The Blogger’s Guide to Building Industry Relationships [Blogger Broadcast]

It is fundamentally important to work on building relationships and connections with people in the same industry as you, whether they are colleagues or clients. I have always believed that no matter what kind of career you are in, you must carve out an enjoyable role for yourself and cultivate positive relationships with whomever you encounter. 

Especially in the close-knit industry of blogging, being a genuinely nice person with virtuous intentions will get you far.

You hold the power of your experience in the industry. You decide your fate if you approach the blogging industry with a positive mindset, grateful for all opportunities, or with limiting beliefs, jealousy or cattiness towards others. Think of this not only the way you handle a career in blogging but how you approach life in general. It is my personal recommendation to not get sucked into gossip or negative energy that others can sometimes bring to the scene. You have already won if you approach all situations with a sense of thankfulness in your position and positivity towards your future. Even better, this light energy will transfer to others and the flow of effects will be a harmonious industry of bloggers helping each other. I feel we have come such a long way in this regard already and my heart is so full with how many women I see helping other women. This is the type of helpful community we need to continue to cultivate to help each other succeed.

The fundamentals start with treating your colleagues and clients with kindness and respect. Let me explain further. 

Colleagues

This refers to your fellow bloggers or industry influencers, and those with whom you decide to maintain relationships within the sector. I am a big believer in the company you keep, so choose people you find uplifting and inspiring. You want people who are there to support you through the tough times and who will celebrate your successes with you. It is possible to become really good friends with those who, technically speaking, are your ‘colleagues’. Take it from me, I have some incredible relationships with some bloggers and YouTubers, but then I have had some less than pleasant experiences with others. Making friends within the industry is the same as making friends anywhere else, whether it be through sport, university or some other group you are part of. It really helps if you have something in common and therefore a pre-existing understanding of each other. It is always fantastic to be able to confide in someone who knows exactly what you are talking about and who discusses issues that you both have to deal with. Now that we’ve spoken about what to look for in a friend, let’s also give thought to what kind of behaviours to avoid. Signs that someone might not be a great friend, or just not the right friend for you, include jealousy if they don’t support your success; negativity; dishonesty; competitive behaviour; and gossip. Just as with any friend, you want them to avoid behaviours, which you wouldn’t want to exhibit yourself. You also want to avoid the kind of negative behaviour that will bring you down. I think sometimes you have to be a little selfish and put yourself first to ensure that you have a good friendship experience. There are so many beautiful people out there it just takes a little reflection to figure out the best influences for you.

Clients

Here, I am referring to the PR companies and brands that you work with on your blog. This is obviously a crucial aspect of your blogging experience that is closely linked to the money-making side of your career. How you treat others ultimately reflects on you, and kindness doesn’t cost a penny, so it is always important to be friendly to everyone. I don’t mean to pretend to be friendly; I mean to genuinely build a connection with everyone you work with and care about. Life is too short to be cold and rude, and I can assure you, you will have a much more positive experience by being genuine with everyone you work with. It is a much happier way to go about your business. I can tell you that from having worked with some people who are very cold and business-oriented. Building relationships with your clients will assist you in all aspects of blogging and working with brands. 

Tips for events
As a blogger, you will be invited to product launches and events around your city or even across your state. I have compiled my top tips on how to conduct yourself at events, in case you aren’t familiar or comfortable with them yet.

Hand out business cards.
If you have just met someone and you think you might like to collaborate with them in the future, then hand over your details so that this can become possible. Events are the perfect place to meet new and fun people who might like to collaborate in some way.

Network.
Sometimes, it can be scary to turn up to an event, only to find that you know absolutely no one there. The best thing to do in this situation is to approach a group and introduce yourself, if you have been invited to the same event, you must have something in common, whether it be the industry you work in or loving the products at the launch.

Be grateful.
Don’t forget to greet the hosts of the event and introduce yourself if you don’t know them already. They have likely put in the time, effort and money to contact you and set up such an event so always show you are grateful to be invited. 

Create some content.
Events usually spark inspiration in me to take photos, record something or even just Snapchat. Whatever it is, it works in your favour and helps the host company if you incorporate the event into your content. I often like to show events I have been to lately in my ‘behind the desk' series of life-updates. Otherwise, I might be vlogging that day and getting some great shots of the beautiful setup of the event.

Keep it social.
Don’t forget proper tagging on social media platforms such as Instagram. This allows you to give your followers good insight into the event and what it was all about. You can tag them in the picture and in the caption, use hashtags and even tag yourself and the location of the event. I like to challenge myself to get a snap for social media that encapsulates what the event was all about and put a unique take on it to present to my followers.

Ultimately the purpose of this post is to also highlight the importance of self-work and focus on loving yourself so that you can spread that positive energy within everything you do and to everyone you encounter along your career path. I cannot stress this enough – it's seriously important. 

Blogger Broadcast is a blog series dedicated to helping build and grow your blog, YouTube channel and social media influence. Each instalment of this series will bring a new topic, dishing the dirt on everything you have always wanted to know about becoming a successful social media influencer and addressing pain points aspiring bloggers may be experiencing. 

This series is based on my book ‘A 3 Step Guide to Turn Your Blog into a Career’ where each chapter addresses a small yet critical portion about being a blogger and when combined puts together a full picture of the industry as well as a clear path to follow for success. The included resource pack allows you to work through activities that equip you with the skills required to prepare you for your career.

You can visit Pro Blogger Career HERE, join the FB Community HERE or purchase the book HERE.