Sassy Southern Blonde

A Fashion & Lifestyle Blog by Kelsie Bynum

My Advice For Starting A Blog

My Advice For Starting A Blog“What advice do you have for someone starting a blog?”

This is the #1 question I am asked on a daily basis! It’s hard to answer thoroughly on Instagram though, so I thought the question deserved a dedicated post. Truthfully, a lot goes into launching a blog- choosing a name, deciding a niche, finding your voice in it all, etc- and the entire process is overwhelming. I won’t sugar coat it, but I don’t want to intimidate you either! I know firsthand that it hurts when no one believes in you and thinks your blog is just a “little hobby”.

–First and foremost, start a blog because you’re passionate about it, NOT because you want to make money! You will be disappointed very quickly going into this for the wrong reasons.

–Content is KING. Content controls everything! From blog posts to Instagram photos, the content you create is what attracts readers to your platform. You MUST have attention-grabbing photos! The goal is to draw people in and keep them coming back for more. Don’t slap a preset on your feed and expect thousands of followers overnight! It doesn’t work like that. Figure out the filters/presets/edits that fit your style BEST! Ex: My feed is super bright and colorful, so I edit my photos with lots of exposure and contrast! I don’t want to hop on the preset bandwagon IF it doesn’t fit my brand.

–Stay true to yourself. Build your brand on your actual style! I hate when I see influencers conform to the same thing as everyone else. Outfits that are a hit for Blogger A, might totally tank with Blogger B! Sure, the market is oversaturated, but you are capable of bringing something unique to the table!

–Don’t let comparison steal your joy. There are girls who have been doing this for years with 5k followers and girls who started 6 months ago with 50k! If you ever feel discouraged, remember WHY you started in the first place! I promise that the perfectly curated Instagram feeds of your favorite influencers are not as picturesque as they seem. You never EVER know what someone is going through, so don’t judge a book by its cover!

–Before you even launch your blog, you have to choose a name that fits your brand and decide how to build your website. I recommend a self-hosted WordPress site through Bluehost or Siteground. I have used Siteground since July 2016 and highly recommend. They have quick customer service always willing to help!

–Know your worth! In the beginning, you might have to do product exchange only collaborations. But the more you build your brand and following, the more companies will reach out! Ask for payment based on your following/audience when you are confident enough in your work and have established your voice!

–You have to HUSTLE 24/7. Creating and maintaining my blog has been the hardest, yet most rewarding thing I have ever done. Most people have no clue the work that goes on behind the scenes! And they won’t understand, especially in the beginning. I always say I have the utmost respect for wives and mamas who do this because I have no balance in my life when it comes to blogging! Definitely something I plan on changing in the future, but until then, I’m going to enjoy this season of my life where I am able to give it 110%!

–Make sure your blog is better than your social media accounts. Too many bloggers have A+ Instagram accounts but C- blogs. ALWAYS remember at the end of the day, the ONLY platform you own is your blog! Pour double the amount of time into it as you do other outlets!

 –RESEARCH. I absolutely love answering DMs from you guys, but a lot of times the answers are a simple Google search away. (Basically, Google probably helps you quicker than I do! LOL) The internet is FULL of amazing information, though! Learn about SEO optimization, how to set realistic goals, correct email formatting, best PHOTO EDITING techniques, etc!

–Speaking of photo editing, SO important!!! I mentioned this above, but it deserves to be reiterated. To me, your photos are what establish you as a brand because they are what makes a person decide to follow you, read your captions, or even put the effort in to go to your blog! Take the time to learn how to edit your photos! (I recommend Lightroom and PicMonkey!)

–Be consistent! I recommend posting to social media (Instagram) at least ONCE a day and a blog post TWICE a week! If you’re just starting out, posting one blog a week is fine, but eventually, do more because it’s all about connecting with your readers and showing up for them!

–#CommunityOVERCompetition!! Connect with other bloggers in your area, plan meet ups in real life, and brainstorm ideas to team up! This is one thing I regret not doing sooner. Sure, there are some snakes in the grass, but everyone deserves a fair shot to prove their reputation wrong!

*LASTLY* It doesn’t matter if you have all the information in the world to create a successful blog, you will STILL be overwhelmed, and that’s perfectly okay! You don’t have to accomplish everything in one day. I recommend getting some of your ducks in a row BEFORE you launch, though! ( Like, have a few blog posts up and ready to go) Ultimately, don’t get frustrated when you can’t find the answer or something goes wrong because it will! You just have to figure out the solution and KEEP GOING!

