Hint: It's tougher than you think
If you want to become your own fashion influencer, the first thing you need to know is there's more to it than picking a pretty dress and knowing how to pose for a #ootd post on Instagram. Like any job, if you want to be successful, you have to be prepared to work hard.
Don't believe us? We caught up with Victoria from In The Frow, who told us exactly what she does in a day, and how she managed to make a career out of blogging (she has almost 800k followers on Instagram alone, in case you're wondering).
What does a typical day in the life of a fashion blogger looks like?
Most days I start at 8am, the light wakes me up and I jump straight onto my laptop. Emails are my first point of call, catching up on a few I may have missed overnight and those that need an urgent reply. I'll message a morning hello to my managers and my other half, Alex, will usually bring me an Iced Soya Vanilla Latte in bed whilst I start work - if it’s a good day!
In honesty, depending on how many emails I have to get through, I can be sat in bed until 10am most days, if I don't have meetings. But I am usually out of the house by 10am latest, off to a meeting in the city or at an event with a brand. I try to book in back-to-back meetings or events so I am out of the house most of the day, meaning other days I can stay in the house to write and edit.
I catch up on emails in the cab on my way to the meetings, and then again on the way back, although my motion sickness cannot usually cope! But I often battle through it in the hope of getting more work finished.
I'll often be home by 4pm and jump back onto my laptop. I'll open up a blog post that needs editing and start writing on a new topic. I try to upload a new blog post three times a week, which can take a few hours at a time, so I fit that in wherever I can.
We will usually eat dinner around 7.30-8 after I've finished work. I'll then head to the gym around 9pm until 10pm. I prefer to go to the gym when it's almost empty and it means I can get straight home to shower and get into bed right after.
From 11pm, I'll often be in bed but back on my laptop, finishing off any last minute emails, checking Twitter, pinning my latest images to Pinterest or editing a new vlog for YouTube.
How do you become a fashion blogger?
My fashion degree and PhD only increased my love for fashion and textiles, plus they had a great influence on my ability and love for writing. I fell in love with the blogs of others in the industry and decided that I wanted to find my own voice. I started a blog that was primarily beauty related in the early days and over time became more fashion orientated and related to the topics I adore the most.
How do you carve a niche in the blogging world?
It's truly hard to say, and if I knew the trick I would be doing more of that. But I think when I started, there were less bloggers who had managed to move into full-time blogging and everyone was still finding their feet in such a changing environment. I think I found my voice quite early on and was consistent with my content. I would post once or twice per day at the beginning, as I was trying to grow my audience and enhance my SEO. From there I kept going, posting and engaging.
How do you come up with content ideas for blog posts?
A lot of the time I would post my outfits on the day that I took the photographs, describing the pieces and brands. But in the last few years, I have wanted to offer more personal advice and reflections on every day topics. Quite often, a conversation with someone or an article I have read, or a tweet I see, will spark an idea for a post I feel I can spill my thoughts into. And for the beauty posts, whatever products I open and swoon at immediately, they go straight to the top of my list of items to post.
How do bloggers collaborate with brands?
I feel extremely lucky to have worked with the brands I have collaborated with. I turn down 99% of the potential jobs that come to me and only work with the brands I absolutely adore or that fit my own branding perfectly. I have always been strict on only writing about and promoting items that I would recommend to my mum. Otherwise, what’s the point? I have fantastic managers who deal with the business side of discussions and I am left to do what I do best, strategising and creating.
When did you realise you’d made it?
Honestly, I don't feel that way in the slightest. I am almost too modest and still find it hard to take compliments. But, I definitely saw a growth in my channels over the first four years – I think this came from consistency, engagement and good choices. Hard work and long nights certainly paid off. But I have so so much more I want to create and achieve and in no way can I become complacent. I have so many dreams and ideas that I'd love to bring to fruition and offer to my loyal readers in the future.
How do you foresee the future of blogging?
I believe that there will always be blogs, but what they will look like in the future may be entirely unique. The industry is very saturated, but that doesn't mean that anyone's voice should be less heard. I guess in some way, they just need to shout a bit louder. Bloggers need to keep innovating, pushing the boundaries of what has been done, or alternatively stick with what is working! I feel those bloggers that manage to keep inspiring and adapting to fit the mood, will be those that climb higher and higher.
What would you love to see yourself doing in 10 years?
I want to be doing what I'm doing now, just with much more going on. I'd love to have a few great achievements under my belt, a number of incredible projects that keep me busy and a lot of new ideas on the cards. I want to be the best blogger I can be, just with extra things going on to keep me challenged.
