Tag Archives: Blogging Tips

5 Gadgets Every Blogger Needs

October 2, 2016 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 55 Comments

computer-823613_1280

 

Blogging is one of the cheapest businesses to set off. You don’t need much really; a domain and a minimal theme and you are good to go. But there are some gadgets you would be needing if you plan on taking your blog to another level. You won’t need to spend a lot of money because you may already a few of these gadgets already.

Here are the top 5 gadgets every blogger may need:

Laptop/iPad

Having a laptop and iPad is essential to blogging for me. I do most of my blogging work on my laptop, but I use my iPad a lot when I am on the move or when I am too lazy to go on my laptop. Because I take my Laptop and iPad everywhere I go, so I can work, I like to have it protected. I use a cool custom-made skin made by the lovely people at CaseApp, and I will be telling you guys all about the fab skin in the next few days. I will also be giving away a discount code, so lookout for that post.

Back to the gadgets, I have always had a laptop and iPad so I didn’t buy them specially for blogging, but now that I blog and work from home fulltime, they have become even more useful. I would be lost without them and it would be very hard to blog without having at least 1 of them.

 

Camera

I had a point and shoot Fujifilm camera before I started blogging. So it automatically became my first blogging camera. I used it for a few months before upgrading to another Fujifilm point and shoot camera, which was a better model. I finally got a Canon DSLR about a year ago, and it is the best. I would strongly advise any blogger especially Fashion and Beauty Bloggers, to go for a DSLR straight away. The difference in the quality of pictures is gobsmaking, trust me.

 

Memory Card

If you take a lot of photos like I do, then you will be needing a memory card with a huge storage. It is better to have just 1 big memory card, than to have 3/4 memory cards with tiny storage.

 

iPhone

I finally joined the iPhone family this year, since I decided I have had enough of having a Blackberry and that was a fab decision for my blogging career. Having an iPhone means I can update my Instagram a lot quicker and it means I can take better photos on my phone. The quality of the camera on my iPhone 6s is unreal. I think it is the best mobile phone camera I have ever had. I know it sounds vain but I can take more discreet photos of my meals or anything I choose to photograph, when I am out and about.

 

Tripod, Selfie Stick & Photo Props

I blogged successfully for over 3 years without a Tripod but having one has made my life a lot easier. It is so easy to take a photo when I am alone now.

I have just bought myself a Selfie Stick and I think it is definitely another gadget worth having as a blogger.

Photo props are essentials for me because I like to make my photos pretty as much as I can. I got a mini white fluffy carpet from IKEA some months ago and I have found it very useful so far. I also have a few wall papers and tiles I use as photo props. I got them free as samples at Wilkinson and B&Q, so it is worth checking your local home stores to see what you can get.

 

What gadgets can you not live without as a blogger?

How I Stay Organised

September 27, 2016 By in Blogging Tips, Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 50 Comments

wedding-dress-picture

 

Keeping Fashion & Style Police up to date, promoting it, working with clients on various features, running a PR freelance career, and having a life, means I am always very busy. In order to get all my work done for the day, I had to teach myself to be productive and stay organised. What helped me the most to keep my productivity up was to get super organised. I can’t begin to tell you how staying organised saved my life, sanity and business.
As a self-employed person, organisation is key. It saves you time and plenty of stress. Here’s a list of how I manage to stay organised.
1.    I have an action plan
Your life becomes chaotic when you don’t exactly know what to do and when to do it. Without a clearly defined plan, you’ll take up jobs or responsibilities whenever they jump at you, and never have the time to complete them or focus on the jobs that matter.
To create your action plan, write down your goals and outline clear steps on how you plan to achieve each goal. To keep everything in perspective, I prefer to have an action plan for each quarter, and I check I am on the right path at the end of every month.
2.    I develop an efficient filing system
I like to have all I need within reach. Having a filing system made it easy for me to find what I’m looking for and spend less time searching for important stuff.
Have specific folders on your computer for your documents, contracts, invoices, emails, blog posts, etc. and label each folder accordingly. To be on the safe side back up your folders on Dropbox or Google Drive just in case anything happens to your computer or hard drive. Or you have file the important documents in the traditional way – in an actual physical folder.
3.    I keep a to-do list
The old fashion to-do list is more powerful than it looks. It helps me keep track of all the things I need to do for the day. I like to write my to-do list the night before. This helps me wake up fresh with a defined purpose in mind. And it helps me stay focused and organised, and leaves no room for procrastination because I know what needs to be done.

