DIARY directory recently caught up with Liverpool-based lifestyle blogger Jemma Morgan Humphreys from Dorkface blog. Dorkface was created in March 2014 and has since been dedicated to lifestyle, beauty, art, craft and anything creative. In addition to blogging, Jemma is also a full time illustrator, where she designs YouTube and blog headers, logos for small businesses, custom illustrations and much more. Jemma posts at least four times a week on her blog and is also the founder of #TheGirlGang, an online community formed with over 2500 members.

"Dorkface is dedicated to lifestyle, beauty, art, craft and anything creative; a fun filled colourful explosion of positivity and creativity!"

Listed in DIARY directory in the digital influencers subsection, along with 1000+ categorised influencers for PRs to work with, Jemma provides insight on how she would like to be approached in regards to content; what possessed her to launch The Girl Gang initiative; as well as the real contenders of social media platforms and how engagement is a valuable indicator of success.

Who is the Dorkface reader?

The Dorkface readers are fabulous babettes who love beauty, photography, lots of colour, and anything creative! They put up with my chatty rambles, they support me through every creative endeavour and they laugh along with the tales of my clumsy adventures.

You created 'The Girl Gang' bloggers group, tell us a bit more about this and why it was started?

Sometimes I feel a bit like the Leslie Knope of the blogging world. I can be slightly annoying, with all this positivity; but I really can't help myself. I started The Girl Gang because I was desperate to inject a bit of a spark around this little corner of the Internet. It's easy to get bogged down in the negative vibes that can crop up, and The Girl Gang community tries to fight that. Be considerate of others, try spread a little love, and you know... just be nice?

Your content covers a variety of topics, but is there something you just wouldn't cover?

Never say never, and all that. I do quite like having the freedom my blog allows me. But I guess I probably wouldn't write about my political or religious views, as I wouldn't want to accidentally offend anyone with other beliefs, and I'm happy to keep it private. But those who get to know me well through my blog would probably be able to predict my beliefs anyway, I don't hide anything much.

How do you make your content different to others?

Maybe I don't, haha. I do desperately try though! It's so important to me to try and strive for a unique brand/voice/representation. I think it's really hard to be unique though, so I just stick to being myself. That's probably the closest way I can get to be as unique as possible. So this means I stick with a colourful vibe, I swear in some blog posts, and I speak honestly when I'm really unsure of something. I try to 'Jemma' everything up a little.

You're incredibly active across social media, how do you think social media will evolve for bloggers?

Oh man, no idea. I think the focus is going more and more onto platforms that really make you feel connected to your audience. So obviously there's YouTube [which Jemma has just launched this week], but also Snapchat and Periscope are now these huge contenders. I myself know that people start to see you as a real person when they can see and hear you, rather than just read words on a screen. They connect more, they're more interested in what you have to say, I think. So I think that'll continue to grow, but other than that? Who knows?

What advice / top tips would you give PRs looking to promote their clients through your blog?

Be very CLEAR about what you need with me straight out; please don't start changing what links you want in the post, or how it's written. And give as much freedom to me over the content as possible - I love to write! I want things written 100% from my point of view, in my voice. I don't want a set of buzzwords I need to tick off. Also, the very best PRs I've worked with are those who have been personable and friendly! It makes a huge difference, and I'm more likely to want to help you/work with you.

Blogging can - to an extent - be seen as a numbers game, however we believe that numbers don't always measure up to engagement. What does success mean to you and how do you measure it?

Yeah it's a strange one isn't it? I mean, we want those followers, but if we got no comments on a piece of content we've worked SUPER hard on, it can be so disheartening. I think for me, the thing that makes me the happiest is when people share my posts, on Twitter for example. It means they're engaging, they are a real fan of what I've done, and they are even helping me by sharing it out to their followers. That's awesome! And it helps both my following and engagement.

Are you forthcoming when it comes to PRs/brands requesting stats?

Yeah, completely. I have a media kit, which I keep updated with all my stats, and I know it’s not hard for them to check. I have absolutely no problem with it :)

Do you have a rate card – formal or otherwise? Can you tell us an example of a cost?

I don't have a rate card! I tried to do one, but honestly I found it pointless. My price honestly depends on the brand, the product, and the amount of time going into my work and if I'd be blogging about it anyway regardless of payment. But okay, for example, I never go below £50 for a sponsored post/collaborative work.
 

What other bloggers / influencers do you follow and why?

Naming favourites is impossible. But right now I'm obsessed with Fii.
 

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Dorkface in 'digital influencers'