If you're anything like me, you may have noticed a bit of a dip in opportunities and campaigns around the first quarter of the year. Remember, we all have those time when it seems like we will never be accepted to any campaigns ever again. Well, remember all the times last year when you felt the same exact way? It’s just the ebb and flow of being an independent contractor, and having to follow along with brands’ timelines, budgets and marketing schedules.
The good news is that Spring is nearly upon us, and no matter what topic(s) you blog about, most every brand and company does advertise a lot for Spring. It's a time that makes most people happy and it will be here before we know it. Until then, I have a few ideas of what to do to keep your spirits up and your workflow productive during Jan, Feb, and March. As I look back at my archive of projects from 2017, it looks like April was a very busy month for me, then July, September, October, and lastly, December. This means, once the end of March and April are here, you might want to be prepared before hand!
Travel or take “Photography field trips” to gain photos and inspirations for upcoming non sponsored posts.
Keep applying for more projects. While it can definitely feel hopeless to be applying for projects while you’re not actually being accepted to any, it may just take 1-2 months to even hear back about these jobs. So, here’s to planning for the future!
Take time to organize technology, clear off old pics on phone, delete masses of junk emails, unsubscribe from emails,
Breathe! Take time to spend more hours with those around you, they’ll love not seeing your face in a phone or computer screen.
Learn a new skill, whether it’s a quick process or something more complex, learn a new skill to improve your brand or yourself! Readers are attracted to talented and u inquest people, so this could help increase traffic in the long run.
Try something different! If you’re always shooting or creating posts in very similar ways for your branded content, then see how many ways you can branch out in aesthetic and work flow on a few non sponsored posts.
Look into new Influencer marketing agencies. They’re piping up nearly every day, so begin to com through other bloggers’ posts to see their disclosure notices and blog sidebars to see who they’re representing.
Reach out to past brand representative with a little thank you note! Especially during slower times, people have more time to actually read a sentiment and process it better, thus hopefully keeping you in mind for future projects down the line.
Shoot stock images for your upcoming posts or social promotions.
Refresh and organize your blog. Look to make sure that if you had any missing or incorrect links that you update them.
Create gift guides and roundup posts of your favorite Spring items, early summer ideas, and more. What activities do yo enjoy doing more in the Spring and Summer that you'd love to share with the world? You're an expert on lots of things you do in your daily life, so feel free to hone in on those topics and get creative with how you incorporate them into a blog post.
Make art! Most of us bloggers have some sort of art background, probably due a tiny bit to that fact that if you’re in your late 20s and beyond, blogging wasn’t around when we were in high school and early college years. Well that may not be why, but I’m assuming lots of bloggers are good at lots of different things, so while I’m not suggesting that you have to go and start creating art to sell on ETSY or at markets, because that’s a WHOLE other career path, it’s fun to get out the traditional art mediums and create again, and share those images around your blog and social channels. Tell readers how this past set of artist skills got lead you to where you are today! Things like painting, drawing, wood working, jewelry making, ceramics, print making, etc. I also mention this because I’ve been following g more and more artists/creators on social media and realize they get an overwhelming response (aka likes and comments), and I know it’s because viewers can’t help but appreciate those talents! Cherish and foster growth this way too!
Try to make sure your blog is sending the right message. I recently read an article about what brands should look for in their influencers. One key point was that they should look for influencers who are not just going to promote them once and move on, just to make a quick buck. While I know that most brands don’t hire bloggers more than once, it’s important as bloggers, that we are building lasting relationships with brands and our followers. It’s important to let our readers know that we truly do believe in these products/brands, rather than posting about things we don’t agree with.
Update your bio and headshot, and update anything else about your brand that may need a bit of a refresher!
That’s all for now! I created this list while I was in florida, and it was one of the first trips that I actually took down time to relax a bit rather than stressing about a bit of a down time in terms of work. Thanks for taking time to read through my ideas, and I wish you all a super successful year!
The sand at the dog beach in FL was covered in happy dog prints! I just loved this place :) while I’m definitely ready to get back into the swing of things now that Spring is almost here, it was super fun just enjoying a little break some of the time we were traveling.
