New feature alert: The Interview
Now there are many things that I love about blogs- the fact that I can get some awesome style inspiration quicker than I can skip down to my local newsagents, how easy it is to gain great, knowledgeable advice on a range of products and discover great new writers with a simple tap on my keyboard. But I think often the most interesting aspects of blogs are the people behind them. So today, I'm starting a new series of posts interviewing some of my favorite bloggers, to find out just a little bit more about them and give an insight into the blogging world. First up, the lovely Em Sheldon from EmTalks, a beauty and lifestyle blog that's one of my must-reads...
There are many lifestyle blogs out there, but yours definitely has a personal touch that makes it stand out. Do you think this has contributed to your success, and how do you achieve this?
I just write as if I'm chatting
to my friends, I guess that's what a blog is all about. I don't think a blog should be
like an English literature essay, it
should be easy to read and relaxing. I read blogs which have nice photos
and where I can really connect with the author. I like to think that I'm really
down to Earth on my blog, so hopefully people can connect with me too. A blog really is just your own little space on the internet though, so you can write it
however you like. I know that a lot of people do enjoy my blog because of the
personal touch, I’ve had a lot of emails from lovely readers about that so I
guess it has helped yes.
The
aesthetic of your blog is very clean and simple. Do you think this is important
for attracting readers?
Thank
you, yes I do. When I first started blogging my blog was so ugly, so I decided
to just make it modern and easy to use. I think ease of use is really
important. But again, it’s your personal space so it depends - if you love
pink, go for a bright pink blog - your blog should show your personality
and in terms of decor/interior/design, I've always been a minimalist.
You seem
to have achieved the tricky job of balancing your blog as both an online diary
and a place to post honest reviews. Do you ever worry about blog posts becoming
too personal, or too generic?
Ah, yeah
this was difficult to do, but to be honest, I never wanted to be just a beauty
blogger. I feel like I do so much stuff that I want to share with the world. I absolutely love beauty blogs, but I feel
like as a girl, we do so much more than just use make up. We go out for
nice meals, cocktails, dates but also we have horrible experiences which if we
discuss them, can maybe help other girls
in the same situation. I decided that most girls who love beauty, will also
love going for drinks and will appreciate nice food, so I generally do around
80% beauty and the rest lifestyle. Primarily I am a beauty blog, but I love to
dip into lifestyle posts here and there, it also makes my blog more personal. I did a post about how I overcame bitchiness and bullying
which was very well received and it took me a lot to write it.
Do you
like to write when you get inspired or stick to a strict blogging schedule?
It really
is just when inspiration comes. I've
done a lot of scheduling on the train before and then got home and deleted it
all and started again because it's just too robotic, I like to just go with the
flow and really go off on a tangent.
What are
your favorite types of posts to write?
I like
doing in depth reviews, but then at the moment I’m loving doing travel, I love
taking my camera out and taking lovely photos and letting people see a place through my eyes. Watch this space on the
travel front!
Do you
feel doing a media related degree has benefited your blog?
Not
really whatsoever, I started my blog to get into Uni. It's a bit of a random
degree and we don't really do much about the media, it's more law, politics and
then TV and radio. I wish we did blogging but no one on my course has a blog
either which surprised me, just me I think!
You've
been quite pro-active in the blogging community, organising meet-ups. What has
this been like?
I've met
some great girls. I didn't get anything out of organising my meet up in
terms of money, I purely organised it for other girls in the North; I
brought together girls who had been speaking online for years and it was worth
it all just to see how well everyone got along. It was nice to be able to
bring such a large community together but if you set your mind to it, you
can do anything. I've always loved organising things and helping people so
I thought that was a great opportunity to have a great girls day, I didn't
realise just how many people would turn up. I'd love to do another one but it
really was a lot of pressure/stress organising the whole thing by myself for
over 70 attendees so maybe in the future we will have another #northmeetup!
For you,
what has been the main benefit of blogging?
I think
the main benefit of blogging is been able to get my truthful opinion across. There are too many celebrities who are
paid to tell you that something is good and magazines are probably the same in
some ways. I just feel like you shouldn't trick the consumer, particularly when
they're loyal readers who put their faith
and trust into you, so that's why I am always 100% honest on my blog with everything I review or discuss. Also,
I've met some absolutely lovely friends
through blogging which really makes it great. I've also been lucky enough to go
to some fantastic events and work with some lovely brands but seriously,
meeting some life-long friends
through blogging has to be the top of my list.
Do you plan on developing your YouTube channel
alongside your blog?
Yes yes
yes! That's
my goal this summer. I'd love to know what people want to see from me. I've
been doing fitness videos at the moment as lots of people requested them.
Where do you see yourself and your blog in five
years time?
I will have finished University
so hopefully I will have done a year abroad, gained lots of work
experience and have grown my blog enough to be doing it as a full
time career and living the life of a freelance journalist!
Check out Em's blog here at EmTalks, her YouTube channel here, or tweet her @emshelx.
(All picture credits go to Em.)
(All picture credits go to Em.)
lovely post to read :)
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ps. check out my new givaway to win a goodie bag of drugstore favourites! click here
great interview!
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