INFLNCE A self help guide for bloggers
FEATURING
style petal
ASA Guidelines Blogging 101: Top Five Tips and Tricks
About the Editor Hi, my name is Sophie but you may know me as ‘Styles of Sophie’ from my blog and Instagram (@stylesofsophie_). I am a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger from the South West. I created this magazine for my final year of university in the hopes to help everyone and anyone interested in blogging whether you have been blogging for a year or looking into doing it, I wanted this to help, making your little space on the internet the best it could be. From the best blogger apps to earn money or gain free products from to interviews with some of the best bloggers out there currently, there is something for everyone. Blogging is such an amazing space to vent about your thoughts or feelings whether that be on trying to make more environmentally friendly choices in your life to simply expressing how much you love a lipstick. I knew there was a market to make something like this, to share mine and other bloggers wisdom in a different format to an actual blog, so it was all in one handy place. I hope INFLNCE inspires you as I had so much fun creating it for you. Regards Sophie x
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INSIDE
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ASA Guidlines: A Run Down
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Blogging 101 Top Five
10 Introducing: George Friend Robyn Elizabeth Hello Jodie 16 Blogging 101 How to 18 Blogging 101 Tips and Tricks 20 Up and comers 24 Featuring Style Petal 28 Photographers 33 Acknowledgments
ASA GUIDELINES
ASA GUIDELINES
a breakdown
Words by: Sophie Fox Back in September the UK government released a new set of guidelines in which Influencers should abide by in regards to being more transparent with your followers when they have been paid, incentivised or rewarded to promote a product, brand or service on socail media. If you mislead your followers, you could be breaking the consumer protection law and could face action from the CMA, local authority Trading Standards services or the Department for the Economy in Nothern Ireland. Although this was a few months ago now I still come across many bloggers that are just starting out that find the whole thing quite confusing which is why we have decided to lay them out here in a less complicated manner. What is an AD exactly? Well, Back in September (2018) the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) stated that an Ad is: “A piece of content that a brand has any element of control over.” It’s irrelevant whether payment was in monetary form or gifted. ‘Control’ can be anything from preapproving an image to simply asking you to use a specific hashtag. An easy way to think about it is to ask yourself, ‘am I obligated to post about this item/experience?’ If the answer is yes then you have to state that it’s an Ad to your audience which is completely the right thing to should do. Gifted items is where it can get a little more complicated as they can come in a few forms; in exchange for a post, for review with no obligation to post and totally out of the blue. When accepting gifted items in return for a post, story or blog post; you have entered into a contract with said brand so you would need to mark it as an ‘Ad’. When a brand, or in more instances a PR company contacts you saying something along the lines of “we’d love to get your address so we can send you some new items to try’, and it arrives and you don’t get on with the product(s), you have no obligation to share them online. If however, you absolutely love it, you’d state that it was gifted and normally say something along the lines of, ‘Thank you to ‘x’ brand for sending me ‘x’ product, I love it!’. Lastly, gifts that are received out of the blue which happens when a brand or PR company have your address on their records are normally the majority of what bloggers recieve in the post. You have no obligation to post these items. Sometimes it’s a lovely surpise when this happens, other times it can be a little annoying in terms of waste if you have no use for it. Again, if you like the product you would thank the brand for sending the product. Now, however the ASA states, “Any form of reward (money, services, product loan, gifts) is ‘payment’, even if you did not ask for it and got sent it out the blue.” So even if you agreed to the collaboration, or didn’t, you will need to mark it as ‘Ad’ but for total transparency with your follower(s) and for your own peace of mind, if you haven’t been paid for it you 4 | INFLNCE
ASA GUIDELINES could mark it with ‘Ad-Gifted’ and you’d still be covered. Remember though, you don’t have to post everything that comes through your mailbox which was sent to you without notice, only do so if you genuinely like the product as to not further mislead your followers. Be clear about your relationships and past relationships with brands. If you have a discount code, are invloved with a competition or giveaway or are mentioning your own range of products then you must also mark this with ‘Ad’. When you’ve had a past relationship with a brand (gifted, loan and/or other incentives) your followers need to be told about this too. So if you are posting the product you were once gifted, mark it with ‘Ad’ and say ‘This product was gifted to me previously’ so your followers fully understand. If you’ve had multiple relationships with the brand then usually stating the most current one is the most appriopriate, however, if you have relationships with several brands or businesses featured in the same post, you must state all of them. If it is a product you have purchased yourself but have worked with the brand previously you must do the same, only declare past relationships if they took place within the last year. Below are examples that do not comply with the legal requirements: Tagging a brand, business or gift in either the text, picture and/or video of a post without additional disclosure. Using discount codes in a post without additional disclosure. Using unclear language without additional disclosure in a post (for example ‘thank you’; ‘made possible by’; ‘in collaboration with’; or ‘thanks to…’). Unclear use of hashtags, for example: Using #sp; #spon; #client; #collab; etc. Adding #ad directly after the name of the brand or business (for example #xbrandad). When the disclosure (for example #ad, #advert) is not prominent because it is hidden at the end of or among other text and/or hashtags. Product placement where there is an associated (and undisclosed) payment or other incentive. Disclosing the commercial affiliation only on an influencer’s front, home or profile page. In conclusion. To make things easier for yourself and to insure you are covered under these new requirments always mark posts that have been gifted or paid for with either #Ad, #Advert or use the ‘Paid Partnership’ tool on Instagram in addition to these hashtags. Always state past relationships with brands so if you tend to create a lot of flatlays and you use multiple products that have been gifted to you, at the end state each individual product. Lastly, make sure you are putting #Ad at the beginning of your caption.