XOXO

Kels

11 Popular Blogging Questions Answered

11 Popular Blogging Questions AnsweredYou asked, and I’m answering! 🙂 I did a poll on Instagram a week ago to find out exactly what you guys wanted to know about blogging! I chose the 11 most common questions, and I’m sharing my honest responses today! I’m extra excited for y’all to read this post!

1: How do you pitch to brands/companies?

In the beginning, I waited for brands to contact me. I had no clue I could actually reach out to them! I decided to enroll in Julie Solomon’s Pitch It Perfect course, and I learned SO much useful information. The course is very straightforward and provides tips and tricks that really work! It’s an investment, but you make your money back 100% IF you actually follow the program!

When pitching to companies, I first make a list of brands/products I truly use and love. Example: My family has been doing Hello Fresh every week since January (I did it in college with my friends too), and I want to pitch to them soon! I think working with them would be a perfect collaboration because I seriously love the food!

2: How time-consuming is blogging and how do you balance it?

I truly believe what you get out of it reflects what you put into it. Especially with blogging! It’s impossible to be successful with anything if you’re just half doing it, though. Like I mentioned in my previous post about how I started blogging, I made the sacrifice to move home after graduation in December 2018 to focus my undivided attention on building Sassy Southern Blonde.

Truthfully, this blog consumes my life right now, but I don’t mind! I always have a ton of respect for influencers who are married and have families because I have no clue how they balance everything so well! Sometimes, I’ll be awake until 2 am working on a new blog post, interacting with followers on Instagram, or answering time-sensitive emails. The work never ends, but it’s a good thing. It means my platform is growing, and that’s the ultimate goal!

3: What camera do you use?

I use a Canon Rebel T6 with a 50mm f/1.8 lens for blog photos, and my iPhone 11 Pro for Instagram photos! (Hoping to invest in a better camera soon, but no idea which one?!)

4: Are you full-time blogging?

Yes I am. I have been for 8 months now!

5: How did you start collaborating with companies and who was your first sponsored post?

Similar to the first answer, I began collaborating with boutiques/brands that contacted me! Most were product exchange only until I felt confident enough with my content to start charging rates based on my audience size and engagement rate! (I think around 4k-5k?!) My first sponsored post was a boutique in my hometown. Neutrogena was my first big deal, and I still work with them to this day! 🙂

6: Is it expensive to be a blogger?

Oh gosh, it can be! Especially when you aren’t making much money in the beginning. I felt like it was an expensive hobby for a while! Lol. Luckily, most boutiques/companies will offer to send you free clothing! (If you fit their brand and vise versa) I only post what I like or chose myself, though. As far as purchasing clothes go, I buy way more than I would if I wasn’t a blogger. I try to style pieces various ways to show people that you can buy a fun top or skirt and create multiple looks depending on the occasion!

7: How long did it take to create your “Instagram style” and learn to edit photos?

This is a GREAT question. I love bright colors and fun prints! Always have, always will! I like to think my style is similar to when I launched my blog in July 2016, but it has evolved in the best way! Like, I’ll look back at photos and wonder why I styled something the way I did and how I could have improved the outfit. But it’s all just a part of learning what your style is and how to express it! I am really trying to incorporate more neutrals/casual outfits into my feed because I know that’s what most people wear! Just trying to stay true to myself, too! 🙂 And I’m still learning how to edit photos… I suck at Lightroom. Lol! I enjoy editing on my phone way better!

8: What was the hardest part of starting your blog?

People acted like my blog was a joke and didn’t take me seriously at all. Even some of my family and close friends! It really hurt my feelings, but I’m not one to dwell on the negativity (at least I try not to). It just made me even more determined to succeed! My best advice? Keep pushing forward. Remember why you started blogging in the first place! If you’re truly passionate about something, nothing will stand in your way! 🙂

9: Do you ever feel like you have to meet a certain body image standard?

This might surprise you, but no I really don’t. I also feel like I can’t answer this fairly because I have always been on the skinny side! (besides the Freshman 15, WHICH IS REAL. Legit dropped it when I graduated hahaha) But it’s 2018, women are embracing their curves and being total #bossbabes while doing it! It’s amazing!

#1 Most Asked Question- How do you gain followers/grow your following?

I could go on for DAYS about this. It probably deserves a full blog post! Lol. Every account is different, but for me, I gain followers through Instagram posts that do really well (I never know which photos will have high reach), giveaways with influencers in my niche aka fashion/lifestyle/beauty (I had a bad experience with an international giveaway, 10/10 do NOT recommend), and interacting with similar accounts (But not the exact same ones everyday). These are just the most popular strategies in my opinion!

