Bloggers Don't Get Paychecks - Part 2

I'm really excited to announce my video project with Social Moms on behalf of their client, Nature's Path Organic Foods.

When I wrote Bloggers Don't Get Paychecks and shared the opportunity on my Facebook page, some of you wanted to know how this came about:

• I've been an inactive member of Social Moms (SM) since 2008 or 2009 (when it was known as Twitter Moms). I continue to get the newsletter and scan it for opportunities. When I saw the call out, I completed the questionnaire immediately. 
• Since I wasn't active in the SM community, I really didn't expect to get a response. Much to my surprise, I received an email from the SM team telling me they'd checked out my blog and videos and liked them. I'm making it a point to bring up my inactivity because there are some networks who give preferential treatment/better opportunities to members who engage more and/or pay for premium membership privileges. This isn't the case with SM. Thanks, Megan. 

• The fact that I have a YouTube channel was instrumental in me being chosen. All I had to do was point to my videos and let them speak for themselves. No convincing on my part. The decision makers were free to draw their own conclusion as to whether or not I'd be a good fit to convey their brand messaging.
• To increase your chances of getting paid gigs via your blog, you have to diversify and show all of your talents. Text-only blog posts won't cut it.You have to stand out and be memorable.

• This opportunity was pretty lucrative in my opinion, especially for a first timer like me. It took planning and scripting and directing. It's more labor intensive than writing a post to review a product. The only instructions I received were to be creative, incorporate music/dancing, and keep it under 30 seconds.
• Having a social media presence to be able to share and spread the message is very important, but SM or their client didn't focus on my follower/fan/subscriber numbers. They were interested in my content. If you think you can't put yourself out there until you grow your following, I'm here to tell you I have less than 6,000 twitter followers, just under 200 Facebook fans, and I'm holding steady at 53 YouTube subscribers with no viral videos. Some bloggers are interested in popularity contests and trying to penetrate the in-crowd. I'm not one of them.

You have to get clear on your goals for blogging and take steps every day to move you closer to achieving those goals. You have to be ready for the opportunity before it ever presents itself.

Stay humble, show gratitude, and help the person next to you. 

The spotlight might be on you at the moment, but you can't forget about the community who gave you the platform to shine.

This is not a sponsored post, meaning I'm not being paid to write this. I was compensated for creating a video for Nature's Path.