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BLOGGING 101
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TOP
The blogging world is saturated with many people nowadays, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still rise from the ashes and succeed in this industry. There are so many apps out there claiming to help, but how can you determine which ones are good or not? Well have no fear as we have done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of the five best apps for editing and getting paid and/or gifted campaigns.
editing apps
One Lightroom CC Adobe Lightroom CC for mobile is a free photo editor. It is the most advanced editor you can get, allowing you to fully transform your photography. The great thing about this app is that if you have Lightroom on your desktop you can sync them up so you can access your photos whenever you want. It also allows you to have your presets on your phone, making editing on the go, a whole lot easier. Two Snapseed Snapseed is professional photo editor developed by Google. It is a very easy app to use (once you know your way around) and allows you to tweak even the tinest of details. It is very different to the Lightroom app in the fact that you can use a brush tool and apply it to a specific area. Use the dodge and burn brush for getting rid of unwanted shadows, the saturation brush for getting rid of areas that are too warm or too cool and the healing brush to get rid of marks or creases. 6 | INFLNCE
BLOGGING 101
Three Unfold Unfold is an app to up your story game. It allows you to tell your stories in a more engaging and beautiful way, with 25 free templates available, plus 90 premium ones which start from only 99p! Our favourites are RP1 and FF1. There is also an array of fonts to pick from, 6 being free and the others starting at only 99p. It supports not only photos but videos aswell. Four Tezza Tezza is a free app created by the one and only Tessa Barton (By Tezza, @Tezza). This app is perfect if you’re a bit of a novice with editing, boasting many ready made presets which will transform your photos with one single click. You can also adjust certain settings to make them look just how you want by adjusting things like saturation, highlights and shadows. There are four free presets available to use and from just £1.79 a month (£17.99 a year) you can have acess to the full nineteen. Five Canva Canva is an amazing app to have on your phone (or computer) because you can use it for so many things. For social media you can create logos, story templates, story highlights, graphics for in feed posts... the options are endless. You can create your own designs or choose from 60,000 free templates created by professional designers.
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BLOGGING 101
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blogging apps One Tribe Tribe is an app which allows you to apply for paid campaigns for brands you already love and use. They have campaigns for all genres and have had ones with brands such as Rimmel, John Frieda and Colgate just to name a few! The app is very straight forward and you can scroll through the relevant campaigns, all you have to do is upload your photo and caption just as you would on Instagram and wait with fingers crossed for it to be accepted. If accepted, you can get paid within 48hrs. Below you can find their recommended rates.The only catch about this app is that you need a minimum of 3,000 followers to be eligble to apply for campaigns but, having 3,000 followers allows you to get ÂŁ50 per post which, for somone just starting out is not bad at all.
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Two Takumi Takumi is another app which allows you to get paid campaigns but works in a slightly different way to Tribe. Firstly, for Takumi you only need a minimum of 1,000 followers so it instantly becomes more accessible for a newbie blogger. Campaigns will appear according to the genres you selected. You are able to read through the whole brief and request to participate. The type of campaigns available to a fashion/beauty/lifestyle blogger are Primark Beauty, offering £110, Remington UK, offering £135 and Cataphil Skincare, offering £90. As you can see the price can differ depending on brand. Three Socialight Socialight is a fairly new influencer app, but it is definitely on the rise. It currently caters for Bristol and Bath based bloggers but the great thing about this app is that you do not need a minimum follower count! The majority of the campaigns on the app currently are food, or event related, allowing bloggers to get a free lunch, dinner or a day out to; The Roman Baths in return for coverage on your Instagram for example. A handy feature is that when you apply YOU can provide the date and time you are available to create the content which is perfect for someone that has quite a busy schedule. Four Zyper Zyper, unlike the other three apps where pretty much anyone can sign up, you have to be invited into for certain campaigns. It works in a purely gifted basis but instead of a ‘one off’ collaboration like the other apps you become a ‘brand partner’ for a minimum of three months for certain brands. You can work with brands like Topshop, Dior, Elf Cosmetics to Voxi, Magnum and Bloom and Wild so there is something for everybody. Five Brandbassador Brandbassador, albeit not as good as the previous four apps is still one worth looking at. You apply to become an ambassador for brands, some you will get accepted for straight away, others pend a review and a few are by invitation only. Once an ambassador you can complete missons for the brand, each rewarding you in either cash, a giftcard or a freebie. The missons vary from simply requesting to get one of their items and in return you create a post, commenting on their recent posts, to doing a blog post about their products. To withdraw the money you accumulate within the app you need to reach ‘Gold’ level. The types of brands you can be an ambassador for include Ideal of Sweden and Paul Hewitt.
