up 13 hours behind schedule. Whoops.
Today, for the year’s first Blogging Basics post, I wanted to share something that is actually really important to me as a blogger: why it’s important to have a blogger bestie. I don’t mean for non-bloggers you need to have a blogger bestie (but you should because we’re awesome… and you end up getting a lot of free stuff from PR packages!), this is directed at bloggers. If you are a blogger, you need a blogger bestie.
What I’m Wearing:
Dress: ASOS / Boots: Lucchese / Bag: ASOS, old / Sunglasses: Ann Taylor
Earrings: Ann Taylor, old / Rings: BaubleBar / Nail Polish: Essie, c/o
If you’re a blogger and you live in or near a city (doesn’t even need to be a big city), chances are you’ll eventually be invited to an influencer event in your city. At which you will meet other influencers. And hopefully like at least one of them.
Since moving to Dallas nearly 5 years ago, I’ve gone to dozens (if not 100+) of such events. And I’ve met some truly awesome women.
These women have helped me grow as a blogger and as an entrepreneur. They’ve given me advice on everything from technical know-how and photography to brand pitches and work-life balance. And some of them have become really close friends of mine.
Cameron’s helped me with my SEO (and I went to her wedding!). Christina has lent me accessories to use in shoots (and I have a habit of showing up at her house at 1AM and she’s totally cool with it). She, Anna, Nita, and my new acquaintance, Brooke, all helped me out last fall by speaking on a panel with me, which I was asked to organize. Anna and Cameron (and their husbands!) and my friends Yasmina and Whitney even came to my holiday party in December.
So… Why Do You Need to Have a Blogger Bestie?
If you’re a blogger, think of the blogger bestie as your best friend from work. Albeit, it’s a bit different as we are self-employed… but it’s surprisingly similar.
Just like your best friend from a 9-5, your friendship often expands to non-work-related topics. You’ll be a part of each other’s major life events (like weddings!). If you’re both single, you might call each other to debrief after dates… or try and set one another up with your friends. You’ll discuss longterm career and life goals – whether or not you are full-time bloggers.
In terms of the professional friendship, the blogger bestie is the person to whom you go when you need advice or a second opinion when creating a campaign or sending a pitch to a brand. She will gladly take time out of her day to take photos for you, because a) she gets it and b) you’ve either done the same for her or inevitably will do the same for her. She’s the one who will fix your site for you when it randomly crashes/has an issue… or she’ll help you find somebody who can.
She’s the one to whom you turn when you’ve had a bad day and need to kvetch for a bit. Or the one you call when you have a huge win and just want to share the exciting news with someone who gets it.
Because, in all honesty, not everybody gets it.
Kind of like how non-consultants can’t always fully understand the struggles and successes (and acronyms) associated with a consulting job. Or how non-teachers don’t always understand the trials and tribulations of teaching.
To this day, the majority of my friends don’t understand the amount of work that goes into a blog behind the scenes. They see the sponsored posts and PR packages, but they don’t see the hours of work that go into creating and publishing content, exchanging emails with brands and PR companies, and writing pitches for campaigns. They don’t understand the disappointment of a low-engagement photo, or the excitement of a high page view month.
And that’s why it’s important to have a blogger bestie: to have somebody who can relate. She can empathize with your struggles and celebrate your successes, because she goes through the same ups and downs on a daily basis too.
More Info About my Weekly Giveaway
I received a few questions about the whole weekly giveaway thing I announced on Monday. Basically, each week there will be a different challenge. This week, you need to subscribe to my newsletter to enter. Another week, you may enter by following me on Pinterest or another social channel. Or by commenting on blog posts. Or by commenting and answering questions on Instagram. The world is our oyster.
You don’t need to be a new follower to enter. Longtime subscriber? Great! Simply put your email address in the widget below where it says “what is your email address?”. Note that you must use the same email address through which you are subscribed to my weekly newsletter and/or new post mailer so I can verify that you’re following me. Whether you’re a new subscriber or you’ve been here for a while, you’re welcome to subscribe to either my weekly newsletter or my new post mailer in order to enter. Or both!
You can also gain another entry after subscribing by liking one of my recent Instagram photos and tagging 3 friends in the comments. For each 3 friends you tag, you gain an extra entry! Just make sure that you subscribe before doing so, so I know that you’re doing it as a part of the giveaway.
And, finally, as these giveaways will be occurring on a weekly basis, the gifts will be on the smaller side. Funny cocktail napkins, my latest favorite hair or makeup finds, those snail masks I can’t stop raving about. Basically just a lil something to brighten your day the same way y’all brighten mine. My goal is to partner with various brands throughout the year so I can offer bigger gifts, but, for now, we’re starting small to see how y’all like it!
You can enter this week’s giveaway using the widget below. Good luck, friends! XO