Faithfully Me Media

Most millennials, if prompted, will attest to the fact that they've secretely compared themselves against their more successful friends at one point or another in their lives!

They may not be happy to admit that they've done it, but most of us, if prompted, can admit to feeling like we just don't measure up in the success stakes after  over-analysing and over-comparing ourselves to our seemingly more successful friends who just seem to have it all.

And by have it all I mean, they seem to have the job (that you want) , the car  (that you wish you had), the cool apartment (you pray you could afford to have,  or even the guy (that you kinda wish was into you )!

You see, living in age of young over-achievers (case in point: Forbes list of 30 under 30) doesn't make it easy for us millennials. And
It's worse if you're the "unsuccessful friend" who's part of a peer group that just seems to excel at EVERY. SINGLE. THING. and there you are -  stuck in a minimum wage job, barely affording rent, and not knowing how on earth are  you going to pay the electricity bill this month, let alone find money to chip-in towards ANOTHER one of your friend's extravagant birthday gift?!

So, if you're that friend who just can't seem to stop playing the comparison game with those friends who seem that little bit more  successful than you and then feeling super awful over it, here's what to do instead...

[RELATED ARTICLE: 7 Critical Questions Successful People Always Ask Themselves In Order To Stay Ahead In Life]

3/5 CELEBRATE OTHERS' SUCCESS

Try to celebrate your friends successes and genuinely try to be happy for every success that your friends gain.
Doing so is not only the friendly thing to do, but it's also the most mature way of dealing with the fact that yes you may not be where you thought you'd be, but at least you're working towards something you truly want for yourself.

4/5 PRACTICE GRATITUDE

You may or may not realize this: but actively seeking out things to be grateful for will make you appreciate your life  that much more whilst also helping you to create more opportunities for you to be grateful for, thus attracting only good vibes in your life!

5/5 REDEFINE YOUR IDEA OF SUCCESS

Make it a point to define "YOUR IDEA" of what success truly is because here's the thing: success comes in many different shapes and sizes!
Having 5 cars, 3 holiday homes, and one super yacht may one person's idea of success, but to someone else, just having a job that they are passionate about that happens to makes a huge difference in other people's lives might be their idea of success.
So, take the time to really think about what true success looks like to you and abandon society's  warped idea of success.

Work through your goals with this FREE GOALS WORKSHEET!

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Any new blogger out there, will attest to the fact that getting that coveted first brand sponsorship opportunity with an amazing brand that they love is hard, if not, near impossible because there's so many prerequisites that you, as a blogger must satisfy before a brand can even consider you for sponsorship opportunity.

Not so long ago, brands were ONLY head-hunting seasoned bloggers with tons amounts of following for sponsorship opportunities - and by "tons amounts" i mean hundreds of thousands of social media following, or else brands wouldn't even look at you at all! 

Because the thinking behind that was: the more following a  blogger/influencer has, the higher the engagement they will garner about a product they were payed to promote,  which, in turn, would translate into revenue! 

But, that is no longer the case anymore! You see, Brands are now looking to micro-influencers (ie newbie bloggers with less than 50,000 followers) for sponsorship deals because, they know that 1) micro-influencers have a higher level of online engagement, 2) they come-off as way more authentic than some (not all) of the more established bloggers/influencers; and 3) they have a trusting relationship with their readers which usually translates into purchases.

But before a newbie blogger can reap the rewards of being a micro-influencer and gaining brand sponsorship, here are the 5 crucial things they need first

[RELATED ARTICLE: 5 Must-Know Tips For Newbie Blogger]

Unlike traditional influencers, (ie seasoned bloggers with a huge online following) brands are now abandoning them, and instead, are seeking out newbie bloggers or social media enthusiasts with a more modest following as they've proven to be more brand-loyal with targeted audiences - something that brands like to leverage for marketing success.

So if you're  reading this and you have a combined total of less than 50,000 online followers, then you are exactly what huge brands are looking for right now!

Posting something on social media is one thing, but posting something on social media that ... reader engagement is quite another, and brands are very much aware of that.
So if you want to look like an ideal candidate for brand sponsorship, make sure you have engaging content on your social media.

