DIARY directory recently caught up with Alice Spake from beauty and lifestyle blog, Annie Writes Beauty. Founded in January 2014 as a platform for beauty, the blog now showcases aspects of lifestyle and food content, as well as wedding-related features during the planning of Alice's wedding. Alice is additionally the founder of @sotonbloggers, a collective that brings together bloggers from in an around the area of Southampton, sharing local blogger events and get togethers. 

UK Beauty & Lifestyle Blogger

Founder of @sotonbloggers

Bloggers Blog Awards Highly Commended in Beauty
 

Listed in DIARY directory in the digital influencers subsection, along with 1000+ categorised influencers for PRs to work with, Alice shares how she grew her Instagram page successfully; her thoughts on traditional blogging vs social platforms; and her opinion on how brands/PRs can work better with influencers. 


When and why did you decide to start your blog?

I started my blog in January 2014 as I needed a hobby. My fiancé at the time was working late in the evening, it was winter and I needed something to fill my time other than Netflix. I'd always enjoyed writing and had read blogs myself for a long time and thought why not start my own?! Fast-forward almost three years and I can't remember what I did before.

Who are your core readers?

My readers are mainly 20+ in age. I'm 27 myself so what interested me when I was 18, wouldn't as much now. I want to know about the latest eye cream or anti ageing range and feel it reflects in age hits on my blog. It's a bit like a more grown up blog for a real mix.

You work in social media & marketing, does this affect how you work as a blogger?

I do, but I'm really fresh to this so I'm trying to get my blogger head off and my marketing head on. What works for my blog wouldn't necessarily work for my client and vice versa. When it comes to Instagram and Twitter I'm using what worked for me and it's slowly making progress (I've only had it a week!) but when it comes to their blog and other social channels I'm trying to implement it differently. I'm still learning their followers, customers etc and it's a completely different market, which I love. It's like starting from scratch again.

You juggle another job with blogging, what are your top tips, how do you manage your time?

My blog is very much my full time job now which I never thought I'd say and my IRL job is part time so I'm kinda fitting that around my blog. When I was working full time and blogging full time, planning what I was doing was a must. As I post daily, I'm not happy unless I have at least a weeks worth of posts & tweets scheduled, it just takes a little bit of stress away if I keep it that way. I do all my emails or replying to comments during my commute or in the bath (waterproof phone is a godsend!) and I always make sure I have some me time too, I would never want for my jobs to become my whole life.

"I think there needs to be a mutual understanding of posting deadlines, what is required and the exact promotion wanted. I tend to let PRs know that if it's skincare I'm reviewing, the post will be up in 6-8 weeks, make-up a bit sooner."

Do you have a rate card? Can you tell us an example of a cost?

I haven't but I do have a media kit being made by a friend at the moment. I've rarely been asked for one to be honest and if a brand comes to me they either have a budget in mind which I'll either be happy with or not, or I put forward what I'm happy to work for depending on what work is required.

With a cult following on Instagram, what are your top social media tips for growing a following?

I found growing my Instagram easier by posting regularly, at least two - three posts a day, always uploading with the same filter (I use Vsco HB2) and always replying to comments. Replying to comments really helps with engagement especially with the new algorithm. I'm also in a few Instagram pods with other bloggers where we let each other know when we post a new photo so we can like and comment on each other’s posts. It makes a huge difference.

Do you think traditional blogging will fade out in favour of YouTube and social channels like Instagram and Snapchat?

I personally don't think so. You'll always have people preferring to read a post over sitting and watching a YouTube video. I rarely watch YouTube videos because I don't always have the time whereas I can catch up with my favourite blogs while commuting. I also use and watch Snapchat when I have the time. Instagram is probably the main platform I use regularly and constantly scroll through.

How do you think brands/PRs can work better with influencers? Any pet peeves?

I think there needs to be a mutual understanding of posting deadlines, what is required and the exact promotion wanted. I tend to let PRs know that if it's skincare I'm reviewing, the post will be up in 6-8 weeks, make-up a bit sooner. The majority of PRs understand this as they want the product fully tested out and I'm quite lucky I suppose that I've never had an issue. As long as you set out what you need to do and vice versa I find it works better.

I also think you should update the PR when the post is going live or if there is a delay and always send the link across when the post is live. Just because the social team has retweeted it, it doesn't mean the PR has seen it. We're all just doing a job at the end of the day.

Do you use product placement & what are your thoughts on disclosure for ads?

I use product placement on Instagram and Facebook, usually in the background or in a flatlay. I will also, always disclose whether a post, Instagram, tweet or Snapchat is an ad or affiliate. I think it's really important that you're completely honest with all your followers. Not all of them with be bloggers/vloggers and may not know that the link they're clicking is paid. From the beginning I've declared everything and I'll never stop doing it.

Is there something else you’d like to branch into?

I've thought about YouTube a bit in the last six months but I'm not sure it's for me. I think I'll just stick to Snapchat for the moment, which is alicea89 if you want to check it out :). 

What other bloggers / influencers do you follow and why?

I love Gracie Francesca for her honesty, fight and all round beliefs, Brogan Tate for being so honest in her weekly vlogs, Vix Meldrew for talking about all things sex and dating and Jemma from Dorkface for bringing such a community together with The Girl Gang.

Contact

Annie Writes Beauty in 'digital influencers'