DIARY directory recently caught up with fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger Kirsty Merrett from Fashion For Lunch. Kirsty is a self confessed fashion addict whose wardrobe is largely made up of vintage, designer and fun finds from the high street. She has a penchant for designer handbags and is enthused by brands who have a great interesting story and rich history. Having worked in the fashion industry in addition to running a successful blog and Instagram account (a firm favourite of team Dd), Kirsty has collaborated with a whole host of brands, including Swarovski, Jo Malone London, John Lewis, Clarks, Ugg Australia, Penhaligon’s, Aspinal of London, Links of London, NARS, Rotary watches, Ray Bans, Dr. Martens, Sunglass Shop, Coast and boohoo, among many more.

"Fashion For Lunch focuses on communicating beauty and luxury fashion through playful design, colour and photography; a delight for the senses that I hope people will want to scroll through for hours."

Listed in DIARY directory in the influencers subsection, along with 1000+ categorised influencers for PRs to work with, Kirsty provides insight on her relationships with PRs, the impact of social media platforms in comparison to blog coverage, and the battle of numbers vs. engagement.
 

Who are your core readers? 

It's so hard to know exactly who your readers are, but I always imagine 'her' to be 25-40, filled with enthusiasm for life, fashion and beauty. I feel like a lot of my readers have a sense of humour and a colourful sense of style. I always want people to come away from my blog feeling happy and in the mood to buy something extravagant and be fabulous!

You've also made an impact on Instagram. Does Instagram support your blog, or does your blog now support your Instagram?

Firstly, Thank you! I started a blog long before I started an Instagram account and whilst I love posting pictures on there, I always think of it as supporting my blog, not the other way around. I see it as a photo journal, it's a lovely place for people to chat and ask questions, but I still consider my blog my primary platform. I get a lot more hits on my blog than I have following me on Instagram.

Do you think Instagram is taken as seriously for coverage/advertising as a blog post? Do you think bloggers will soon ditch the blog in favour of using Instagram as a sole platform that can be well monetised?

I feel like Instagram is taken hugely seriously as a platform for advertising. I get a lot of business enquiries and they are often just asking for Instagram coverage, rather than blog coverage. Brands are able to connect with readers in a way that is direct and personal, they can see an uplift in their followers as well as sales as a result of this kind of advertising. A lot of bloggers have stopped blogging in favour of Instagram, but for me, I still love to blog, I still think it's relevant. I still get a great amount of blog hits and good SEO can keep performing for a post long after it has been dropped off the front page.

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

I try to give each brand a bespoke package, as it really depends on what they are after and what each campaign entails. Instagram is no longer instant and it can take two or three reshoots to get the right photo and as well as buying props for the shot, going to a location, everything is possible! I know we hear it every day, but I really do love the brands I work with and I never want to overcharge any of them, instead, I keep my prices fair so we can work together time and time again. As much as I want to be happy with the campaign, I also want the brand to be happy.

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

On a personal level, relationships are everything; try to build the best possible relationship with a blogger so that you can work closely and honestly together! I think a sponsored post should be a true collaboration; I want the brand to share their vision with me so I can build on it and make it work for the both of us. Also if it is part of a campaign with many bloggers, the PR needs to realise we might know each other and we will discuss how much each influencer is getting paid for the project. Either pay each influencer the same amount as we are doing the same work, or pay in accordance to our reach. Don't overpay one influencer just because that's the rate they expect, it's only going to upset everyone else involved in the campaign. Like I said, relationships are everything!

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

It's so hard to know which platform drives the most traffic as there is no way of seeing the amount of hits that come directly from Instagram. I still see a lot of traffic from Twitter, I tweet a few links to my blog, but mainly I chat with readers, bloggers and industry on there and tweet silly things like 'Does anyone else get bored and cover their face with highlighter just so they look like a robot?' (the answer is yes FYI). I also get a lot of traffic from Pinterest as some of my images has been repined crazy amounts of times, it always feels super special to see my images on other peoples boards, as pinterest is all about inspiration and beautiful imagery.

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

I'm always happy to provide screen grabs of my stats if it is part of a campaign, it's part of the business and I'm proud of my numbers.

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?

Numbers are a nice and easy way to measure success, it feels nice to see your hits / followers grow; it is always a signal you are doing something right. However, nothing beats getting an email telling you how much they enjoy your blog, or when someone from 2,000 miles away DM's you to say they are coming to England and they would love to meet up for ice cream (always a yes!). Recently my sister was chatting to a friend of hers and comparing Instagram accounts they love to follow. Her friend recommended that she should follow a girl called 'labels for lunch', she had no idea we were sisters, she said my photos made her feel really happy whenever she was stressed. My sister found it hilarious, I thought it was pretty special.

What other bloggers / influencers do you follow and why?

I follow loads of amazing influencers and bloggers all around the world, a lot of them have colourful accounts, love the same independent designers as me and have enviable wardrobes! Instagram has a way of bringing us all together and it's really fun! I love @Iamlazykat in Paris, @erenanaomi in New York, @lenipaperboats in Berlin, @mermaidens in Portland, @glitterdeath in LA, @beckermanblog in Toronto, to name just a few. Many of these girls I have had the pleasure of meeting when I have been travelling or they have been in the UK!

How does being subscribed to DIARY directory benefit you as an influencer?

It just makes life easier! I love having first hand access to the beauty and fashion news; it also puts industry contacts at my fingertips and generally cuts down my admin and research time. Plus, the team at Diary is always super helpful if ever I have questions for them!

Contact

Fashion For Lunch in 'Blogs/YouTube channels'