[RELATED ARTICLE: How To Make Blogging Your Career In 5 Easy Steps]

Here's the thing: if you’re interested in attracting brands  for opportunities like sidebar ads, giveaways, sponsored content, Instagram sponsored posts; etc. then  it’s going to be super important to put something together to outline who you are as a blogger/micro-influencer and what you can offer an advertiser (and how much it’s going to cost them!), and that's why a media kit is a must!

[RELATED ARTICLE: Beginner Blogger's Guide To Making Income Using Affiliate Marketing]

So having a blogger CV/Resume is a quick way to prove that you're serious as a blogger AND that you're competent!

If you already have the above 5 criteria met, then I'm sure by now you're wondering: "How can I get Brands that I love to start noticing me as a blogger and offer me sponsorship opportunities?"

Well, have you thought of signing up with influencer marketing platforms? 

The great thing about these platforms is that they do all the work for you. They find advertisers/Brands looking to connect with bloggers and act as the middle-men in connecting Brands with bloggers. Here are a few of our favourite micro-influencer marketing platforms to start you out:

So, there you have it! The 5 Crucial  things you as a blogger need in order to leverage your "micro-Influencer" status.

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Copy By: Lindsay L. Malatji

Hi you guys! Can you believe it's fall already? Shocking, I know! I mean,  one minute we're in the height of summer, enjoying long sunny days, delicious and yummy cocktails, and the next? Well, we're experiencing cooler weather, shorter days, and having to transition into our warmer clothes, yikes!

But, nevertheless, that is not to say that I'm not looking forward to fall/autumn, and switch things up a little, because I am!

There's something quite tranquil about the leaves changing colour ans eventually falling off of the trees, wrapping up in cosy knits in the cool autumnal weather, to lighting your fireplace for the first time since God knows when!

And thats why I'm lusting over these items below as they're sure going to make my transition from summer to fall that much easier.
So take a look below at my autumnal lust-haves for the next season. Hope you enjoy them.

This Alivia Faux Leather Tote  is going to be my perfect winter bag ( if there's such a thing; haha!)
The size alone means I can fit EVERYTHING from my wallet, my tablet, an umbrella for those rainy Irish days, down to my newborn baby's on-the-go's essentials!
I'm thinking this is going to be my hero piece come this autumn/Winter.
But, there's more, the best thing about this tote is the wristlet (tiny purse) that comes with it - it's going to be ideal for storing my essentials like money, credit cards, makeup, phone, etc whilst running errands!
If you want this bag too, make sure you check it out HERE from Nordstrom!

Oh my word, These Ankle Boots!!!! I mean, talk about love at first sight! No scratch that! Talk about love at first sight of the that price tag - lol!
Yes, I'm not ashamed to say that the cheap price tag of these beauts instantly made them that more desirable to me - think about it, who wouldn't mind spending €29 for these?!
But forget the price tag for a minute, These Boots are great by all accounts!
I Love that  chunky heel and that tan color, definitely an autumnal lust (scratch that) must-have which means it's gonna go great with so much of my already existing winter wardrobe pieces. 

We all know how harsh the cool weather can be on our skin, that's why I have my eyes peeled on this Bobbi Brown CC Cream. It's like a superpower when it comes to Colour Control, Complexion Correction or Colour Correction, and God knows I need all three for mu skin.
You see, just like BB creams, CC creams  boast hydrating properties, SPF protection and semi-sheer coverage, but with the added benefit of colour-correcting technology to improve uneven skin tones.
And that's why I'm lusting over this  Bobbi Brown CC cream, it's pretty amazing, plus it comes with an SPF of 35 -  Lord knows my skin needs it!

Anyone who knows me will know that I'm a sucker for lounge wear - and these super cute marble print joggers and matching top are my kinda PJ's. They'll be great for those lazy weekends when all I wanna do is just chill around the house while binging on Season 6 of Suits Netflix!

So what are the key CV/Resume writing trends that you as a job seeker must be aware of?

Now, if you're going to adhere to this 1 page resume trend, it's still going to be important to ensure that it is skimmable, so don't cram all your information on 1 page just for the sake  of it.
If you feel like you still have important information to include in your CV/ Resume then don't be afraid to have a traditional 2 page resume. Its better to make sure all the important information  is there rather than withholding it for the sake of having a 1 page resume.

