Unethical Rookie Blogger Mistakes to Avoid: Part 2

I love helping those of you looking to start a blog learn what to do and what not to do when breaking into the industry. The errors I talk about in this series aren’t strictly reserved for rookies, because those of us who’ve been in the game for years may have done the same things at one point in time, so I think this is a beneficial reminder for all of us. Keep reading for four unethical mistakes to avoid as a blogger!

First and foremost, read Part 1 here. If you feel like you may have done some of these things, don’t worry about it — it’s a learning process and no one is perfect! I’ve learned so much in the past 2.5 years of blogging and I want to help others in different stages as much as I can. With that being said, here are my tips.

Don’t ask fellow bloggers for their brand contact’s information, and don’t give out your contact’s information without their consent.
If you work with a brand and another blogger (whether you know them or not) asks for their contact information, never give it out without that person’s consent. Brand-to-blogger communication isn’t free flowing in the sense that you can pass out their email to just everyone. If a brand reaches out to you and not other people, they only have a desire to work with you specifically, and it’s your responsibility business-wise to keep that information to yourself. They usually keep their email and phone number private to avoid being flooded by pitches. However, if they ask you to put them in touch with other bloggers you know and recommend they work with, that’s a different situation. Just tread carefully.

Don’t ask to feature each other on your Instagram stories if you just followed them two seconds ago.
I don’t know when giving Instagram shoutouts on Insta stories became a trend, but it seems like everyone is doing it these days. From my experience, I like when people share bloggers that they actually follow along with and really love, not someone who simply asked for a two-way share. I’ve dabbled into this in the past and feel much more real and comfortable sharing people I genuinely love and have kept up with for a while. This is personal preference of course, but it’s what I recommend.

Don’t skip out on giving credit where credit is due. 
If your content isn’t unique to you and was inspired by someone else’s, give them credit! I see people recreate very specific images on Instagram and not even give the slightest shoutout to who they saw do it first. Something quick and simple like “I saw [INSERT NAME HERE] post an image like this and I was inspired to do the same!” is not embarrassing in any way and the person who you were inspired by will likely be super flattered. Obviously it’s hard to not mimic other people’s photos in some way because there are only so many poses and locations you can shoot in, but if the idea is unique, give them credit.

Don’t over edit photos.
This is something everyone has probably been guilty of at some point, but it’s really become apparent on Instagram lately. Like some of you, I see Instagram as a total art form and love the editing process more than anything, but it can easily be taken too far. The #1 over edit I’ve been seeing lately is overly smooth skin — especially legs! If your legs lose their natural outline and the edges become too soft in the photo, it’s too overdone. I totally understand wanting to look your best, but for authenticity sake, be careful not to take it too far. I’ve noticed some people don’t look the same on their Instagram story as they do in their photos, which is so crazy. When editing, I think it helps to flip back and forth between the before photo and the after photo to make sure that not too many things have changed. And when it comes to editing photos taken of you by a professional photographer, don’t unless you have permission, and you probably won’t in most cases.

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I hope these tips are helpful for you guys! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today & have an amazing weekend! We’re heading to my hometown for my mom’s 50th birthday (happy birthday, mom!) and to get my hair done by my longtime stylist — check my Instagram for a pic of my new hair that will go up sometime this weekend!

P.S. I have a new post up on IndyBride2B sharing an update on life after the wedding + our first year of marriage!