Hashtag Ad.

This is something I have wanted to talk about for a while but it’s never felt like the right time or I’ve just been too chicken to pen it all down and talk about it (because it always feels like an elephant in the room) but today is the day!

I posted a paid Instagram post this morning and received a comment along the lines of ‘boring, is there anything you don’t promote.’

Now I guess this feels a bit shit because I feel like I’m justifying myself, which I shouldn’t have to do, but also I feel the need to be completely honest, as always, and maybe explain a bit more about why I do post paid content, how it comes about and also why it shouldn’t be perceived as such a negative thing.

Firstly, in the answer to the question… yes there is a lot of stuff I wouldn’t promote… I would never ever do a paid Instagram post or Blog post about anything that I wouldn’t spend my own money on or with a brand that I would never use. It just wouldn’t feel good. It would feel like I was taking the absolute piss out of the position I am in, which I view as a very privileged position, because quite frankly I am making a living and supporting my family out of doing something I love.

I was recently approached by a weight loss coffee company asking to collaborate for the year…. they offered me £400 a month. Now whilst I’m not knocking anyone who does drink this coffee or collaborate with this brand… it’s just not for me. I would never drink it or use it for weight loss and whilst that £400 could quite frankly change our lives and pay off our mortgage maybe 50% quicker, I turned it down.

I spend a lot of time on Instagram engaging with amazing people, people who keep me going on the shit days. I get help, advice and lols from the palm of my hand which I love. I get to spend my days at home, when I’m not at work, creating recipes and trying to take nice photos of food which is something I love, for those who don’t know I am a qualified professional chef and have been for the last 11 years, so the fact that I can use my skills and passion everyday and be creative and not just Mummy is amazing. I love putting the kids to bed and sitting and writing up my recipes or looking for fresh inspiration, it is my choice to do that in my spare time but sometimes I do feel a certain pressure to stay on top of things and make sure I am coming up with new and yummy ideas, so when I do paid content… it makes all the hard work I put into my blog/recipes/photos worthwhile.

So when I get approached by a brand or see a brand looking for someone to work with wether it be food or parenting related… if it is something or someone I use or would love to work with and it is relative to me and my family, of course I grab that opportunity with both hands.

Sometimes the days and time frames of paid content can be quite rigid, there may be times when I post a few in one week, which I know can be annoying and I try my best to space things out because I don’t want to be hashtag ad’ding all over the gaff but also there are weeks when I don’t do any, its just the way it is and sometimes it is out of my control as some brands do want you to post on specific days or specific times and that is part of the parcel when you agree to create some content for them. One thing I always make sure is that it is clear when something is an Ad or a Paid Partnership and not because I have to but because being dishonest makes me feel sick inside and the anxiety just ain’t worth it.

When I see someone I follow doing paid content I always make sure I give it a little like or comment because I view it as I’m helping support that individual or their family, supporting someone who maybe doesn’t earn enough money from their job or someone who is saving to buy their first home, or saving to for their kids future. It does upset me that doing Ads seems to really get on some peoples nerves, but in my experience it does seem to be the minority and as long as I know I’m staying true to myself and helping support my family, then I will continue to do them for as long as people want to work with me. One day Instagram will probably be a distant memory and there will be something else we are into… so I’m here for a good time and as always thank you to the majority for sticking around and know that you are helping me do something I love.

L x