ask tosin | AFRICANISM COSMOPOLITAN

QUICK TIPS FOR THE BUSY GIRL TO A TIDY ROOM

Posted on June 3, 2016 7 Comments

ROADTRIP-3 If you are like me, then this post is for you. I have a fairly busy schedule and it doesn’t encourage a tidy environment. Most people think being an entrepreneur means you can do what you want, how you want…….but that’s far from the truth. Working for yourself means being at your clients disposal.

I consider myself a creative, and most creative people have selective OCD when it comes to space organisation. I have a lot of stuff; From work equipments to clothing to sentimental items. I often tease myself on how I’d need a trailer truck to move my belongings whenever I need to move out.

5 MISTAKES I MADE AS A NEW BLOGGER

Posted on May 31, 2016 18 Comments

When I first started blogging I was so naive yet enthusiastic. I truly did not know people living in Nigeria could make a living out of blogging. I didn’t read tabloids so I was clueless about the ‘million Naira” Blog ADs or what not. However, I knew you could become very popular with blogging, and money chases […]

HOW I GET MY HAIR INTO A HIGH PUFF/BUN: TUTORIAL

Posted on May 20, 2016 6 Comments

Hello, Yes! I finally filmed the video of my bun *covers face*, This is an instructional video for ladies with natural hair who would like a neat high bun. After filming this video I realised I lost some footage thanks to carelessness, and was rather upset but thankfully I found some and it was all I […]

LAUNCHING YOUR BRAND: POINTS TO CONSIDER

Posted on April 28, 2016 2 Comments

How to train your puppy-2.jpg Hello!

This video is a continuation on my business series for SME’s. In the past I’ve covered

BRANDING 101 FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Posted on April 8, 2016 10 Comments

Hello,

I made this video since its one of my most requested videos. I love making business videos as it comes naturally to me. This video talks about branding efforts & useful tips for entrepreneurs.

TIPS: HOW TO BE AN AWESOME FRIEND!

Posted on March 15, 2016 Leave a Comment

Hello! Here is a video I made over the weekend, It was inspired by @Ifedayoesq on twitter. We had a conversation on friendships and he suggested I made a video out of it. This video was such a struggle to film because of electricity issues and background noise, but I finally got it done and […]

7 USEFUL GADGETS FOR BLOGGERS

Posted on February 5, 2016 18 Comments

Hello!

Remember I started a blog series where I share useful tips and information for fellow bloggers. Check my previous posts HERE. Today, I’d be discussing gadgets and devices that have made my blogging life easier. All are affordable and I’ve added direct links for purchase.

1. Chromecast: This acts like a transmitter from your laptop to other screens. A traditional form of this is an HDMI cable. I bought this from Currys but hardly use it since I’m in Nigeria, however it’s so useful when I’m abroad with efficient and cheaper internet services. It’s very handy if you spend lots of time streaming videos and working online. BUY THE NEWER MODEL <a style="color: #000000;"

HOW TO WATERMARK YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEOS

Posted on January 7, 2016 1 Comment

Hello, I looked online and there were not many videos on how to put a transparent photo watermark at the base of all your videos. Here’s what I mean below. Notice there’s a little photo of me at the base of the video. This runs across all your content and you can choose the start […]

WHAT I DO TO NEGATIVE COMMENTS

Posted on October 9, 2015 7 Comments

Hello! Remember I said I would be sharing posts to help fellow bloggers, under my ‘Ask Tosin‘ segment, well this post is part of it. Read the previous topics HERE if you missed them! Today’s topic is one bloggers rarely address, We all like to create the impression that everyone likes our blog and every […]

BRANDS & YOUR BLOG: PART TWO (REWARD)

Posted on May 21, 2015 5 Comments

Hello!

So this post ought to have been published a while ago, but for some odd reason, it wasn’t. Apologies…

First, let me say thank you to all the amazing new subscribers I have, you all are awesome. The last post on this topic brought awesome exposure and I’m grateful for this. In fact the kind of mails I’ve been receiving from brands ever since then has been bringing smiles to my face. Very detailed, polite and ‘rewarding’ if you know what I mean…..

Incase you missed that post, ensure you read HERE! it’s a good one.

