Hi! Kel here.
Welcome to Life at Gray Gables!
I am building the life of my dreams.
I am a Wife, a Mom, a Writer, a Dreamer, and an Artist for my soul.
Come on in and let's create the life we deserve!
In some areas of my life, I have had to grow up fast or learn quick. (learning was not my strong suite)
I always tried to help others, even when I just couldn't. I tried so hard to fix some in my life, or change them. Then this thing called hindsight would hit me and I would realize that that just wasn't right. I had this voice, this inner knowing that was getting louder and louder, until I finally had to take a step back.
I grew into someone who started to think about the big picture when everyone around me was still just living...day to day...without that same ambitions.
I strongly recommend my eBook, The Social Media Manager Kit by Kel (w/ bonus) in order to get you started. It will include templates for emailing potential clients or those you landed a completed job with, it will allow you to focus and challenge you to keep moving forward.
This life, working at home, being financial free and with my family, is something that I used to dream about.
If you’re working with brands (or hoping to), at some point you’ll
write a sponsored post. But how do you make a blog post about a brand
not one big buzzword-filled snoozefest?
Well, keep it true to your style and
voice for starters.
You’ll not only make the brand happy; your readers
won’t hit the back button either.
These five tips will give you a fresh twist for your next sponsored
post.
Plus, check out the examples from bloggers who know how to write
for brands in a way that’s both authentic and informative.
Just Be Real… Even if that means at Your Own Expense
You don’t have to sound like you’re spouting marketing-babble when
you write a sponsored post.
Brands want to see you being you so keep it
real, even if that means showing a less-than-perfect day or poking a
little fun at yourself.
Shining Example: Anne from AnneHogan.net did a great sponsored post for Kohl’s Wink of Pink Giveaway.
Is pink her favorite color? Not at all. But she took on the challenge
of working in pink clothes into her wardrobe, which makes a believer out
of any pink skeptic. Not only that, Anne wasn’t afraid to poke a little
fun at herself.
Every time I see this picture, I crack up. That would TOTALLY be me.
It all starts with a Compelling Headline
If you want to bore someone into never
clicking on your blog post, then start off with a really boring blog
post title.
Who wants to click the link that says “NEW POST: Free React
Mobile App”? Zzzzzzz.
Instead, create a snazzy headline that makes
readers curious. The only caveat? You MUST follow-through with an
awesome post!
Now THAT’s a post I want to read. She doesn’t disappoint, using her college mishap to explain why this app is such a good idea.
Add a Dash of Video
Do you like creating videos?
Well, no one says your sponsored post
has to just be written words. Adding video to your posts helps readers
really get a sense of the product being talked about (not to mention,
get to “know” you a little better by seeing more than a little headshot
in your sidebar.)
Shining Example: Fadra from All Thing’s Fadra is always the first person who comes to mind when I think of great sponsored posts with videos. Her post for Kia about Life in a Small Car takes
a humorous look of a luxury chick trying out the Kia Forte LX. She
saves some of the car’s features for the text, but in the video she
shows herself using the car for a little trip to a blogger meetup. She
takes the car for a spin, drops cookies, and her camera falls. While the
latter two might not relate to the car, the video is memorable and fun…
just what Kia wants.
Give Readers a Benefit that Clicks
A rookie marketing mistake is to only talk about a product’s
features. Typically, benefits are what seals the deal in a consumer’s
mind. Using __ product will make me ___. So, when writing about a
brand’s product or service, consider your audience. How can that “thing”
make them healthier? Improve their life? Simplify their day? Solve a
problem?
Shining Example: Anna from My Life and Kids didn’t just create a green smoothie recipe
to promote Silk Coconutmilk. She tapped into a feeling most parents
have: feeling tired. Her solution is an energizing smoothie for tired
parents all over. (Must try this!)
With three little kids, a growing business and an endless
pile of laundry – I don’t have time to be tired. No – seriously. I
don’t have time to spend my afternoons yawning or unfocused. I don’t
have time to spend my mornings in a foggy, half-awake state while I try
to get one kid on the bus, another kid dressed for preschool and keep
another kid from playing in the toilet.
Be Relate-able
Brands work with bloggers because they’re “just like you and me.” A
brand talking about their own product, service, or cause is one thing,
but hearing it from someone we can already relate to? That’s even more
convincing. When you start off a sponsored post with something everyone
can relate to (like nostalgia), you get your audience nodding their
head… and reading your content.
Shining Example: Roo from Neon Fresh knows how to pull readers in with a relate-able, humorous style. And her sponsored post about eBay’s Curate a Collection for a Cause
is no different. She gets you all nostalgic for the 90s (even as a
child of the 80s, I can still relate to playing Oregon Trail, yo), which
is the perfect set up to talking about eBay, isn’t it? She makes me
WANT to put together a curate a collection…maybe one in which I curate
bits and pieces of the 80s (Rainbow Brite anyone?).
If you found this post interesting, I bet you’ll love checking out my other most popular posts:
I strongly recommend my eBook, The Social Media Manager Kit by Kel (w/ bonus) in order to get you started. It will include templates for emailing potential clients or those you landed a completed job with, it will allow you to focus and challenge you to keep moving forward.
This life, working at home, being financial free and with my family, is something that I used to dream about.
Here is my most popular eBook! 
I strongly recommend my eBook, The Social Media Manager Kit by Kel (w/ bonus) in order to get you started. It will include templates for emailing potential clients or those you landed a completed job with, it will allow you to focus and challenge you to keep moving forward. 