**Would you guys want to see a full blog on this? I have way more info to share, but didn’t want the post to get too long! Let me know in the comments here or on my Instagram**

#2 Most Asked Question- How do you make an income blogging?

The main two sources of income for me are affiliate marketing (wrote an entire post about it here) through RewardStyle and partnerships/collaborations where I work with the brand or their PR company directly!

Thanks for reading! Hope you guys enjoyed! 🙂

XOXO

Kels

HOW I STARTED MY BLOG

I wanted to preface my blogging Q & A post coming soon by telling how I actually got started blogging. Sometimes I struggle with being open with you guys about my journey with blogging and life in general, but it’s not intentional! I just get so busy and sidetracked that I forget to post. As much as I love keeping everyone updated, it’s so nice to live in the moment and just be present with my friends and family! Instagram Stories aren’t as effortless as they look. Or maybe it’s just me making it complicated?! Haha.

The first blogger I ever discovered was Jamie from A Southern Lady in 2012. (or 2011?!) Someone retweeted her on Twitter, and I found her Instagram shortly after! I immediately fell in love with her southern style and fun personality! The next two bloggers I followed were Caitlin Covington (Southern Curls & Pearls) and Emily Gemma (The Sweetest Thing). I feel like I fell down a rabbit hole after them, but those girls are the ones that really made an impression! I don’t want to say I stalked them religiously, but I stalked them religiously. LOL!

For years, I dreamed of being like them and having a platform like theirs to share my own personal style. I vividly remember Caitlin publishing a post on being a full-time blogger, and I thought to myself, “Gosh, I will never be able to do that”. I never realized how much work went on behind the scenes! But ultimately, I was my own worst enemy when it came to chasing my dreams and discovering my true passion. I continued to make excuses as to why I shouldn’t start a blog instead of looking at all the reasons I should.

Fast forward to July 2016 when I finally decided to put my fears and insecurities aside, and I launched Sassy Southern Blonde! I had every intention of my blog just being a fun hobby, but after a year, I knew I was capable of SO much more with this platform. I was establishing my brand and voice and people actually wanted to hear it! In August 2017, I made the decision to go all in and really make Sassy Southern Blonde a source of inspiration for women!

To be blunt, I had absolutely NO clue what I was doing. Sometimes, I still don’t! I learn more and more about this industry every day! But I knew I would never be happy/satisfied if I didn’t give this blog a chance to become a real, possible career. During the last semester of college (Fall 2017), I dreaded graduation because I had zero clue what I wanted to do. I knew I wouldn’t land my dream job fresh off the boat, but I wanted to at least semi-enjoy the place I’d be spending my days.

I was on my way back to Starkville from a job interview in Birmingham when everything came into focus. (This was last October!!) The company had just offered me a position, but I knew in my heart that it wasn’t for me! I called my mom, and she encouraged me to give blogging a chance. She knew how hard I had been working on Sassy Southern Blonde, and the consistent growth was enough to convince both of us that it could actually take off!

Since graduation in December, I have been full-time blogging, and I am so excited about the progress I have made! I’m not going to pretend that I can fully support myself yet, but I AM SO CLOSE. I swore up and down I would NEVER move back to my hometown after college, but here I am. It was a sacrifice I had to make to be able to build this platform! But I realllly want to move by the beginning of next year, so we shall see… 🙂

XOXO

Kels

Everything You Need To Know About A Sponsored Post

From the beginning, one of my goals has always been to stay transparent with my readers! YOU are the reason my entire brand continues to see the growth I use to only dream of, and I am beyond appreciative of the support! With that being said, you also deserve to know when a post is sponsored. That basically means a brand paid me to feature their products on my website or social media platforms.

FIRST AND FOREMOST- I ONLY accept sponsored projects that I truly think will be beneficial to you guys! Sure, I’m not perfect, and I have agreed to a couple in the past that maybe didn’t fit my brand perfectly. But it was a learning experience and a promise to do better for you and me! It still blows my mind that I can be paid for using/wearing things I actually like! Blogging is my full-time job, so the sponsored posts and affiliate links are how I keep my brand afloat!

I like thinking beauty and lifestyle content are my minors, but my major/primary focus is fashion! That’s what I’m good at and what comes the most natural to me! I keep this in mind when accepting collaborations outside these topics. For example: If an ice cream company contacted me, I would first make sure it fits my brand! No, I don’t normally cover food, BUT I love anything with sugar and most of you guys know that. So I would agree to the collaboration since it’s a genuine thing I love!