When reading a resume, Hiring Managers are consistently on the look out for proof that candidates are capable of delivering results, and aren't just saying fluffy words to make themselves look smart or accomplished. And its because of this that vague phrases like  "results driven" or "responsible for ..." aren't as convincing anymore.

So, if you want to convey to the Hiring Manager that you're "results driven", the best thing to do is to use action verbs and action statements to convey what you actively did in your previous roles so as to show how "results driven" you actually are!

The easiest way to do this is to start each sentence with an active verb. For instance, lets say you increased sales in one of your previous roles, instead of saying: "responsible for increasing sales", you could use active verbs, AND, quantify them with metrics . So you could  say something like: "actively increased sales from 123 to 456 by 10%"
Now, that would be a great way to demonstrate how "results driven" you are, don't you think?!

[RELATED ARTICLE: 3 Steps To WRITING A Captivating CV/Resume Summary Statement]

2017 down to 2018 is the year that your online presence will be treated as an extension of your CV/ Resume.
So besides the expected LinkedIn profile as your online resume, recruiters will be extending their search onto your social media accounts.
So do make sure that your social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google+ are kept professional.
The easiest way to do this is to treat them as a form of portfolio portal where you share your knowledge with your followers. This will not only make you look like a thought leader in your field, but it'll also enhance your Personal Brand drastically.

[RELATED ARTICLE: 4 Ways To Brand Your Instagram And Improve Your Personal Brand]

5) HAVE A DESIGNATED CV/RESUME WEBSITE, AKA A PORTFOLIO WEBSITE

Similar to treating your social networks as a sort-of extension of your CV/Resume, nowadays having a dedicated personal website, or indeed a blog is a fantastic way to prove your proficiency in your industry and not to mention a brilliant way to showcase that which you do best, plus... a personal website is the number 1 tool that you can use to perfect your Personal Brand and elevate it to the next level, and not to mention it's an amazing opportunity to create  fresh content and show-off! And let me tell you, employers love to see a candidate who goes above-and-beyond their call of duty by creating a personal website because that shows initiative.

So if you want to create your very own website but lack those necessary web-design skills, then I definitely suggest Weebly.Com as your go-to place! And here's the good news: there's loads of ready-made portfolio website templates out there for you to choose from, so it's not like a level 10 proficiency in website building is necessary for you to build one.

If you want to create your own CV/Resume website,  Sign Up Here with Weebly.Com.
What I love about Weebly.Com is that you don't even have to pay for a website, you can create it for FREE! But to be honest, it's better to pay for one as it looks professional to employers plus it gives you the opportunity to have your domain name as yourname.com (example www.lindsaymalatji.com) as opposed to having your domain name as www.wix.com/yourname which just looks clunky and hard to remember.
Premiums are as little as €7 per month for a CV/Resume website plus you get a FREE domain name as well, which, normally costs €20.00!

After Signing Up with Weebly, check out these 3 Personal Templates as I think they're the most appealing themes that you can definitely  use as your CV/Resume personal website and increase your chances for getting that much-needed interview.

THE BEST CV/RESUME PORTFOLIO WEBSITES FROM WEEBLY.COM FOR YOU TO CHOOSE FROM

•  Check out the "Susan Smith - Birdseye 2" Template. This template will be great for a candidate within Markerting, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Architecture, Fashion, Product Design, etc. as it also offers you the opportunity to showcase your portfolio of works. 
• Secondly, check out the "Mandy Miller - Cento" Template, it's a responsive website and will be great for  you if you are a creative like photographer, designer, etc.
• And lastly, check out the "Bella Marcel - Unite 2" Template. This template will be perfect for anyone looking to get a job in fashion, visual merchandising, fashion styling, fashion journalism, or indeed any design-led blogger. This template is actually one of my favorite templates by Weebly.Com

Fir more Website Template Themes To Choose From, Check-out this Weebly Theme Gallery!

And there you have it - The 5 Most Trending CV/Resume Writing Tips of 2017 to be aware of before composing your CV/Resume.

Want more Job Application Tips??? Head Over HERE!

