“How Did You Get That Blogging Gig?”

The question, “How did you get that blogging gig?” is one that I have been asked more times than I can count. I get multiple e-mails every month from readers, friends, friends of friends, and even complete strangers wanting to know this answer.

"How Did You Get That Blogging Gig?" // The Little Things We Do

I have been a professional (i.e. paid) blogger for two-and-a-half years now as a writer for Babble (I’ve written for their Pregnancy, Baby, Toddler, Beauty and Style columns) as well as for Disney Baby. I’m not gonna lie…it’s a pretty awesome gig. I get to be home with my daughter, while still getting to have a career that I love and I get to connect with amazing people and experience amazing opportunities because of this. It’s easy to see why people want to know what the “secret” is and how they can do it to.

Having typed up a response to this question so many times, I thought it might be easier to simply write a blog post here about it that I could direct people to and that might answer some of the questions that others of you might have already been wondering yourselves. So here’s the story about how I “got in” and what being a professional blogger actually entails.

I had been doing a lot of freelance wardrobe styling with a photographer friend of mine and over time, got to know another of her stylist friends who happened to work at Babble. Around the time I got pregnant one of the other bloggers at Babble Pregnancy had just had a baby and was planning to move on. Babble put out a call to its writers for blogger recommendations to fill her spot. My stylist friend thought of me and forwarded me her boss’ contact information.

And here’s where my naivety really shines through, because I really didn’t know even know what Babble was! I mean…I kind of did, but not really. I was newly pregnant and someone who had never been much of a “baby person” or a reader or “mommy blogs”, so it was a totally foreign world to me. I was just naive enough to not realize what a big deal it all was and e-mailed my friend’s boss to throw my name in the hat for the pregnancy blogging gig. She replied and asked for my stats – blog traffic and social media followings. I sent the information over and it was pretty clear that she wasn’t impressed, but she decided to take a chance on me. With hesitation, she offered me a “trial run” for a month to see how I did. She let me know that the monthly traffic goals I would be required to meet were pretty fierce and she wasn’t terribly confident that I would be able to keep up. Honestly, wasn’t even sure I would be able to keep up, but I didn’t tell her that. Instead, I accepted the “trial run” and assured her that I would work hard and that I knew I would meet those goals. And the rest is history.

In the beginning I struggled every single month to meet my increasing traffic goals. Every month I worried that I wouldn’t make it, but over time I found my groove and as time went on I was offered more opportunities. When Disney acquired Babble, I was invited to write for Disney Baby and I have also been asked to be apart of multiple campaigns as a brand ambassador. It’s pretty crazy. But, most of these opportunities have been a direct result of my associations with Babble and the connections I made through working there.

So, I guess the answer to the question is that  I got the gig based on connections I had made, a bit of blind luck and working like mad.

That’s the other thing that I think people should know about paid blogging gigs like mine. They are a LOT of work. I’m pretty sure most people think I spend like 5-10 hours a week blogging, but in actuality that number is much closer to 30. I’ve had many people respond with complete shock to that when I inform them. It’s a JOB. Yes, I love what I do, but it is work. It’s not like this content appears magically. I may work for Disney, the most magical company on the planet, but it still takes work to make magic.

I have traffic goals to meet every month and every month they increase, so in order to meet them, in addition to all of the posts I write, I need to promote them and spend time connecting with people on social media platforms. This is the part that might not seem like “work” to some, but I assure you that it is. Do I genuinely love connecting and interacting with readers? YES! Do I enjoy social media? YES! But, is it totally overwhelming sometimes? YES! There have been many times when I’ve felt like quitting social media and just focusing on blogging. The problem is that I can’t have one without the other. Social media is a necessity to get your work out there; it just is.

Also, working from home is freaking hard. It’s amazing that I get to be with Fern all the time, but it’s also super challenging. I wrote a post about some misconceptions that surround work-at-home parents and what it’s really like if you want to check it out.

As Fern has gotten older it’s harder to work when she’s around, so I limit my work to her sleeping hours, which means I’m up before the sun at 6:00 AM to blog for two to three hours before she wakes up between 8:00 and 9:00. Then I blog while she’s napping for about two hours. Then I often blog in the evening for one to two hours after she is in bed. If you add it up I am working anywhere from 4-7 hours every day. Granted things take longer when you’re at home and distracted by household chores and such, but it’s definitely not just a quick hour a day like some people assume.

A final question that I am often asked is, “How can I become a contributor for Babble?” and honestly I don’t have a great suggestion for you. I’m not really sure how Babble puts out openings to the general public. Occasionally they have asked their writers for recommendations, but not recently and the competition is definitely that: competitive. I’ve recommended a few friends before, but the list of recommends is long and they have a ton on file.