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INTRODUCING
george friend
INTRODUCING:
INTRODUCING
George Friend, also known as Oh My George on Instagram (@ohmygeorge_) is a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger from Bristol, currently finishing his degree in Fashion Marketing at Falmouth University. He has been blogging for eight years and since then has done extemely well for himself. Being one of the creators behind the blog WorkIt which successfully gained over 20,000 views worldwide, he decided to go off by himself and create not one but two solo blogs. He currenty has a blog called George Friend Chapters which was awarded Best Male Fashion Blog in the UK back in late 2016 and since then he started blogging about relationships and sex which was influenced by The Sex in The City stories, and was subsequently awarded Best Relationship in the UK/ Europe in 2017. George is influenced by many fashion icons such as Grace Coddington, Zandra Rhodes and also musical ones, such as Barbra Streisand. George has a very distinct personality and quirkly flare for fashion, very influenced by a variety of eras but especially the 80s and 90’s. He regulary shops at charity shops or vintage kilo sales but his favourite high street retailers are Zara, Asos and Topman. Something George is known for is his ‘Daily outfit rundown’s’ where he creates short videos on Instagram stories, letting his followers know what he’s wearing that day and always offers a style tip. “If you’re having a casual day and need to dress it up a little - wear a tailored jacket or coat as it can really elevate an outfit. Wear simple block colours such as black or grey or blue and pair it was a solid colour that accompanies the look well.” We asked George what tips he’d give someone just starting out and where he sees Oh My George going in the future... I did a talk at Pure London in the summer and I had a very similar questioned asked. I’d say be authentic and always know why you started. Don’t do it because it’s a trend. Do it to make a difference even if it’s to only 4 people, because I’m sure one day it would be to many people! Oh gosh, good question. Well I don’t usually plan with blogging. Previously that worked because the blogging world had literally began. But I’d like to think I’d be back up and running. But I’d say professionally either working in PR in fashion communication or a fashion journalist working with the editor team as that’s my end goal. INFLNCE | 11
INTRODUCING
Robyn Elizabeth (@robyn. elizabeth_) is a Devon based blogger who talks about travel, fashion, happiness and sustainability. With a love for creating content from quite early on she loves how it can take you back to the moment it was taken. She remembers how she felt, what was happening and the wonderful people around her. When she shares pictures she hopes that she can give whoever is looking at them, the same kind of nostalgia. Currently working for a ethical and sustainable independant clothing business she wants to show people that if you don’t have much money that there are smater and cheaper ways to fulfill whatever you’re looking for. Her whole feed is filled with outfits she has styled. the majority of her wardrobe was found in charity shops with the rest being good quality clothing made well and fairly. Her style is very much influenced by Audrey Hepburn and 90’s Jennifer Anniston but it can always change depending on the occasion or how she is feeling. Robyn starting blogging when she wasn’t in the best place emotionally and it was something that gave her a glimmer of hope when everything else around her felt lost. She was able to find other people that felt the same way. It is because of this that she uses her Instagram to act as a constant reminder of how lucky she is or was at one time. Robyn uses it to constantly strive to improve herself and show people that there is so much good you can do when you put effort in. She is inspired by many people and loves anyone that just shows their truest self or just one part of them in the deepest most emotional way, as she can relate to them but some of her favourite Instagram accounts include Aimee Song (@ aimeesong), Matilda Djerf (@matildadjerf) and Sorelle Amore (@sorelleamore). Her advice for anyone wanting to start a blog would be to simply post what makes you happy or else you are posting for other people and thats when it becomes a chore, not a passion. 12 | INFLNCE
INTRODUCING
INTRODUCING:
robyn elizabeth
INTRODUCING
INTRODUCING:
hello jodie
INTRODUCING
Jodie (@hello_jodie) is a fashion and lifestyle blogger from Cornwall, UK. She has been blogging for two and a half years but has recently been successful in gaining over 10,000 followers in the space of just a few, short months. Working at Topshop full time she has developed her own unique, personal style which she is able to translate via her social media platforms. Drawn to create content from the off-set, and always striving to put her energy into something that was hers, rather than working for someone else or having boundaries. Heavily inspired by travel blogs, people who express their individuality.