Nowadays, Instagram is proving to be the must-have social media platform for businesses, brands, and influencers alike!
It's the go-to platform for game-changers in most sectors, and is quickly proving  to be a great tool for improving your Personal Brand and get recognition - Fast because we all recognize the value that Instagram provides, particularly to bloggers who want to be influencers in their blogging niche.

Now, I'm guessing  you're reading this because you're also hoping (or planning) to get your Instagram Branding down to a "T"  and reap the associated benefits because your blogging biz needs it,  amiright?!

BENEFITS OF A WELL-BRANDED INSTAGRAM 

Great, because here's what happens when you get your Instagram Branding Right,

1. You start to get recognition from your fellow bloggers
2. You start attracting your ideal clients and followers
3. You start to look professioal
4. Your Instagram Following starts to increase
5. Most importantly, Brands start to recognize you as an influencer and may be propelled to want to collaborate with you on Brand Sponsorships.

And all of that is fantastic news and more reason for you to brand your Instagram and improve your Personal Brand.

So if that's what you want, read the 4 tips below on how to brand your Instagram.

1/4 DECIDE ON YOUR BRAND STORY.

By Brand Story I mean, that underlying narrative that you'd like your Instagram to portray to your followers.
So decide what message about yourself or your brand do you Want to portray on your Instagram.
Do you want to be seen as a keen traveler? A style maven? An influencer within the blogosphere? A fashion maven? Or an amazing foodie?

Whatever it is, decide upon it first and foremost as that is one of the criteria that inform your Instagram's branding because creating a memorable brand is all about the message and rhetoric behind someone  and that's exactly what amazing Instagrammers seem to know.

They first decide on what they want to be known for and they craft their Instagram message and branding according to that. That's the best way of creating an amazing Instagram brand story

2/4 DECIDE ON YOUR IDEAL TRIBE

You obviously joined Instagram to socialize with  and reach  a certain type of individual(s) be it to further your business or personal goals. So identify your tribe and the ideal people that you'd like to reach through your Instagram.
Who do you want to reach through the your Instagram - is it new clients? Or like-minded individuals as yourself? foodies? fit people? bloggers? Deciding on your ideal followers will help solidify your brand and set the tone and message of your Instagram feed

[RELATED ARTICLE: The 6 Personal Branding Principles Fashion Bloggers Use In Order To Stand Out]

3/4 DECIDE ON THE VALUE YOU WANT TO PROVIDE

What value do  you provide? Yeah that's right! Instagram is no longer about posting selfies non-stop without any clear message behind them other than: "look at me, I'm pretty!"
It has since evolve into a platform where brands, bloggers and social influencers provide value to their followers, and rightly so, because if someone's gonna follow, you should at least provide some sort of value in one way or another 

So, what do you want people to visit your Instagram for? What value will you be providing through it? Will it be insightful tips?
For example, if you look at our Instagram Profile,  there's always a post that provides value in one way or another. Like this Post where we shared  blogging tips on the 5 Ways To Excel at being a newbie blogger. or this post where we shared #Tips on How To Get A Job Without Any Related Previous Work Experience.
We shared these on Our Instagram and linked the full blog post in our bio as a way to give anyone who didn't see our post another chance to read it, but most importantly, our aim was to provide value to our readers.

[RELATED ARTICLE: 5 Styling Hacks To Create An Epic Instagram Photo]

4/4 PICK AN AESTHETIC 

When it comes to cultivating an amazing online brand, aesthetics matter big time!
The best way to brand your Instagram is to pick a look that defines you as a brand and one that will prove to be appealing to your ideal tribe.
For example, if you look at Our Instagram, we've picked a Monochrome color pallet with hints of green here and there! Reason being black and white is that colour combination that is classic, timeless, and identifies with power, completeness, and authoritativeness  because our aim for our Instagram is to position ourselves as thought-leaders amongst millennials.

So, when it comes to picking an aesthetic for your Instagram Branding, this will originally be guided by 1) the message you want to send out to your followers; and 2) who your intended demographic is.
Let's say you want to attract foodies, then your Instagram feed could have a colourful and eclectic aesthetic., or if its blogging biz ladies, then perhaps your Instagram Brand Aesthetic could be light, bright, using hints of soft pinks where possible. Do you see where I'm going with picking an aesthetic?

