As a blogger, especially when you are just starting out, getting noticed by brands for collaborations can be a challenge…
THE STORY
…Some bloggers are happy just simply blogging. They aren’t interested in collaborations with companies, they just want to do their thang. And that is absolutely fine. But for those of us who want to earn a little side cash or receive products to review, getting noticed can be difficult.
Over the years, one excellent way that I have found to connect with brands is through Fohr Card. In essence, Fohr Card is a huge directory/data base of fashion bloggers and influencers. It is absolutely free for influencers (bloggers) to sign up, and it opens up a whole world of useful tools for you to utilize and it provides you with visibility to brands.
After you have signed up, linked your social accounts and added any brand work you’ve already done, Fohr Card automatically produces a beautifully laid out landing page for your blog information; it’s what brands will see when checking you out. It’s like a beautiful resume for your blog that requires zero work for you. The landing page continuously updates both your stats and your photos, which it pulls from you Instagram account.
For me, the two best parts of Fohr Card are the media kit and the statistics. Oftentimes brands will ask you for your media kit so that they have a quick rundown of who you are and what you have to offer. Think of your media kit as the official resume for your blog. There are plenty of programs and templates out there to make your own and I have down that. But keeping it updated is a lot of work. That’s the beauty of the Fohr Card media kit; the updating is done for you automatically and you can download it to send to brands. Here is my Fohr Card media kit.
The statistics provide you with a wealth of information. For example, the demographics of each of your social media platforms with charts/graphs, average engagement rates, growth rates, as well as an accurate and up to date follower count are included. Fohr Card also assesses your Instagram following for authenticity, which is super important to brands in light of the current disturbing trend of Instagram users buying fake followers to boost their numbers. Fake followers are nothing but a form of lying to brands, so Fohr Card gives brands (and you) a way to see if your followers are authentic.
One important note…keep your brand work up to date. You have to do that manually yourself for your collaborations to show up on Fohr Card. I slacked on that for awhile, and I’m currently working on updating it which has been super time consuming. Had I updated it as I completed each collaboration, I would have saved myself a lot of time.
THE OUTFIT
This is a pretty simple basic look. Simple and basic in that there is nothing extra going on. This is how I normally dress in the Summer; assuming I’m leaving the house that is. Trust me, my staying home outfits aren’t something you need to see.
Denim shorts are obviously a Summer staple for me. I have others, but my four pair of denim shorts in very stages of distressing and various washes, are the ones I pull out over and over again. I do try to mix up the style of tops as well as the footwear that I pair with them. This lace tank top is one of those pieces that I love because it’s easy to wear, but the lace makes it special. There’s just something about lace and denim together that I really love. I think it’s the juxtaposition of the pretty feminine lace and the toughness of the distressed denim that gets to me.
Because it was on the cooler side the day I wore this, and maybe because I’m currently obsessed with them, I chose my Birkenstock boots over sandals. The cooler temperature is also the reason behind the open weave cardigan. The open weave makes it perfect for those days when it’s cool, but not full-on cold. It’s also the perfect choice if you’re going from warm outside to chilly air conditioning inside. And when you don’t need the top layer, one of the easiest ways to add a casual cool vibe is to tie your sweater (or a button down) around your hips.
THE TIP
On Monday, I gave you a few tips for transitional dressing on those Summer days that are having an identity crisis. The footwear you choose is another way to seamlessly blend Summer and Fall. If it’s cooler outside, instead of the pants/sandals combo I wore Monday, go with shorts, but add ankle boots in place of the sandals. It’s the perfect mix of seasons.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Top: JCPenney (Similar); Sweater: Target (Similar); Shorts: Old Navy (Similar); Boots: Birkenstock via 6p.m.