Making sure the company is legitimate and has overall positive reviews is very important to me. I try the products before I post to make sure I actually believe in them! I don’t want to tell you guys I love something, and it’s my favorite thing ever if it’s not. That’s dishonest and not fair to anyone! I know you guys work hard for your money just like I do, so if you’re going to buy something through me, I want you to trust I’m being authentic.

This is seriously JUST the tip of the iceberg as far as this topic goes. I didn’t want the post to be too long, but just enough for you guys to get a basic understanding of what a sponsorship means! FYI- I always include if a blog post is sponsored at the bottom, and I also thank the brand because it means so much! Blogging is a virtual small business just like any brick and mortar store, so supporting me means continuing to make my dreams a reality! 🙂

PS: I also want to cover affiliate marketing and how amazing it is when you use my links to purchase merchandise! I think it deserves a separate post for the best explanation. IF you’re excited for this, comment below or DM me specific things you want to know!

XO

Kels

*All opinions are my own and I cannot speak for every influencer*

5 Tips For Maintaining A Successful Blog PART 2

Thank you to everyone who responded with such positive feedback about my previous post discussing 5 tips for maintaining a successful blog! I was thrilled by the messages from you guys requesting a part 2! I am the first one to admit I’m no expert when it comes to blogging, but I have learned from helpful tips and tricks along the way.

 Tip 1: Create Content Worth Sharing 

I PROMISE if you are *consistently* posting photos that flow well with your overall theme AND engaging with other accounts, you will grow. BUT YOU HAVE TO BE SHARING GREAT CONTENT. I have frequently noticed that the accounts not growing are probably missing one of these critical factors. *I know this is not the case for every single account*  Or they THINK they are producing good content… I believe it always helps to have a second and third opinion. Constructive criticism will only benefit you in the end! Before I post a picture, I ask myself, “Would you follow this account and/or like this photo if it was someone else’s?” If you are unsure, ask a friend. They’re usually willing to tell you the honest truth! (At least mine are! lol)

Tip 2: Be Passionate About Your Blog

I started my blog as a hobby in July 2016 because I wanted to find a way to inspire others through my sense of fashion! I loved styling outfits, and the idea of blogging about them seemed SO cool after following my favorite accounts for years. I realized pretty quickly that if I wasn’t 100% dedicated and passionate about my blog, it would never be successful. You have to love your blog more than the late nights when you just want to go to sleep but there are deadlines to meet and more than the exhausting photoshoots where it took 30 minutes to get 1 decent picture and you still have 4 more outfits to shoot. Your love and passion for blogging must outweigh the negative aspects! Being a fashion blogger is probably the most challenging thing I have ever done, BUT it’s also the most rewarding! At the end of the day, I still absolutely LOVE it and wouldn’t want to do anything else!

Tip 3: Be Willing To Work Hard

This point correlates really well with the one above! Like I said in the previous post, your website is the ultimate labor of love! It is also the ONLY platform you have total control over, so put in twice as much time as you put into your social media accounts. (You own your blog, not Instagram!) Remember there are a million other people doing the same thing as you. Hard work and dedication are the only things that will set you apart from the others! You have to be willing to go the extra mile!

Tip 4: Be Relatable And Approachable 

I think another crucial factor is engaging with your followers and fellow influencers! Always make time to thank someone who commented on your blog post or Instagram photo because they didn’t have to. Same goes for other influencers too!  Return the favor and comment on their photo or blog. (Sure, you can’t comment back to every single person, but make a point to try) It’s beneficial to both parties because it helps build your engagement rate and credibility in the blogger community! As far as being relatable goes, I simply mean be transparent with your followers so you can build a trusting relationship. If your readers think they can’t trust you, they probably aren’t going to continue to follow you and support your blog. (Ex: You should decline a sponsored deal with a brand if you would not normally support/don’t like!)

Tip 5: Utilize Social Media 

Although you should never put all your eggs in one basket, I truly believe Instagram is the top social media platform for bloggers regardless of the negativity surrounding the new algorithm! (Unless you have mastered Pinterest lol) I am exhausted by the constant complaints I see from people about Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, I do think that it is much harder for influencers to grow than ever before, BUT you must strategize how to overcome this obstacle. (Or delete Instagram… YEAH RIGHT… haha) Which is where Tip #1 becomes very helpful! Sidenote: You truly need to have a presence on every social media platform though, even if you only have a few followers! You never know where your audience is coming from! (Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc)

I hope this information is understandable and useful to you guys! (I know I tend to ramble and get off topic lol) All these opinions are my own, and I just wanted to share things that have continually helped me grow my blog. If I left something out that you’d like to know, feel free to comment below or message me!

XOXO

Kels