I saw this tag on Jasmine’s blog a while ago and then also saw Sophie participate in this tag as well and thought it was a fab idea. I’m super nosey and love to read these kind of posts! I hope you enjoy hearing about all about my ventures into PR, gifting and sponsored content on my blog.
The Rules:
- Link back to the post that started it all
- Acknowledge the person that tagged you in this (if anyone) and link back to their blog
- Answer the questions below
Do you remember the first brand you worked with? When, what and how was it?
My first ever opportunity was with Uncommon Goods where I got to pick some products to be gifted in a Christmas gift guide. I’d only been blogging 3 months so to have a gifting opportunity already, I was blown away! The people who contacted me were really friendly, the products came quick with no issues and it was pretty smooth going, although most of my gifted opportunities are usually pretty unproblematic anyway.
How do you get the majority of your PR opportunities?
The majority of my opportunities do come to my inbox directly. The Blogger Programme has given me a handful of gifting opportunities but a lot of the time their requirements are ridiculous. My sponsored posts 9 times out of 10 land in my inbox and come straight from brands or PR workers getting in touch with me.
Are there any brands that you work with on a regular/repeat basis? How did it happen?
If it counts, i’m part of the Soap & Glory #babesofglory programme in which I often get products sent to me from Soap & Glory which is basically a dream come true. This came about from a Tweet which I replied to. I’m also part of the Dermalogica #skinfluencer programme which is the same as the Soap & Glory programme but I was approached directly from the brand on Instagram. I get gifted products in return for coverage of the products on either my social medias or my blog. I’ve also worked with a really nice lady who represents clients from different brands a number of times and whenever I work on content from her it’s always so easy and payment is super prompt.
Who has been your favourite brand to work with and why?
This is quite a hard question because i’ve loved working with all the brands I have done purely because i’m so thankful for the opportunities. However, in terms of the nicest brand i’ve ever dealt with is the lovely Rebecca who blogs at She In The Know. She opened up a homeware store and she ever so kindly gifted me some products to feature in How To Keep Your Room Tidy as well as What’s In My Work Makeup Bag?. The lovely Lizzy who works at the PR team at Dermalogica is such a nice lady as well who I get in contact with regarding the #skinfluencer programme i’m apart of!
Who has been your least favourite brand to work with? What did they do?
At the very beginning of my blogging journey I was contacted by a company called Boutique of Molly (if I remember correctly) and they wanted to collab with me but their idea of a collab was giving me a discount to buy their products. I’ve learnt that this isn’t any kind of collab, this is a company exploiting new bloggers. You might think that getting a discount is good but think about it in terms of promotion; you’re buying something to promote and that isn’t what a collaboration is!
Has there been anything big that you’ve (perhaps reluctantly) turned down because you knew it wasn’t right for you?
I turn down a fair few brand collabs mainly because of their stupid terms “we like to build up a connection with bloggers so buy our products and you might get free products in the future”. I haven’t had that many opportunities that aren’t suitable for me and my blog but when I have, i’ve turned them down but they’ve never really been ‘big’ in terms of payment or what I get out of it.
What’s your favourite kind of PR to receive? (E.g food, beauty etc)
I’d say it’s probably skincare! I’ve received quite a lot of skincare products and I do love to try out different products on my skin! I’d love to receive makeup though, that’d be amazing.
What would be your dream brand collaboration?
I’d love to have a brand collab with Pusheen because Pusheen the cat is the cutest thing ever and i’m always buying anything I see from socks to stickers! I’d also love a collab with Vans, Urban Decay and MUA because they’re all favourite brands of mine and to work with a brand that i’m passionate about would make such amazing blog content.
And those are my PR secrets which aren’t so secret anymore! I love being nosey so if you do wanna get involved in this tag then please let me know! I won’t be tagging anyone but if this inspires you to do your own version then I can’t wait to read! Remember to go and check out Jas’ original post of it!
Don’t forget to check out my latest post; The Nomad Factory Travel Journal
Don’t forget my social media;
Wow! Thanks for such an informative post. I’ve never worked with a brand before so this was all new to me 🙂
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A collab with vans seems right up your street based on what I’ve seen on Twitter! Also, thank you so much for taking part ❤ honestly it’s so interesting to read other people’s answers!!
Jas xx | https://thoughtsfromjasmine.co.uk
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I’m so nosey so reading yours was soo fun and i knew i needed to do it!!x
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You have some lovely tips and advice here for people who haven’t yet had the opportunity with PR. I’m glad a lot of your experiences have been positive as it can be quite daunting. Thank you for sharing.
Kate x
http://www.katesbeautyhome.com
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Love this post! It’s so important to be careful of “collaborations” that are just discounts lol. Thank you for sharing, i’m sure this will be really useful for newer bloggers! xx
https://www.chloexlizabeth.com
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Great post! I feel like no one really speaks about brand collabs in detail so these tags are really insightful x
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Ooh this is such an interesting tag, I loved this blog post! I’d love to work with Soap and Glory myself! x
Ashleigh / https://ashleighwrites.co.uk
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This is such an interesting post Ellie, thanks for sharing! You are so lucky to be working with Soap & Glory, they are such an awesome brand! A collab with Pusheen and Vans would be so amazing, fingers crossed for you girl! ❤ xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
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Thanks for the mention! I loved the original post and the nosey part of me really likes seeing everyone’s answers. Ps I’m dying to become a babe of glory!! x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
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This is such a great post! I’ve gotten “collaboration opportunities” from brands that wanted me to purchase their products using a discount code as well. It’s awful that some brands try to take advantage of bloggers like that!
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I am also super nosey and I really enjoyed reading this post. Thank you! Also three months into blogging and already a PR opportunity! That’s pretty amazing ☺
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These posts are so fun to read 😛 It’s also good for people to learn and read so you know how things should go, and how they shouldn’t – for example, with what happened with “Boutique of Molly”. It’s amazing that you get to work with Soap and Glory, their products are always so great!
Amy,
https://creativenails.uk
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Oh man food PR would be the best, I’ve done restaurant reviews but I’d LOVE to receive chocolate as blogger mail! I love working with Dermalogica too, their products are incredible and their PR ladies are so nice!
Alice Xx
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I have never seen this tag before, this is such a great idea! I find it so interesting, hearing about who other bloggers are working with and their tips and tricks! Thank you for sharing Ellie! ❤️ Xxx
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This is such a fab idea for a tag! Urban decay would be the dream collaboration for me too!
Heather | x Highland Beauty
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Ahh girl this was so motivating to read! Ive yet to receive any brand collaborations, but I love reading others sponsored posts, you know they have just worked their butt off to get to that point! xx
http://zoe-ware.com
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Enjoyed reading this! So fab that are working with Soap and Glory I love their products! I agree about getting a discount off products, this isn’t a collab and I think we have all fallen for it at some point in our early blogging stages! I would love to write my own answers for this. Great post! xx
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