How I Do a Blog Post: Behind the Scenes

We share a lot on our blogs: our outfits, our families, even our quirks...but what about the process of writing a blog post? I feel like that area isn't explored enough. Vero Says asked me to do a post about that, and I thought that was a great idea. Here's behind the scenes of how I write a blog post for a product review.

There are 3 types of product reviews:

• purchase--I bought it
• pr sample--sent to me for consideration
• sponsored product--sent to me or I purchase and am reimbursed 

The first thing I do is figure out if that product is a good fit for the blog. Some items will be in a specific review post--like this mascara. Some are part of a collage (best ____ for summer, for example). Some I don't review at all--remember, just because a company sent you something does not mean it ever has to be shown, only if you have an agreement with them that you will show it! Don't let them harass you! And in terms of the sponsored post, I don't do sponsored reviews. I like the product to be part of a helpful blog post, like a diy/how to/tips. If the product is new to me, I still have to try it out.

Sometimes I will take a product picture first. This depends on the packaging. Some products don't look good once they are used, so I will take a pic unused. I use a variety of backdrops. I have used wrapping paper, contact paper, a white board, and even one of my marble trays. Here's a view of the marble tray from above (get the diy marble tray here) but I would naturally zoom in so you don't see the tray, just the marble.

I also have a ton of props like flowers, lights, sequins, trays, plates, etc. I have them in plastic tubs according to seasons. That sounds crazy, right? But it works for me.

Allow my crazy beauty nerd self to enter to the room. Yup, I use a chart. Sometimes I'm really good and type it all out, but lately I've been so busy that I just write it it in. This is a shrunken version of the chart. 

• Product name
• Brand
• # of: sometimes I am sent or purchase several, sometimes it's just one. 
• Start: This is the day I begin the review. I typically review things for a month, but sometimes it's a week or two.
• Week 1-4: Each week I will track progress (like for skincare) or note anything specific I did that week (used in 101 degree temps, wore product for 8 hrs, etc). Final thoughts go in week 4. The chart pictured is a squeezed down version.
• P/S/SP--purchase, sample, sponsored
• Price
• Pic--Did I take all the pics needed? Did I take a before shot? I note that here. 

Next, I figure out where the review will fit in. I do that using my trusty paper calendar, pictured above. This is a Blue Sky Planner from Target. I cannot do the fancy ones with the stickers and all. That is too cluttered for my eyes (but I think they are so, so cute!) and my ADD self would get off track with all the decorating. I am always running out of time! I just write it all down instead.

Every month I know I will write about:

• hair 
• makeup
• nails
• skincare 
• diy
• personal

I try to include a variety, so there are tutorials, reviews, tips, dupe or not, rounds ups (best of, 10 __ you need to try, etc), and so on. I try and do a video weekly as well.

I like to plan ahead for seasons as well, as in I have a bunch of fall ideas coming soon. I will write stuff down and pick a date. Sponsored posts are usually a sticky date, meaning they won't change, but a lot of times they do. I try my dang hardest to space them out.

The pics are taken (takes about 30 min-hour), the info is collected (1-4 weeks), so now it's time to write about it. I get on my trusty Mac (I love it and will never go back to a regular pc) to write the post. I use Picmonkey to edit pictures. This takes anywhere from 30 min to an hour or two.

Then I write the post. This usually takes an hour or two. I read over it a couple of times and then once more in the morning. I like to let the post "rest" over night. I make sure I share the post online in a variety of ways using various social media. And that's it! All of that for a post that most spend 30 seconds to a couple of minutes on. And I do it 5 times a week gladly.

How do you do a blog post?

PS: Thanks for your comments and support on yesterday's post.