A Week at House of Harper: Behind the Scenes of Running a Blog

I often get asked what “being a blogger” actually entails. I think there are a lot of misconceptions about the blogging industry, and many people don’t realize that running a blog is just like owning and operating any business: it takes a lot of work! From the outside looking in, it can all seem very glamorous, and I’ll admit there are some wonderful perks, but on a day to day basis it’s a constant shuffle of creating inspiring new content, meeting deadlines, reviewing contracts, managing expenses and employees, and growing the company. I wanted to give you an insider glance at what a typical week at HOUSE of HARPER looks like and shed some light on the blogging industry in general. Read on below for the scoop!

My office hours are generally between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. while the boys are in school. During this time frame, I head to our WeWork office which really helps me separate work and home responsibilities. For more details on my schedule, I recently posted about my routine and how I juggle the boys and work. 

Our team has a Monday morning meeting at WeWork to go over our editorial calendar for the week. We make sure that we’re covering all of the categories that you like reading, any relevant content going on in pop culture or national holidays, and any topics that have been at top of mind for us. We also talk through our partnership deadlines and to-dos to execute them, and we always review how our posts from the previous week / month / year performed so that we make sure we’re providing you with articles that you actually want to read!  Before running my own business, I was a buyer (at Neiman Marcus and then Gilt Groupe) and our weeks always started with Monday reports and Monday team meetings.  It was definitely a practice I always dreaded in the past, but now I understand how crucial it is for keeping a business on track and look forward to this time each week. 

Brand partnerships (sponsored post) are our bread and butter for operating HOUSE of HARPER as a successful business. We are VERY particular on which brands we partner with to always ensure that we are only working with brands that we truly love their products and who we think you will love and benefit from knowing. Partnerships usually entail creating original content, which means styling product for photoshoots or producing videos. My photographer Kate Robinson and I usually pick one morning each week to shoot content for the next week or two. These shoots include partnership content as well as outfit posts and organic content. This could entail creating a beautiful tabletop using a brand’s products, or occasionally getting the boys (and even FMK!) involved. I also work with local videographer Cody Bess to create videos for clients, like this sweet one with the boys that we published this week!  Videos are definitely the biggest time and cost commitment, but I am always so thrilled to see what Cody comes up with and it is so rewarding in the end! 

When I’m not at a photoshoot, I’m at WeWork going through my inbox and making sure we are on top of partnership opportunities as well as invoicing and expenses (fun stuff!).  I also make sure that we are publishing articles (almost) daily, as well as posting to our social media platforms and sending our daily newsletters. Our team also takes time to look at the bigger picture so that we continue to grow HOUSE of HARPER and bring you content in new and exciting ways. We typically plan our editorial calendar and strategy about three months out to make sure that we are covering all relevant holidays and key seasonal topics.

Outside of WeWork and weekly photoshoots, I try to get to as many local events as I can to support other bloggers and brands who are based in Houston. We have such an amazing community here in Houston and I’m thankful for all the support HOUSE of HARPER has been given over the years.

The blogging and influencer marketing industry is one that is always  evolving. It can be difficult to stay up to date on the latest social media trends and industry policies, so I make sure to subscribe to industry newsletters and attend conferences whenever I can. Running a blog can make you feel like you always need be on and checking your social media and site, but I really try to disconnect when I pick up the boys at 2 p.m. so that I can enjoy my time with them. One of the great parts about growing a team and delegating is that I know my business is in good hands even after I sign off for family time. 

Do you have any follow up questions about what running a blog looks like? I’d love to answer them in the comments below! xo