Jodies says, “blogging takes a lot of time and persistance and quite often, money. People tend to underestimate what Influencers are capable of and how much work actually goes into there Instagram feeds and personal blogs so you need to make sure you have a passion for it rather than just doing it to gain free things. If you truly believe it is your calling in life then go with the flow and energy and express who you are!” Jodie is currently travelling around Europe with her boyfriend in their yellow self converted TF van called Sunny. Jodie is wanting to show a different side to her and the reality of van life from having to be extremely minimal (a complete 180 on her previous content as a fashion blogger), the ristrictions on simple things like showering and going to the toilet but also showcasing the beautiful places they visit along the way. They haven’t got a return date booked yet and haven’t planned where they are going to go. So far they have been to France, Spain and are currently in Portgual. You can follow Jodies travels on her other account @wherewego_. INFLNCE | 15
BLOGGING 101
tipsand
tricks
Always wonder how to create a beautiful flatlay or how other bloggers get to work with so many great brands? Well we’re here to help you get your blog and/or Instagram in tip top shape with this curated list of tips and tricks to get it to be the best it can be!
HOW TO:
Mastering a Flatlay
Something that gets asked or pinned regulary is how to create the perfect flatlay. Heres the big secret -- they arent actually as hard or as daunting as you’d imagine. The two big components of perfecting a flatlay is layers and placement. Adding layers allows you to bring more depth and context to your photo and where you place things can be the difference between a good flatlay and a bad one. Before you begin you need to plan. What are you hoping to accomplish, what kind of mood do you want to set and most importantly, what is the main component(s) of the image? STEP 1: PROP SHOPPING Don’t think you HAVE to go out and spend some coins to create the perfect flatlay. Most of the time you will have stuff lying around your house that would work just fine, you just have to look, and keep an open mind. If you’re going for quite a feminine feel, look for things like, candles, flowers (fake or real), confetti or sequins, ribbons and pretty coloured or patterned card potentially saved from previous gifts or parties. Stick to colours that compliment each other and preferably ones that match the theme of your account. Other good things to add is texture; a knitted jumper, a velvet top, a silky tablecloth... the list is endless! So you probably will have to venture outside for additional items. You probably already have an idea of exactly what you’re after but you don’t have to spend a fortune. You just need to know where to look, which is what we have done for you! We’ve found the best places include, but are not limited to, charity shops (you never know what you might find!), Wilkos, Poundland... yes that’s right, we said Poundland! And finally craft/haberdashery shops. Just bare in mind you probably need more items than you’d think. Trust us when we say there is nothing worse than setting everything up to find you’re one short of an item. STEP 2: THE SETUP Find the lightest place in your house, preferably right next to a window so you will get a nice even light. Either use a table or work from the floor if you space is limited or you can’t be bothered to re-arrange the furniture. Think about your background, do you want it to be just plain and simple white or potentially something with a funky print? Whatever your choice, it does not have to cost you anything. Go to your local DIY store and simply collect a few “samples”. Our favourite is the white wooden floorboard effect but you could choose anything from marble to sparkly. 16 | INFLNCE
BLOGGING 101 STEP 3: THE LAYOUT Start by gathering all of your products and seperating them into piles of what you know you want to shoot together. Start with items like books or jumpers to start creating the kind of shape you want. With books, try and place them in the centre of the shot and items like jumpers and/or flowers off to the side so the other items can take centre stage. When it comes to placing items in the shot think about scattering them through the frame rather than all clumped together. Play with angles and layering some over one another. Eventually you will be able to tell what works and what doesn’t. STEP 4: THE SHOT Choose your weapon of choice. Your phone will normally be fine but if you want a higher quality image you can do more with in post, (editing) then opt for a DSLR camera. With either, make sure your hands are steady and parallell to the shot and squared off evenly so it is not showing any of edges of the floor or table. This will save you from cropping it out when editing. When you begin to take shots think about moving objects around or swapping them for something else, something might look more aesthetically pleasing than the original item. Play around with angles. Moving closer to the table or ground will give you more depth of field and will change the feel of the image completely. It also gives you extra shots which you can use in the future! And the most important bit of advice? Play around and have fun with it!
