DIARY Influencer: John Robertson from The Everyday Man
Date Posted: Tuesday 1st August 2017
DIARY directory recently caught up with Glasgow-based male fashion blogger John Robertson from The Everyday Man. John started his blog in 2012 and covers a range of topics from cars to male grooming.
Fashion, Fitness & Lifestyle Blogger
Worked with Aston Martin, Braun, Virgin Active & Samsung
"My gender split of readers is almost 50/50"
| Date of birth: | 23/10/84 |
| Country of residence: | UK |
| Biggest Readership Locations (list top 3): | UK, USA, Germany |
| 3 main areas of focus: | Fashion, Fitness, Lifestyle |
| 5 specific areas of interest: | Art, Travel, Grooming, Fitness, Fashion |
| Skin type: | Sallow |
| Hair colour: | Brown |
| Hair type: | Short |
| Shoe size: | UK 9 |
| Height: | 6ft |
What inspired you to start blogging?
I was inspired to get into the world of blogging by my mate Paula (of The LDN Diaries). She started her blog not too long before mine and talked me into setting one up.
How has the world of men’s fashion and men’s blogging changed since you started in 2012?
The whole blogging world has changed massively. Before I started mine I didn’t know much about blogs and had zero clue that being a blogger was a thing that you could do as a job. It’s blown up massively.
What type of content and posts work best for you?
I cover a really wide range of topics and I think that’s key, I don’t try to limit myself and like to appeal to quite a wide audience. Standing out in a saturated market is always hard but I guess I’m fortunate that I’ve been doing it for quite a while now so have built up a loyal audience.
Who are your core readers?
Believe it or not, my gender split of readers is almost 50/50. Even though I cover predominantly men’s lifestyle topics it seems to attract a mixed audience. The bulk of my readers (over 75%) are from the UK in the key cities of London, Glasgow and Manchester.Who are your favourite brands? Who would a dream collaboration be with?
I’m quite brand loyal in my everyday life. I know the stuff that I like and I tend to stick to it a lot. If I were to pick one favourite brand right now though it would be Adidas, I’m a bit obsessed. I’m not really one for splashing out on designer brands too often but I do have a soft spot for trainers (my collection is huge) so really any cool trainer brands really.What catches your eye in a press release/brand collaboration e-mail?
A personalised email. I know that PR’s are really busy but taking that extra few minutes to add a genuine personal touch to an email really works for me, it makes me want to chat.How do you think brands/PRs can work better with influencers? Any pet peeves?
I think that going forward brands (and bloggers too) need to understand their audiences better when it comes to collaborations. I’m regularly asked to work on campaigns that are a terrible fit for not only me personally but also my audience. Sometimes it seems like they are just chasing numbers with zero regard for the content. I’d really like that to change.Are you signed to a management/influencer agency?
No. I’ve been approached by a few and it’s something that I have considered but I kind of like having overall control of things. I wouldn’t want to be pushed n different directions or to work with brands that I don’t feel suit me.How do you earn your income now you’re an established influencer?
The bulk of it is with brand partnerships. I like to try and build these into a long-term thing as it’s more genuine than a one-off project where I talk about something then never mention it again. I’m seeing a lot more Instagram only partnerships coming through now too though."I see print continuing to become less relevant and blogs and websites a lot more so"
You have a YouTube channel - do you think this will ever take priority over your blog?
I hope not. I really like the blog and wouldn’t want to see it superseded. I like that the platform gives you space to really expand on a subject, I feel like I can tell more of a story sometimes on the blog then on social. I see print continuing to become less relevant and blogs and websites a lot more so.Where do you see yourself and your blog in five years?
Good question! It’s something that I should probably be thinking about but I’m a bit of a live in the moment person. I’d like to still be working in the same field as I really enjoy what I do, but who knows I guess.How important is social media to your blog? What platforms drive the most traffic to your site?
Good search is the key to my traffic. Social media is great though and I love how it connects me with my audience. As a blogger, people seem to really respect your opinion on stuff and I’m constantly asked questions via social. I try hard to keep engaged regularly with the audience.
Do you have any tips for budding influencers?
I get asked this one all the time and it’s not easy. I’d say get a decent camera, photos are so important these days and they can really set you aside from what your ‘competition’ is doing.If you are starting from scratch you need to be patient too, you won’t become Zoella so if that is your aim then it’s best finding something else to occupy your time.
Biggest lessons learnt while working in the industry?
That it’s ok to say no sometimes. I feel like lots of us are trying to grab every opportunity and that often leads to us spreading ourselves too thinly. I know cos I’ve been there. I now try to opt for fewer projects but put more effort into each. There’s only so much that one guy can do!What other bloggers /influencers/ sites do you follow and why?
I’ve made some good mates over the years as I’ve been blogging so I like to follow them to see what they have been up too. In particular, I really like to keep an eye on Buckets and Spades, Jordan Bunker, Gallucks and Lucie Loves.