DIARY directory recently caught up with blogger Ellie Adams, who founded the fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog The Elle Next Door. Ellie started her blog five years ago as an escape from a crazy job as a TV producer and for somewhere to ramble about her love of food, beauty, fashion and life in a signature chatty voice. It remained a hobby until nearly two years ago when she realised it could become a full-time job. 

UK fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger

Worked with Cartier, New Look, L'Oréal...

"Instagram is the biggest social media platform that drives
traffic to my blog"
 

Listed in DIARY directory in the digital influencers subsection, along with 1000+ categorised influencers for PRs to work with, Ellie tells us about going full time, why she's not signed with an agency and the importance of Instagram.

How did your role as a TV Producer help you launch your website, YouTube channel etc?

I actually already had my blog when I was working in TV but being in production definitely gave me the confidence to finally start a YouTube channel as I already knew how to film and do a basic edit. I had never been in front of the camera before so nothing can prepare you for that but I'd been so used to being around cameras and lights that I definitely felt more at ease.

When was the moment you realised you could go full time?

I never really had an "I can go full time now" moment. I'd finished producing a TV show about psychics which I absolutely hated and I just decided to give myself a month off to work on my blog and have a bit of a break (6 day weeks and 16hour days for four and a half years catches up with you eventually). After a month, so much had changed so quickly, my stats, my emails, I was being invited to a lot of events and I'd even had a couple of sponsored jobs come through so I decided to just give myself another month and eventually so many opportunities were coming through that I never needed to go back into TV. 

What's an average day in the life for you?

That's such a difficult question as no two days are the same. But most days would involve waking up at 6am, doing a couple of hours of emails or post writing before heading to a breakfast meeting. I then find a little cafe and set up shop, working for a few hours until my next meeting and that pretty much carries on all day. Other days, I'm at home all day working on content and dealing with emails/blog admin. Other days I'm on set all day, there really is no average.

Are you signed to a management/influencer agency?

I'm not signed to anyone and in all honesty, having worked with agencies in the past and experiencing both, I much prefer to go it alone. I love having relationships with PR's and brands and feeling fulfilled when the final collaboration is complete knowing that I've negotiated, planned and created everything by myself.

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

I do have a rate card but my rates do tend to differ with every collaboration as the content, brief and requirements will always be different. My stats have also been increasing quite quickly of late so I have to stay on top of increasing my rates to match those.

What catches your eye in a press release/brand collaboration e-mail?

The most important thing for me in a press release or brand collaboration is purely the brand itself. If it's a brand I love then I'll immediately check it out straight away. 

"A lot of my work will be just Instagram content only... and I understand that because it's instant, it's engaging, and it does drive traffic to other platforms too"  

What have been your favourite sponsored collaborations to date?

Ooh this is a toughie as I have been so lucky to collaborate with some of my dream brands but I did collaborate with Cartier late last year which was a total dream for me. That was really special.

Printed magazines vs blogs, what do you think the future holds?

We've already seen such a shift between print media to digital and I think this will only continue further. I think more and more brands will invest in influencers rather than print advertising and I think a lot of magazines will move over into online only. It's a really exciting time to be part of the online world right now! 

How important is social media to your blog? What platforms drive the most traffic to your site?

Social media is incredibly important to my blog but also by itself too. A lot of my work will be just Instagram content only... and I understand that because it's instant, it's engaging, and it does drive traffic to other platforms too. Instagram is the biggest social media platform that drives traffic to my blog.

What are your top social media tips for growing a following?

I genuinely think everyone has a different "journey" but for me, consistency was key. I try to post around twice a day at a similar time and whilst I don't have a theme in terms of colour, I try to stick to the same sort of fashion and lifestyle type shots so people know what to expect. Regrams from big brands will always make a difference too. 

You also have a YouTube channel; will this ever be your sole focus or will your blog continue to be your main platform?

For now, as my blog is my main source of income and biggest platform in terms of reach, this is definitely the main focus. I wish I had more time to focus on YouTube but for now it's just as and when I can.

What is one piece of advice you would give to budding YouTubers?

Again I think consistency is everything. It doesn't have to be a lot of content, but if your subscribers know you upload one a week on a certain day then they'll know when to expect a video. I'd also say have a few videos filmed and ready to go before you launch your channel so that if you get busy you still have some as a back-up and don't fall behind.

What other bloggers /influencers do you follow and why?

Oh I follow SO many bloggers and influencers. Lots are now some of my closest friends but I would say my favourite at the moment has to be Ohh Couture, her travel shots are just beautiful and I'm always inspired by her.

Contact

Ellie Adams in 'digital influencers'