STEP 5: EDITING This is the most exciting bit as it can change the look of the photo instantly and go from 0 to 100. You would have read previously, the top apps we recommend which include Lightroom, Snapseed and Tezza but if you want to get a bit more creative look at A Design Kit and Afterlight. A Design Kit allows you to get a bit more creative by being able to add designs anywhere to your photos. Choose from paint brushes, fonts or shapes in any colour you desire! Afterlight lets you add lens flare and effects like colour shift and dust to make it more retro looking. The final step is to upload it to your social platforms and watch the likes, comments and shares roll in! Happy shooting. INFLNCE | 17
BLOGGING 101
HOW TO:
Take Initiative
Brand outreach, making yourself known and knowing your worth. For many of you bloggers out there, blogging is simply a hobby and you will post whatever you want, whenever you want (which is absolutely fine), however, if you want to take your little space to the next level and work with your favourite brands, whether you have been blogging for 5 years or 5 days we have all the tips to help you know exactly what to say and do to help you get those oh so precious collaborations under your belt. As I’m sure you will already know if you have been blogging for a decent amount of time, collaborations can sometimes drop into your inbox from time to time and what a lovely surprise that is too but, you cant expect to just sit there and wait for that to happen all the time, especially if you’re thinking of making a career out of your blog. How do you go about asking your favourite brands if they want to work together? Well, we have broken it down for you so you can be on your way to getting those dream collaborations!
ACCESSIBILITY
First things first, you want to make sure people can find you easily. That means setting your profile to public and adding your email adress clear to see on your Instagram as well as a link to your website. Following PR and Influencer agencies is always a good idea. There are so many out there so, by following them you can be reminded of them and easily be able to contact them anytime. It also increases your chances of them contacting you if they see you regularly engaging with their account as chances are, they are looking for fresh new creatives for upcoming campaigns. A few good ones to check out are Dowal Walker (@dowalwalkerpr), The Blogger Programme (@ tbp_social) and The Studio (@thestudio.london).
REACHING OUT
What we suggest is the best way to start out is by firstly, making a list of all the brands you would want to work with and note down next to them why. What do you love about their brand and what do you have to offer them? It’s these points which will make your email stand out from all the other unpersonalised or generic ‘template’ emails. That being said there’s no harm in using the same type of template to help you not forget all the points you want to make but, make sure you do personalise it to the brand! If you have loved a product of theirs for years tell them. If it’s a brand you’ve never used before but know it would benefit you, tell them how. Remember to link your social accounts and blog so they can see what you are capable of creating and see if your aesthetic is in keeping with their brand. Emailing is often the best way to contact brands and they normally have a PR email but if in doubt, send it to their 18 | INFLNCE
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generic ‘hello@xbrand.com’ email and most of the time they will forward it to the right people. Sending a little message to the brand on Instagram is also, however, becoming more of an acceptable and popular way of communication but set yourself realistic goals. Don’t message Topshop or Primark straight off the bat, although you never know, one day you could work for them.
KNOW YOUR WORTH Sometimes it may be tempting to accept every collaboration that lands into your mailbox. Whilst this isn't a bad thing, especially if you're just starting out and want to get your foot in the door, we'd advise doing your research first. Are they a legit brand? What are there ethos? And lastly, does the brand fit with your aesthetic? One of the most important factors in this industry is knowing your worth. Whether that's being picky and not accepting every collaboration under the sun or knowing when to start asking for payment. Most of you might have not even considered getting money from collaborations, especially if you feel your following is quite low compared to others but the truth is, brands are becoming more invested in micro-influencers nowadays. If the brand is pretty big, they, more often than not have a budget. You just have to take initiative and ask! But how do you ask correctly and without offence? Its simple really. Keep it friendly yet chatty and professional sounding. You’d start by saying the standard thanks for getting in touch with you and that you’re glad they like your blog/Instagram. Follow up with simply saying, “Do you have any budget for payment on top of gifting at all?” The worst that’s going to happen is they say no, and you can either politely decline the collaboration or still accept if it really is a brand you would like to work with. If they say yes however, they will most likely ask to see your statistics as you’re asking for money, they will want to see if it will benefit them too so having an up-to-date media pack with all your info on is the easiest and most professional way of presenting it. Be prepared for them to negiotate the price, just remember to know when to walk away if they offer a price that is too low.
