Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Colleen Shibley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Colleen, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

I have been blogging since 2010 and have seen the ups and downs and twists and turns in the industry. Blogging has gone from someone sitting at their computer writing about their life or sharing funny anecdotes to becoming a way to make a living. The Pioneer Woman is a great example. However, over the 14 years of blogging what I have noticed as emerging trends in the industry is the emphasis and constant change in social media. Hosting Twitter parties (no X) for a client has become obsolete, these days campaign requirements are TikTok videos and Instagram Reels. To stay successful in this industry you have to adapt to the newest “must-have” social media app and figure out how to incorporate it into your business plan.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My website, Shibley Smiles, was created out of a need for my own creative outlet. I was introduced to the industry through a high school friend. I am a creative person and I love to draw, paint, and design. What I enjoyed most at the beginning was creating website designs, I even picked up a few clients helping them design their websites. Shortly after starting my site, I started to get offers to review products. I love the process of getting a product, using it, taking photos, and capturing my thoughts for others. During the highlight of this journey, I reviewed major products such as a Sleep Number bed, a washer and dryer, and a Dyson vacuum. It was very rewarding to be on the ground floor of a new product. I was one of the very first people to review the FitBit and look where the company is today. I have met celebrities on press trips, have enjoyed traveling to different places, and was even able to take the family along on some great vacations. These days things have quieted down and I work more with individual clients writing articles and reviewing a few products here and there. I don’t spend the time and energy I once did blogging but it is still a piece of me and I welcome people to stop by for some great advice, a good recipe, or to check out a recent review.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

During the most intense periods of my blogging journey, I was raising three kids, working a full-time job, and staying up until 2-3 am in the morning to work on all the jobs I had expected. While products and opportunities were coming in left and right with big ticket compensation it began to take a toll on my overall enjoyment of my family and life. I got to a point where I just couldn’t keep up the pace I was going and my family was beginning to suffer from lack of me “being there”. I had to step back and take a look at what was most important to me. I had to start declining some opportunities that took me away from my family or required too much in terms of time. While I don’t regret stepping back a little this would have been a great opportunity for me to possibly look to bring on additional people to help grow my site and brand further.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Blogging exploded and I was right in the middle of it when it did. I joined the right communities and companies that helped me network. Word of mouth is one of the biggest advantages in this industry. By joining blogging communities and making connections with other bloggers opportunities began to come knocking. One blogger would recommend another, and that blogger would recommend someone else and so on and so forth. Once you have your foot in the door it is up to you to keep that door open by providing the best service you can. Whether it is stunning photography to go with a product review or a detailed article on a recent press trip. The key is to put your best foot forward at all times to deliver what the client needs, also getting to know the clients and companies you work for helps strengthen that bond and helps keep you in their mind for future campaigns.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shibleysmiles.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shibleysmiles
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShibleySmiles/
• Twitter: https://x.com/shibleysmiles