I thought it was time to address something I feel is the elephant in the room on social media. Sponsored posts–What are they? Why do we do them? How does it affect you? With Instagram rolling out a whole new way to present sponsored posts with more transparency, there is no better time to discuss. I want anyone who follows me on any social media platform to be fully aware of my values and intentions when it comes to this specific area of my business, as nothing means more to me than the community I’ve built and how my content affects you.
Let’s start with the basics. A sponsored post or #Ad is just that, an advertisement. It means a brand has paid me to post XYZ product or service on one of my channels. You see these ads circulating all over Instagram especially, as that channel tends to be the biggest for many influencers. Ads / sponsored posts also take place on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, etc., but today I’m primarily talking about IG.
For me, the way a sponsored post comes into fruition is very simple. As you see on my Stories, brands send me lots of goodies to try (makeup, skincare products, clothing, home products, flowers, etc. etc. etc.), and I sort through them. I analyze their packaging and branding, and decide if it’s something I want to try, donate, or feature in a giveaway. Sidenote, I love giving back to you guys via giveaways, and it also helps keep clutter to a minimum in my office. I set aside products I feel would be a good fit for me, aka fulfill a need, offer a solution, or just looks like fun.
From there, if I truly love something I will share it on IG stories (something I’m not obligated to do). Usually I can gauge how interested you guys are in a certain category and from there, if a brand likes my style we link up and work together on a paid basis. I find that I’m most drawn to products like makeup, self tanners, face oils, sprays, masks (& so much more) because those are things I would be buying myself if they weren’t gifted. Meaning, it’s a natural fit.
I would hope you guys already know this about me, but I’m all about keeping this 100% real and authentic. I consider myself an everyday girl, aspiring to live my best life. I think that is something many of you can relate to, which is why I connect with so many readers. That is why it’s important for me to be completely honest and open about sponsored posts.
Sponsored posts are what pays my bills and allows me to continue blogging and sharing my life with all of you. Otherwise, I’d have to get a 9-5, which would mean a whole lot less content from me. I feel very fortunate for the opportunity to work with so many brands I admire and have been familiar with my entire life. Can you imagine how I felt working with Too Faced this summer when I used to save my money at age 13 to buy their products?! Opportunities like that make me so grateful to be doing what I’m doing.
Over the last year I’ve read & heard a few bloggers I follow express their frustrations with low engagement on sponsored posts. They explained how their following doesn’t ‘Like’ their photos if it says #sponsored or #ad, which then looks like poor ROI to a brand, which then means they probably won’t work with that blogger anymore. I get it, but if you have an engaged audience they will be able to tell when a paid post is genuine or not.
If all of a sudden I did a sponsored post for lizard food you would know I’m full of shit!
My point is, sponsored posts are part of my job. I am very selective about who I work with (I turn down opportunities quite often if they aren’t the right fit), and hope you know that anything I share is genuinely something I believe in. In the coming weeks you’ll start to see the phrase ‘Paid Partnership with [business partner]’ above Instagram images & sometimes in Stories on sponsored posts. I make a point of sharing tons of non-sponsored content, as that is my daily life and I want you to see more than a feed full of product endorsements. I love sharing my sassy side with you all towards Paul, my family, wine, the beach, my travels, etc.
I hope this sheds some light on the situation for some of you. If anyone has absolutely any questions about this, I’m happy to answer them below in the comments.
ps–this post is not sponsored.