So there you have it, put these Instagram Branding tips into place, and  you'll be well on your way to improving your own Personal Brand, as well as having an amazing Instagram Profile that's going to position you as an influencer and help you gain your ideal tribe.

[RELATED ARTICLE: 7 Insta-Worthy Accessories For Your Desktop]

P.S. Don't Forget To Follow Us On Instagram.

If you're new to blogging, I bet you've seen seasoned bloggers sharing their monthly income reports and wondered: "How do they do that?"  Well, we've done a little digging into the matter and have since found out that part (not all) of their income comes from joining and using Affiliate Marketing Programs and earning commission from them.

Now, if you're a relatively  new blogger, chances are, you've never really heard of the term "Affiliate Marketing" or you have, but you're not quite sure what it is or HOW to use it! Which is why we're bringing you today's post as our aim is to take away the mystery, and hopefully help you get started making money from your blog using affiliate marketing programs like all the other successful bloggers out there! 

Does that sound good?!

Good! Because here's what you'll learn in this quick guide...

So let's get to it!

In order to have affiliate links on your site, you have to partner with companies that offer an affiliate marketing program, and this post is going to show you exactly HOW to get started and patner with an affiliate marketing program, and crucially, how to insert those links in your blog and start making a commission from that partnership ASAP!

The good thing about affiliate links is that even absolute beginners like you can use them. 

As you get into your affiliate marketing endeavors, you'll begin to come across a few acronyms and terminology time and time again, so to save you the hassle of having to look them up , we've compiled a list of the terms you really need to now.

Merchant/Advertiser/Brand: The retailers and companies that are on the Affiliate Network (such as  Nordstrom, Topshop, ASOS, H&M, etc.).

Publisher/Affiliate: You, the blogger or website owner.

Cookie Duration: When someone clicks your affiliate link, they get a cookie. The cookie will expire after a specific length of time, which means your affiliate link will become invalid. So if the Cookie Duration is 24 hours, you get a commission as long as a purchase is made within 24 hours, after which the cookie expires.

SID: The site ID (SID)

CTR: This acronym stands for Click Through Rate.

EPC: Earnings per Click. This metric is usually obtained by dividing commissions earned by the number of clicks (clicks-throughs) which generated these commissions. For example, if you insert an affilliate link in one of your blog posts, and that link receives 1000 clicks (click-throughs) and consequently generates $5.00 (or €5.00 in you're in the EU) commissions, then that means the EPC rate would be $0.50 (or €0.50)

AOV or AOS: Average Order Value or Average Order Size.

DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links. For more info on this, head over HERE.

3 OF THE BEST AFFILIATE MARKETING PROGRAMS FOR NEWBIE BLOGGERS

1/3  SHAREASALE

BRANDS YOU'LL FIND ON SHAREASALE

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR ShareASale AFFILIATE PROGRAM

1/3   VIGLINK

The second highly recommended Affiliate Program for Newbie Bloggers definitely has to be VigLink!
It is one of the easiest tools that bloggers use to monetize their content!
The one good great thing about VigLink is that you won't need to sign up for all the individual accounts on all the networks - VigLink tracking will take care of all of them! How awesome is that?!

Simply put, VigLink will act as the midleman between you and all the brands you love advertising for on your blog so you don't have to sign up for each program (brand) separately.

The huge benefit with VigLink is it's way of saving you time in that it will look for any links in your blog, even preexisting links, and turn then into money-making links for you so you don't have to go through your content and generate links for each individual item or brand you've linked, which, obviously is a huge plus!

If there's one convenient Affiliate Program to use, VigLink is definately the one! Also because it host so many recognizable brands that will be perfect for fashion, lifestyle or beauty bloggers!