BE FRIENDLY AND REMEMBERABLE Being friendly can get you so far in this industry. If you’re a pleasure to work with, can execute the brief well and are efficient with replies and getting the content up then you have a good chance of getting to work with them again on future campaigns. Word can spread so easily within PR and Sister companies so it could also lead you to future collaborations with other companies too.They will know you can deliver and be reliable. Channel all your passion into every collaboration and make sure you always keep the brand updated and send across images to be approved. Posting extra after the collaboration even if you weren’t asked to his another way of showing the brand or company that you enjoyed the products. INFLNCE | 19
UP AND COMERS
1. Sofia Condes
Blog Name: Forever Fi Age: 20 Started blogging: 2018 Based: Southampton Monthly views: n/a Blogging platform: Wix Twitter handle: @foreverfiblogs Instagram handle: @foreverfi_ No. of Instagram followers: 1,570 Camera: iPhone Contact: foreverfi.info@gmail.com
Sofia is a lifestyle, beauty and mental health/self-care blogger currently studying Environmental Sciences at Southampton University. Extremely passionate about the enviroment and spreading positivity, she has written posts about why having a break from social media is good for you to tips for feeling confident in front of the camera. Something you’ll know about Sofia if you follow her, is that she has a long term obsession with collecting greeting cards. You will always find them dotted around her feed and blog. Sofia was inspired to start blogging after finding the very talented Olivia Purvis on Instagram (@livpurvis). She is constantly influenced by Liv and ‘The Insucure Girl’s Club’ (@theinsecuregirlsclub) she founded and is where she gets a lot of her inspiration for her own trails and tribulations of being a univeristy student, suffering with mental health. Sofia blogs just as a hobby currently so is a big advocate of taking as many breaks away from social media not only to focus more on her studies, but for her mental health too.
TOP TIP
Sofia's top tip for anyone wanting to start blogging is “As soon as you find yourself getting stressed out with posting, numbers whatever it may be, take a step back and go and do something that really makes you happy. Always make sure you enjoy it and keep a good support network around you when things get a little bit tough! I’ve made some amazing gal friends through my blog and I would definitely say to reach out to people online too! There are so many amazing people in the blogging community, some you can become life-long friends with along the way!”
UP AND COMERS
2. Sallie Ball
Blog Name: Styled with Sallie Age: 23 Started blogging: 2019 Based: Manchester Monthly views: n/a Blogging platform: Wix Twitter handle: n/a Instagram handle: @styledwithsallie No. of Instagram followers: 3,800 Camera: Canon 400d Contact: styledwithsallie@gmail.com
Sallie is a fashion and lifestyle blogger originally from the North East but is now based in Manchester. After graduating last summer from Fashion Communication she is now working in Marketing whilst freelance blogging on the side. Sallie, unlike most of the girls we spoke to wasn’t influenced by anyone on Instagram to start blogging. She has always had a passion for style and it just came naturally to her. She loves writing more ‘think pieces’ such as being more environmentally friendly with our fashion choices and the reality and tips of moving to a new city. Sallie is all about living in the moment and enjoys the journey of finding herself and discovering her passions. Sallie doesn’t have one set personal style, she dresses according to how she feels on a daily basis which is evident from her Instagram feed. Her favourite pieces this season are midi skirts as they’re so versatile and easy to wear and florals as they are so timeless and look good for any occasion.
TOP TIP
Sallies important lesson she’s learned this year and top tip for everyone out there is to stop overthinking, and to start doing. “It really does you no good to bury your head under the covers, conjure up imaginary scenarios and worry about how things which will / won’t work out. Occasionally we all need a day in bed to escape our worries, but don’t let this turn into a habit. Worrying does not solve problems, only working hard to change the situation will.”
UP AND COMERS
3. Amy Coles Blog Name: The Auburn Agenda Age: 21 Started blogging: 2016 Based: Northampton Monthly views: 2,000 Blogging platform: Wordpress Twitter handle: @theauburnagenda Instagram handle: @theauburnagenda No. of Instagram followers: 4,400 Camera: Canon 1300d Contact: theauburnagenda@gmail.com
Amy, also known as The Auburn Agenda is a fashion, beauty and travel blogger based in Northampton. Currrently studying English Literature, Amy blogs as a hobby but one day hopes to do it full time and turn her blog more into travel related content, featuring the outfits and makeup she wears along the way. Her personal style is a mix of boho/hippie vibes, taking inspiration from the 70’s and 90’s. She is also very concious about the environment so tries to buy natural/cruetly free/organic makeup and skincare as much as possible and purchase good quality clothes that will last and have been sourced more ethically. Over on The Auburn Agenda, Amy posts twice weekly (normally Monday and Thursday) talking about all things beauty and fashion related. Amy’s Instagram feed is filled with stunning golden hour portraits and product shots and an enviable wardrobe. Be sure to keep an eye on this one, she is going far.
TOP TIP Amy’s top tip for creating great content at home is to definitely get a tripod and find the best natural light whether that be in your house or in your back garden but most importantly to use your phone to control the camera by using the Canon Camera Connect app. It allows you to see what your camera is seeing on your phone, adjust focus and settings so you can take self portraits just like Amy!