Speaking of rewards, I’m going to be discussing that today, basically talking on remuneration. (A.K.A Payment or compensation either in cash or kind) but before I go to the heart of the matter i.e what you should charge or accept I’d like to clarify a few things with you as a blogger. I’d discuss them in bullet points to foster ease of read.

KNOW YOUR BLOG: Now, I say this because many bloggers are starry-eyed and want to get paid substantially. The truth is only a novice company will dole out great compensation to a blog with little/no audience for their target market. Before we begin to call figures and charge brands ask yourself this “how great, effective or compelling is my blog”. e.g in my case, Will someone read Tosin’s blog and purchase that bag embedded in that link. Or is the quality of my blog great enough for a brand of that repute? These are honest questions you should ask yourself. It’s important we know the actual influence we have. Not just by the number of comments or Instagram followers, but how you can successfully direct traffic or create awareness to an approaching brand.
BE REASONABLE: This is just a continuation of the above but its country specific. No matter how truly awesome your blog is, remember we are in Nigeria. Regardless of what statistics says about internet penetration or the impact of social media, understand that ‘bloggers, brands & remuneration” is still a growing tool. Majority of Nigerians are TV watchers or newspaper readers, hence a Large organisation’s first form or advert is via those means. Implying that smaller organisations (SME’s) are your major clientele and in most cases meaning smaller marketing budget. So in your compensation evaluation, acknowledge that these organisations would really want the value for every Kobo spent. Hence, heavier weight bloggers like Linda Ikeji may be considered prior to you.
PUT IN THE WORK: Any brand coming to you with the intention of working with you on any form expects utmost quality. For example, I own a beauty brand (@ekomakeup) and if I send you a product for review, I don’t want shabby pictures taken with a cell phone or a post filled with typos. I’d require the blogger to represent my brand well. So also with these other companies either great or small. As a blogger, try to ensure your work is relatable and of good quality. Doing company A well would attract company B, it’s a cycle. Furthermore, by the time you have 10-20 companies in which you’ve worked with on your blog/website/social media you can call this a ‘portfolio’ where you can use as a yardstick for attracting more brands.

Now that I’ve discussed these three I’d like to answer the almighty question of “how much should I charge for posts/reviews/ads”.

The answer is hidden in the above points. meaning it’s totally up to you and your work. There is no fixed fee or stencil rate in which all fashion or food bloggers should adopt. The proof is in the pudding.

Personally, I don’t always seek cash compensations. I’m pro partnerships and lasting offers. Money will finish except when extremely substantial and even as at that…….

Some company prefer to send products worth a specific amount while some rather just pay you cash. For instance when it comes to product reviews you ‘may” decide to do it for free if the product is worth a lot. e.g Gadgets/Luxurious Hair/or shopping vouchers, still the choice depends on you.

However, this doesn’t mean I do not accept or have not received cash compensation. In fact most of my sponsored posts/reviews were paid for.

These are a few clauses I consider when considering ‘compensation’ :

Is this company selling a product/service? How can I benefit, how can my readers benefit?
Am I simply creating awareness for an event or is it for a charitable cause?
Is it a one-off/long-term collaboration? e.g Product reviews Versus affiliate programmes.
What is the size of this brand? e.g Are they a known gadget manufacturing company or Becky who makes beads. This would certainly influence pricing or compensation agreements.
How will my blog add value to their brand. i.e. do I represent the face of a product, am I only creating more awareness, is my integrity or reputation needed in this collaboration? or am I a product of a generic search of Nigerian bloggers?…….
How much work am I actually doing? is it a long/short write-up? a tweet? an Instagram post? or a video as they case may be with youtubers.

The above points are what I consider before accepting or making an offer, but then again this is what works for me, another might prefer something different. The truth is we all blog for different reasons some for fun, some from passion, some for solely business and this would certainly affect how we work/blog. ( I discussed more on this in a previous post, read HERE) .

So! that’s all for the part 2 of brands and your blog. I hope I was able to provide some pointers for consideration when next you’re taking on a new collaboration. My aim is not to provide stern guidelines, but to simply share what I feel and I practice.

Do Feel free to drop a comment and ask questions below….

xoxo

Tosin.

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