My best advice to you is to continue building your blogging skills. Find your voice and your niche and BE AUTHENTIC. I think that’s the thing that has helped me…I didn’t set out to become a professional blogger and I think that in itself helped me to maintain my authenticity a bit more easily. There is nothing wrong with knowing that you would like to make money at blogging in the future, but I think sometimes that can come across in your writing as striving and make your content less enjoyable to your readers, so try to find a balance. Don’t just write things based on the page views they will receive – share the things you love and the things that make you excited and that will shine through.

Also, social media…get out there and connect. I know that’s not rocket science, but it really does make a big difference in how you will be perceived by brands and by bigger blogging platforms like Babble. Social media is how you get your content out there, so if you have zero following, it’s going to be harder to get people to see what you’re doing. It’s a necessary evil, so put in the time. Sometimes it might just feel like another thing to do, but I assure you it is valuable and worth the effort.

So there you have it. Hopefully that was at least moderately helpful!

 

Love and blogging,

Lauren

Comments

  1. Loved reading this – every bit of it! (I get these emails too. I’ll just link to your post from now on).

  2. Wow, I really admire your candor. Seems like a lot of times bloggers who manage to make money off their blogs act like the wizard of oz- “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” I’m really impressed that you were willing to share.

    • Thank you Laura. I’ve always been willing to share with people who e-mail me, but I figured why not just put the information out to the masses? 🙂 Thanks for reading.

  3. Lauren, what an interesting post! I have been blogging for yearsss but never thought I would get paid for it. Honestly, I was afraid of losing my authenticity. I write for me…and if other people read/benefit form it, then that’s great too. But lately our family has ben struggling financially and I’ve been trying to figure out what I can do to make some money but still stay at home with my babies. I love writing and am starting to think maybe I can really do this…maybe I can make money doing something I love. But then I struggle with insecurity and have always shied away from fierce competition.
    AAAANYWAY…thanks for sharing this. Very eye-opening.

    • Kristel,

      I know what you mean. It’s definitely hard. Not gonna lie, sometimes I feel a little like a sellout…and if you turn pro, there are definitely going to be people who talk about you as such (I’ve read such things about myself). The thing is, this is MY blog and MY life and I am free to do with it as I wish. I am creating content here and putting in the effort, so why not get paid for said content? There’s no shame in doing what is best for you and your family. At the end of the day though, I really try hard to maintain my authenticity and I hope it shines through. You do what works for you mama. All of the big time bloggers you know were small time at one point. Don’t be intimidated…we’re all just people…faking it ’til we make it :).

      • I loved this. Your posts are helpful and your comments are so down to earth and “human” (if you know what I mean). Some bloggers who’s made it can tend to come across a tad condescending, but you have a sincerity to your voice that I love.

        As a newbie blogger myself it can be a tad intimidating to post a comment on experienced blogger’s sites, but it’s always nice to hear a friendly voice. xx

  4. Everything that you have said here is so true. There really Is no full proof method for picking up great blogging gigs. In my experience, it is mostly down to forming connections and, well……. blind luck.

  5. Freelance mom to freelance mom — all I want to know is how you get your kid to sleep that late every day! Hahaha my daugther USED to sleep till 8-ish . . . and now it’s like 6:30 . . . yup. So, now I get up at like 5, and it’s wearing on me. That’s what gets to me the most with working from home + writing. I work around the same number of hours that you do through my various gigs, and I have had to get increasingly creative to find that time. Grr.

    • Ashley – How old is your daughter? Fern used to sleep in until 9 or 10, but those days are gone. I think I lucked out in the fact that she’s pretty self-entertained. Since she’s always been on a floor bed she’s always had the freedom to get up and play in the mornings. Sometimes she’s awake for an hour before she decides she wants to leave her room. It’s kind of awesome.

  6. Desiree Ray says:

    Very good info. Thanks for sharing. There seems to be so many bloggers and many who share the same things, so I was curious about blogging and created a board called, “for bloggers” where I pin stuff like this. I’m thankful for your article here cause I’m not sure I want to put in that kind of time yet BUT all too often I find myself putting that much time on Pinterest, cause I only found it a month or two ago and love it, so maybe I should make money at it. ..lol Anyway, thanks for your pins. Des Ray

  7. Fantastic blog! Do you have any tips and hints for aspiring writers?
    I’m hoping to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
    Would you advise starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely overwhelmed ..
    Any suggestions? Thanks!

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