UP AND COMERS
4. Lucy Love Blog Name: LJLV Age: 27 Started blogging: 2014 Based: Chester Monthly views: 2,000 Blogging platform: Wordpress Twitter handle: @lucy_jlove Instagram handle: @lucy_jlove No. of Instagram followers: 3,470 Camera: Olympus Pen EPL-9 Contact: lucyjlove@hotmail.com
Lucy Love is a Chester based freelance social media marketer running her own blog and Youtube channcel on the side. She blogs about fashion and personal style but also loves to write about beauy, lifestyle and travel. She first fell in love with blogging when she was 17 years old when a girl at the neighbouring college had a fashion blog, but back then it was something that was made fun of so she didn’t persue it, however, she had a Tumblr account and was ranked as one of the most popular blogs in the UK when ‘tumblarity’ was still a thing (about 2008/9). She then got invited to join Lookbook.nu which is where a lot of fashion bloggers started off. She never really used it much but through that she found other bloggers to follow and gradually started getting more and more into personal style. She actually set a blog up for her Mum first. After seeing how much her mum enjoyed it she then decided to just bite the bullet and start her own and she’s never looked back since!
TOP TIP Lucy’s top tip is to just get started! “Don’t hold back. If you really love it then let yourself enjoy it and don’t get caught up in the numbers game! I wish I’d utilised my other platforms more when I first started - I never really used Instagram for my blog pictures until I’d been blogging well over a year and even then I never used hashtags *facepalm* - this is perhaps my biggest blogging regret as I can only dream of where I’d be now if I’d taken advantage of Instagram properly
FEATURING
style petal
FEATURING:
Primrose Bigwood (@stylepetal) is a freelance blogger and actor based in Devon and London. Her blog primarily features content around fashion and beauty but it can also incorporate other aspects of her life and things she loves such as travel, lifestyle and fitness. Primrose has been interested in blogging since she was 12 years old, having used them as a relatable source of infomation and inspiration growing up, she loves how they can positively inspire individuals whether that be to do with fashion or your mindset. For ‘Style Petal’ herself, it all started back in 2014, issue of Elle in hand, seeing the slow rise of the fashion blogging scene being recognised and being featured in the street style sections of magazines. The rise of the ‘ootd’ is where Style Petal began but it has slowly evoled into more than that, cultivating a family of sorts of over 25,000 followers. I sat down with Prim to ask her, her thoughts on the impact of influencing, tips for people wanting to start out and where she sees Style Petal in the future. How do you feel about influencing thousands of young girls? I think everyone’s in a position of influence in some way, but definitely with online followings comes more responsibility. I think it’s a privilege that can often be taken for-granted. It’s such a powerful way to positively change the world we live in - whether that’s by raising awareness about a good cause or telling people where there’s great places to find decent fitting jeans! It’s the best feeling in the world when someone reaches out to let you know you’ve somehow positively impacted their lives. I’ve found by speaking up about things such as my acne journey and struggles, or perhaps other things people can relate to, really can have the power to reach someone and to give them the boost they need to seek help or gain confidence! Do you make a concious effort to empower women? 24 | INFLNCE
I like my online presence and socials to be a positive and constructive space. I often like to remind people of positive quotes, having an optimistic output and that it’s okay to struggle. I like to create beautiful content but at the same time, keep in my blunders, tell unfortunate stories and speak up about things I perhaps may be struggling with at a time. I also believe in being supportive of those around you, so often share amazing work others are doing and encourage people to do the same! Amazing things happen when we support and inspire each other! How you balance blogging with work, real life etc It can be tricky balancing things, like it is with anything in life, but I think eventually, you naturally will find a balance. It can be hard when you have a change/start a new job but you just have to take pressure off yourself and re-find a new balance or routine. When I started my blog I was in college, acting and have 2 waitressing jobs, so it was hard to fit
FEATURING
FEATURING
Any tips on someone wanting to start their own blog. What do you wish you’d have known when you first started out? I think the most important thing I always tell anyone is to just start. Lots of people put it off until they have the perfect camera, ’this’ handbag, the perfect website layout. With blogging, it’s never a finished product, it’s always growing and evolving with you, so it’s only natural that it won’t ever be ‘perfect’. Take the pressure off, don’t force things or do things because ‘a typical blogger’ does them. Bring something new and fresh to the table and emphasise your uniqueness; this is your selling point. Do it for enjoyment and don’t expect for a blogging career overnight, most people I know, who happen to make an income from blogging now, never planned that in the first instance. Let yourself be inspired and don’t beat yourself up when you aren’t, your best work will be when you’re really driven, so don’t worry about having an overambitious schedule of 4 hearty blog posts and week, and instead, focus on quality and not quantity.
recently, so have also started to focus on other things too, in order to enrich my life. I also think that spending time away can refresh you and feed you more creativity in the long run. I always like to be doing different things, so as much as blogging is a huge chunk of my life and job, I’m also having fun pushing my acting more, learning new skills and hobbies and enjoying time off my laptop. I’m essentially reversing a bit and bringing back the ‘hobby’ aspect of blogging, which after all, is where it all began for me anyway! I want to focus on enjoying it and doing things that really excite me! I hope I’ll still be doing it, but perhaps it could have evolved from now, a few years ago my writing
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You could be the juiciest peach in the world and there will still be someone who hates peaches!