BRANDS YOU'LL FIND ON VigLink

• Asos (from 5% to 7%)
• JC Penny (3%)
• The Body Shop (11%)
• H&M (7.4%)
• Mango (6%)
• Oasis - listed as Oasis Fashions Limited (5%)
• Forever 21 (4.8%)
• Nordstrom Rack (4%)
• Topshop (from 4% to 8% for the UK, and 15% for the US)
• River Island (from 5% to 7%)
• Marc Jacobs Beauty (10%)
• Charlotte Tilbury (8%)
• Bobbi Brown Cosmetics (10%)
• Amazon (from 1%)
• Benefit Cosmetics (9% for the UK, 7% for the US)

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR VigLink AFFILIATE PROGRAM

3/3 SHOPSTYLE 

Shopstyle  is another great affiliate program for newbie bloggers for sure, and it's very similar to ShareAsale in that it has huge amounts of brands all under one program for bloggers to choose from.
The good thing about Shopstyle is that it's particularly optimized for fashion bloggers because a huge majority of the listed brands/merchants are fashion retailers.

The super amazing thing about ShopStyle is that: unlike a lot of other fashion focused affiliate programs out there, shopstyle pays per click rather than paying per sale or commission. Which is super amazing because it means, as a newbie blogger, you can pretty much start earning money from your blog as soon as you've signed-up to Shopstyle because each time a reader clicks on one of the shopstyle links, you'll be making money!
The other benefits of choosing and joining Shopstyle's affiliate Program is that 1) Shopstyle you don't necessarily need to have a huge following to start making money from it, as every single click you get is guaranteed to be monetized, and 2) it's easy to join and quick to get the hang-of.

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR SHOPSTYLE AFFILIATE PROGRAM

[RELATED ARTICLE: The 6 Personal Branding Principles Fashion Bloggers Use In Order To Stand Out From The Crowd]

OTHER AFFILIATE MARKETING PROGRAMS YOU COULD JOIN

1. Amazon Associates : Love this program because any blogger can easily find something to advertise from Amazon on their blog because Amazon has tons and tons of advertising opportunities. The downside to amazon though is that the start-off commission rate is as low as 1%, which can be disheartening. But it's great because it's one of the best platform for newbie bloggers to start monetizing their blogs. So it's definitely worth a try. Click Here to sign up with Amazon.
2. Ratuken Linkshare : The good thing about Ratuken (formerly known as Linkshare) is that it's one of the oldest running affiliate marketing programs out there. So when you join them, you know you're in good hands. Plus, they usually have good commission rates, from 8%-10% and even upwards, depending on the merchant (brand).
3. CJ Affiliate : CJ Affilliate is another one of the oldest running affiliate programs out there. So it's super dependable too, plus it's got a ton of merchants/brands for newbie bloggers to choose from for advertising opportunities. Click Here to sigh up with CJ Affiliate
4. FlexOffers
5. LinkConnector
6. Impact Radius 

HOW TO FIND AND JOIN ADVERTISING PROGRAMS

HOW TO GET AFFILIATE LINKS TO START EARNING A COMMISSION

NOW THE ADDED BONUS!

HELPFUL TIPS TO REMEMBER:

• Monetizing your blog and seeing any sort of real rewards is going to take a bit of time and a lot of work form you, so be patient, your efforts will eventually pay off.
• Remember to remain your authentic self, so stick to promoting brands and products that you believe in, and ones that will benefit your readers
• If you want to use affiliate links within a post, it's always good to remember to write informative, helpful posts that will give your readers a wealth of information
• Stick to promoting companies and products that will benefit your audience

SO, WAS THIS HELPFUL?

If so, don't forget to Pin this post, Share it on Facebook or tweet it Twitter -Thank You! 

If there was ever a time to start planning your Autumn/Winter wardrobe,  (and ensuring sartorial success) I'd say now would be the time!

Yes I know the idea seems rather preposterous given that we're currently in the height of summer, but nevertheless, Winter Autumn  is coming, and now is quite frankly the most perfect time to do a little bit of a sartorial edit and see what it is you might need for your Autumn/Winter wardrobe, especially since you can get most of these items at a hugely discounted price tag!

Here's our top picks to get you started..

Faux Leather Pleat Midi Skirt,  €59.00 €20.00 from Oasisstores.com

Black Gingham Print Tie Top €56.00 €30.00 from River Island

Suede Moto Jacket €168.67 €112.96  from Nordstrom Anniversary Sale,

6/7 THE TAN ESPADRILLE WEDGE HEELS

Tan Embroidered Trench Coat €260.00 €120.00 from River Island

Don't Forget Follow Us On Facebook & Instagram to check out what we're up to!