Hi. I'm Carmen, a San Diego blogger & a social media manager/consultant for small businesses, brands, & even influencers. I blog for fun & I do social media optimization services for work. Learn more about me here. I've lived here most of my days, making the San Diego lifestyle the only one I really know. San Diego County is huge; there's an ever-changing flow. There's always a new craft brewery or trendy dinner spot to check out. Oh, but those were the good old days before the quarantine. 

As with many people in the county (& world), we're quarantined. Even though we're used to sunny days, San Diego bloggers don't let the rain get them down. So what do San Diego lifestyle bloggers do when under quarantine? Is it business as usual or have things changed?

Well, things have changed. That's safe to say. 

Losing clients & work

I am a San Diego blogger, yes, but I also work remotely full-time as a social media manager for small brands & businesses in San Diego County & beyond. I perform social media optimization services, write blog posts, product descriptions, whatever people need. Two of my clients reduced my hours completely until further notice, leaving me out of the bulk of my work. Find out more about me (Carmen) & my blogging + career background. I even found a new client a few weeks into quarantine & then two weeks later they said they couldn't fit me in their budget.

And I understand, if a business is shut down altogether, they might not have the budget for social media optimization services. Other clients are impacted by closed offices, reduced work, closed restaurants, & probably a lot more! San Diego businesses & San Diego bloggers alike are reeling from the COVID-19, trying to pick up their life, earn some money, move forward. 

But I also found work too! I found a 20 hour per week minimum with a one-woman social media agency. I’m working with wealth management & finance, & often feel out of my league. But I’m l learning every step of the way. It inspires me to create better content, have better procedures when it comes to my own clients, & to take breaks! After all, from Downtown SD to Pacific Beach to Escondido, San Diego has a lot of beauty.

Go to my Contact page to get in touch with me. 

Read my yearly freelancing anniversary updates from Years 1, 2, & 3!

This impacts the entire community

I've worked from home for just about three years as a San Diego Blogger, social media manager, & travel writer. I talk about my 2-year anniversary in this post - the highs & lows in this post, the changes in blogging to influencer marketing, particularly Instagram influencers. And if you want to go way back, I delve into my one-year anniversary in this blog post. As someone self-employed, I've had my fair share of client losses over the years but this impacts more than just me. It impacts clients, friends, family, the whole community, state, the whole globe is united in how much we're impacted. 

Since we're self-isolating, you're not supposed to go out & about to the beach, having a full-on brand photoshoot. With that in mind, many San Diego bloggers out there can't shoot photos for content, unless it's at their home. San Diego bloggers & lifestyle bloggers might feel strained when it comes to creating content. Use simple backdrops to make your photos more interesting: your countertop, your wood table or floor, any kitchen tiles, a blanket. Get creative! If you're one of the San Diego travel blogs, look through older photos & start using storytelling to share your previous imagery. Shop some of my favorite blogger & influencer essentials on Amazon.

What if you don't have a cute workspace or home for photos? I know the feeling; I live in an apartment so I can't change the brownish-beige carpet or the dark brown countertops, so I have to use props. Sometimes I use a chic faux sheepskin rug to style my photos as a San Diego blogger. If you're filming videos or need a larger backdrop, you can buy a large wallhanging for under $20. Stay home & buy some affordable photo props online. Check out this blog post for the full breakdown.

Need blog help, social media optimization services, content writing, etc?

It just so happens I'm open & looking for some new clients! Hey, if you need social media optimization services, blog help, please take a look at my client testimonials. If you're interested in potentially working together,  fill out this super quick form so I can find out what you need & how I can help & I'll email you within 48 hours.

San Diego bloggers and businesses are suffering, but they're trying to make the most of the situation in whatever way possible. Desperate for some blog post ideas?? Learn how to find blogging inspiration & blog ideas. Some companies have gotten creative on how to make sales & stay afloat during these trying times. I saw a pizza place offering do-it-yourself pizza kits to make at home with the kids. Lost Abbey, a San Marcos, California-based brewery offers free delivery in North County San Diego for orders over $50. Many of your favorite San Diego restaurants offered to go for pick up orders. Get the scoop on How to Get a Brand Collaboration + Instagram Collaboration.

I'm a  San Diego foodie lover & enjoy dining on whatever the city has to offer. There are so many great locations & destinations to check out in SoCal. Sometimes small businesses aren't looking for any type of paid work, they aren't looking to hire me for social media work, but that's right come in as a San Diego blogger & influencer. I have a blog, social media channels, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TripAdvisor, you name it. If you're a small business, restaurant, or even a PR company, feel free to contact me for upcoming events, openings, product launches.

San Diego brands and Businesses I Work With: 

I'm a freelance writer for Locale Magazine, check out my online article about the Best Places to Watch the Superbowl in San Diego. Locale Magazine is a lifestyle magazine with markets in Orange County, San Diego, and Los Angeles. I rode to feature articles that will be coming out in the June San Diego Locale Magazine issue. I haven't received word on if it will be in print or how the formatting will be because of the whole quarantine scenario. Head over to my Contact page if you want to email me.

I do social media consulting & management for clients such as Body by Drea. Drea is a Carlsbad-based trainer ready to teach you proper form & Interesting workouts to keep you motivated. She hired me for social media optimization services. With Drea, I worked on optimizing her YouTube: creating video titles, writing video descriptions, video tags, creating video cards and end screens. We worked on the growing following, her website traffic, her Instagram. I have quite a lot of experience working with local businesses as a San Diego blogger & social media manager.

And of course, there is Integrity Counseling Group, a therapy practice with offices in Carlsbad, San Marcos, & the Mission Valley, San Diego. They focus on working with people, teens, & couples in need of therapy. That includes therapy for depression, trauma, sexual addiction, drug addiction, etc. I've worked with them since 2018 on a social media consulting & management level, social media optimization services such as going over their newsletter to make improvements.

Here's a testimonial from my client!

"I have so much more clarity about the direction we are headed in--and we are already seeing results! I implemented her SEO strategy a few weeks ago and in the past week we have started to see more referrals through Google. Most importantly, these are quality referrals that have booked with us right away and been eager to pay our full fee. Carmen keeps me accountable to my goals and also provides feedback on my marketing. I send her 90% of our content before it goes out, and she always thinks of ways to make it better."

- Cory Anderson, Integrity Counseling Group.

Are you a San Diego blogger who needs help?

If you're a San Diego blogger that needs some general help (content creation, blog writing, captions, Pinterest, etc.) feel free to reach out & fill out this brief form. Tell me your goals, questions, fears, & your budget. Your budget is important. Depending on your finances, I'm available for either a 30-minute or 60-minute call (smaller budgets) to offer overall suggestions, tips, guidance. If you have a more steady budget, I'm available for management services where I execute the work myself, whether that's creating fully optimized Pinterest pins or posting Instagram Stories or writing blog posts or other content. Read my blog post about time management tips for freelancers, remote workers, & bloggers.

Hire me - San Diego locals & nonlocals

If you're interested in my services as a San Diego Blogger or for my social media optimization services, fill out my quickie questionnaire or shoot me an email with your answers. I work with local business & nonlocal businesses. Fun fact, I've never met Body by Drea even though we've worked together for almost a year. That's the nature of being a freelancer. I work with businesses in San Diego County, Southern California, & pretty much anywhere, One client was located in Michigan. Whether you're looking for more Facebook followers, influencers for a food event, or captions for a luxury jewelry company, I can assist you.

Visit my Contact page to get in touch with me.

How are you doing? How have you been staying positive or creative during such a stressful time? Leave a comment!