With a new crop of bloggers popping up daily, it can be easy for one to get lost in the shuffle—especially those of color. But, thanks to Black Girls Who Blog, black women are taking center stage in the blogging world.
Tweeted into existence by former blogger Morgan Pitts, the brand creates a sense of community amongst black female bloggers, boasting an Instagram account with 34k followers and over 88K+ posts under the hashtag. In 2014, #BlackGirlsWhoBlog was named Hashtag of the Year by the Black Weblog Awards; further expanding the brand awareness and bringing recognition to a vibrant community created as an avenue for many to support, promote and discover one another. Now Morgan is sharing her secrets to brand success and just how a single tweet and hashtag can become a movement.
Name: Morgan Ariel Pitts
Age: 25
Title and Company: Creator-in-Chief, Black Girls Who Blog / eCommerce associate, Gucci
Hometown: Washington, D.C. born and Prince George’s County, Maryland raised
Twitter: @cosmorgpolitan
LinkedIn: Morgan Pitts
Instagram: @cosmorgpolitan / @blackgirlswhoblog
The gig: From 9:30am to 6:30pm Monday through Friday, I’m managing the reauthorizations of payments for orders placed on Gucci.com as well as reporting on the Google analytics of our US and Canadian sites and serving as a liaison between upper management/buyers and our affiliates. Outside of that window, I’m curating the online community, Black Girls Who Blog. That entails searching social media for bloggers to highlight, reading their stories and deciding how to execute the content from picture to caption selections.
The journey: Black Girls Who Blog was literally tweeted into existence. I was blogging myself at the time and had just tweeted a recent post I’d wrote using the hashtag, #BlackGirlsWhoBlog and thought literally nothing of it. A second later, I followed up with an additional tweet expressing that I’d love to have a t-shirt that said “#BlackGirlsWhoBlog.” Lindsay Adams, the artist behind the BGWB logo, asked if an illustration should accompany the hashtag. In that moment, I knew that this could be a thing—that I would have to make it a thing. Lindsay and I took the conversation offline—and my fellow black bloggers were already interested in purchasing these tees that didn’t even exist yet just from seeing this convo on their timelines. Soon after, Lindsay sent me the illustration of a black woman in a white top and black bottoms, a top knot, with a laptop in one hand and her hip in the other. The t-shirts were ready on April 15, 2014 and it was all up from there.
Day-to-day duties: I always have what I’m going to post on the BGWB account prepared at least the night before. Depending on what time I wake up, I either post before I get dressed for work, while I’m waiting for the train or walking from the train to my office. When I get home from work, I usually search the hashtag, tagged photos and new followers for future content and just to see what’s new in the community.
Her top tip for aspiring bloggers: There’s no perfect time to start, so just do it! You’ll wish you would’ve started sooner if you keep putting it off. Just beginning is half the battle.
Confessions of a black woman in the blogging world: I think a challenge is not being afforded some of the opportunities that our counterparts are—which is why we have to create them for ourselves. But, a benefit is being able to celebrate each other when the world doesn’t—which in essence makes our sisterhood as black women stronger.
Her best networking tip: Don’t force anything. Connect with those you wish to establish relationships with and create a genuine bond by building a rapport, even it’s just commenting on what they’re doing. Also, make sure that you’re not being a leech. It shouldn’t be one-sided and “take, take, take.” Have something to offer.
Her biggest accomplishment: It’s really hard to say, but overall it’s bringing joy to black women bloggers on a daily basis.
The smartest advice she’s ever recieved: You can’t worry and pray.
Her favorite way to unwind: In my bed with something good to eat/drink and my favorite podcast, TV show or something playing.
The one woman I would love to have lunch with is: Beyoncé because I literally have grown up to her music and watched her career blossom. Her albums have helped me feel more confident, beautiful, strong, sexy and powerful. She’s such a hard worker—who always outdoes herself—and keeps family first.
Her advice to her 18-year-old self: You are enough. You are more than enough.
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Her tech fixes: My iPhone is my life. I obviously love Instagram because that’s where I built my baby, Black Girls Who Blog, and I just love pretty pictures in general. I am a huge fan of Twitter for the exchange of thoughts and information. I also am really into Snapchat for a more intimate, temporary and behind-the-scenes moments.
In her beauty bag: Everything by Glossier. I also just started recently using Dior Addict Lip Glow which I enjoy.
Her power accessory: An everyday bag because a woman needs her THINGS. My current handbag of choice is the GG Marmont leather top handle bag by Gucci. I can fit all of my everyday essentials as a working woman in NYC.
Her secret superpower: Being proactive. I’ve never been a procrastinator. That gives me anxiety.
Her theme song: “Formation” by Beyoncé