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it all in. It meant I made sure that when I was blogging; it was for enjoyment, not out of obligation. If you don’t love doing something, it will show. I make time for it and enjoy it, instead of forcing anything. I have a bit more of a relaxed schedule some weeks, so I have to be strict in enforcing a routine and time for admin tasks as well as content creation, so that I can everything done. It’s strange going from some quiet weeks at home, finding motivation to write, to busy weeks, travelling and trying to schedule it in. I think lists and prioritising things are key in managing it and finding balance.
Where you see yourself and your blog going in a few years time I honestly have no idea what the future holds for Style Petal. Blogging, writing and bringing little ideas to life will always be a huge part of me, but the face of social media is forever changing, so its hard to predict. As it becomes more saturated, it’s reminded me to focus on my own projects and how I can differentiate myself in the industry. I also have noticed the importance of ironically, spending time away from social media
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PHOTOGRAPHERS
Photographers photographers When you are first starting out as a fashion blogger it can be hard to snap photos of your outfits. You will ask friends and family which is absolutely fine but if you really want to up your game then getting a photographer is always the best idea... but how do you find a photographer you may ask? Well, we have done the work for you and have collated a list of the top photographers in the blogging game from around the UK!
1. Bekky Lonsdale Bekky Lonsdale is a London based photographer specialising in fashion, portraiture, blogger, wedding and documentary photography. She also shoots on 35mm film and although she is based in London she is able to go anywhere in the UK and also worldwide. She has photographed many famous bloggers including Sara Waiste (sara_waiste), Isabella Thordsen (isabellath) and Starr Clare (starr_clare). Website: www.bekkylonsdale.com Instagram: @bekkylonsdalephoto Email: rebeccalouiselonsdale@gmail.com Hourly rate: n/a
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PHOTOGRAPHERS
2. Katherine Grace Katherine is a freelance photographer specialising in portrait, lifestyle, blogger and event photography based in the North of England and London. She works with anyone and everyone; bloggers, models, business owners, brands, actors etc. Her passion is working with fellow creative individuals to produce photographic content for their social media, websites, brand collaborations and campaigns. Website: www.katherinemcmorran.photography Instagram: @katherinemcphotography Email: katherinemcm95@gmail.com Hourly rate: n/a
3. Zoe Griffin Zoe Griffin is a fashion, events and blogger photographer based in London. She has photographed the likes of bloggers Jasmine Jonas (@jcjlifestyle), Sarah and Philippa (@wearetwinset), and Binky Felstead (@binkyfelstead). Instagram: @zoegriffinphoto Email: zoe_griffin@hotmail.com Hourly rate: ÂŁ50
PHOTOGRAPHERS
4. Lucy Alice Lucy is a Fashion, Lifestyle and Social Media photographer based in the South West and London. She is currently finishing her final year of Fashion photography at university and has photographed bloggers such as Hello Jodie (@hello_jodie), Katie Couture (@katiecoutureldn) and Leticia London (@iblacksnow). Instagram: @lucy_aliceb Email: lucyalicephotos@gmail.com Hourly rate: £70
5. Ami Ford Ami Ford is a freelance photographer and videograper based in Nottingham. She also shoots fashion and portraiture. You might have seen her work over on blogger ‘Petite Ellie’ (@petiteelliee) account as she photographs her regularly. Website: www.amifordphoto.com Instagram: @amifordphoto Email: amifordphoto@gmail.com Hourly rate: £50
PHOTOGRAPHERS
6. Stacey White Stacey White is a fashion blogger, brand, family and event photographer based in Hertforshire and London. Unlike the other photographers mentioned Stacey is a successful blogger herself. Stacey has photographed blogges Chloe Robertson (chloejade_story), Aysen Miller (stylebyaysh) and Emma Kirby (keepingupwithkirby) Instagram: @staceywhite_photography Email: staceylouwhite@gmail.com Hourly rate: £55
7. Sarah Ellen Sarah Ellen is a fashion street style photographer based in London. She has photographed bloggers such as Sophie Milner (@sophiemilner_fs), Amelia Taylor (@withameliataylor and Sara Waiste (@ sara_waiste) and is currently a shortlist for the Blogosphere Awards as ‘Photographer Influencer of the Year’. Instagram: @sarahellen_photography Email: sarahellenphotography@hotmail.com Hourly rate: n/a
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Acknowledgments
thanks to: • Primrose • Jodie • Robyn • George • Sofia • Amy • Lucy • Sallie
It would not have been possible without you.
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