But don’t overdo the to-do list. Stick to at least 5-8 items a day. The key is to do the most important tasks first.
4.    I schedule posts in advance
Automation has been a life saver. I usually write my posts well in advance and schedule them. I also schedule tweets and other social media posts on Buffer. You can use Hootsuite, Buffer or Edgar to schedule social media posts. If your site is on WordPress there’s an option to schedule your posts in the section where you hit publish. As for email, MailChimp, Ontraport, ConvertKit allow you to schedule your emails to your subscribers.
5.    I have a work schedule
A work schedule will help you keep track of the appointments you have for the day and deadlines for client work. The work schedule helps me know when I have available slots to work so that I’ll know when to accept an order from a client or not. It also helps me know if I have available time when I can reschedule.

This work schedule is so handy for my PR jobs. It keeps me in the loop without having to think.
6.    I stay focused.
FOCUS – Follow One Course Until Succesful. Although the above help me stay organised, it is important to be committed to staying focused. Focus helps you follow through no matter what. So I work because I have to. I enjoy my job so it doesn’t feel like a chore but on days when I can’t be bother to work, I still work because the bills won’t pay themselves.
7.    I stay upbeat and motivated
You may be super organised and extremely focused but if you feel uninspired, it becomes really difficult to achieve your goals. Put time aside to unwind. Time away from work will keep you fresh and allow you to see things with a new perspective. To stay motivated, I read books, magazines and blogs. I also like to jogging or go for a long walk to clear my head. Chilling with Netflix also helps on some evenings.

 

Do you work for yourself? How do you stay organised?

 

How to Make Sure You Get Paid

September 24, 2016 By in Blogging Tips, Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 35 Comments

fashion-outfit-image

 

 

I have been meaning to write this post for some time now but with all the talk and confusion after the sudden shutdown of Mode Media (formerly known as Glam Media) and the soon to be shut down Passion Fruits Ads, this is the best time to talk about how to make sure you get paid as a Blogger/Freelancer. Many bloggers are being owned thousands of pounds by both companies, and they may never be paid. I was never part of both networks (thank God) but I know quite a number of bloggers affected by these sudden shutdown. and it is very frustrating to work and not be paid.

Here are some ways of making sure you get paid as a Blogger/Freelancer:

Now these tips work for me 98% of the time, the remaining 2% are those difficult clients that just like to mess you about. Sometimes we always have to deal with them.
1.    Do a quick background check on your prospective client
Engage in a friendly conversation with your prospective client to get an idea of what they are like in person. Is that person someone you’d love to work with? An attractive project with a horrible client is as bad as not having a job at all.
The best way to ensure you get paid is to avoid working with people who have a reputation of not paying. Watch out for people who have a habit of initiating a transaction only to cancel or ask to include details not mentioned before, like a do follow link or infographic.

2. Find out if the potential client has the budget to pay for the project.
If they have a website, go through it to find out if they’re genuine. You can ask fellow bloggers/freelancers in the same niche as you if they’ve worked with the client before. There’s a possibility that your client might have worked with someone in your niche. Always ask what the budget for the job is, and agree on a figure. Leave no room for assumption.
3.    Have a contract
Have a contract that spells out the terms and conditions of your service, including your terms of payment, how much your client is expected to pay and on what day, and what happens if your client fails to fulfill the terms of your contract, and how you would like to receive the payment. Having a contract ensures you have every detail in black and white.
4.    Get paid up front before you do any work
In my PR world, I always ask for full or half payment upfront if I am not comfortable with the client, or if it is a new client. In the Blogging world, payments are usually done after the job is done, but I sometimes ask for an advance payment, depending on the circumstances. This makes your client committed to the project.
5.    Send invoices promptly
If you have retainers or you have a client that hires you monthly, send invoices early or immediately after you have finished the project. That way your client will always be aware of the next payment. As an added benefit, you can offer your client an incentive when he / she pays early, like a 10% discount for early payments. That will encourage your client to pay you quickly.
6.   Chase Up Payments
When the client’s silent on the other end, follow-up. There’s a possibility that the reason why your client didn’t pay was because your client might not have seen your invoice or may have forgotten all about it due to a busy schedule. Don’t be afraid to pop an email to ask if everything’s alright or a phone call if necessary. I won’t leave an invoice pending for weeks, I will follow-up daily if I have to, to ensure it is paid. There is nothing wrong with demanding money you are owned.

7. Decline Crazy Terms

I won’t work for a client and wait for 30 days to receive payment. That is just too long. I know many freelancers accept those terms, but I won’t recommend them. Anything can happen in 30 days. You never know the true state of affairs of your client, so accepting to wait to receive payment in 30 days can be dangerous, especially in te digital world. I am more comfortable with 14 days, and that is the maximum I would accept.

 

I hope we have all learnt a thing or 2 from the sudden shutdown of Mode Media and the upcoming shutdown of Passion Fruit Ads. I hope all the parties involved reach an amicable resolution.

 

Are you affected by these shutdown? How do you make sure you get paid?

 

error: Content is protected !!