DIARY directory recently caught up with travel, fashion and lifestyle blogger Sean Webster from Sug-Sean. Having grown up in Anguilla and studied culinary arts in the US, Sean then moved to London where he worked as a chef for five years. After suffering from an arm injury, Sean sought a career change and established himself in fashion PR, which ultimately transformed into fashion and lifestyle blogging. Sean realised the true potential of social posts in 2012 after a simple MR PORTER order catapulted him into the influencer spotlight. Struck by inspiration Sean converted the MR PORTER box into a one-of-a-kind briefcase and shared his creation with the company. MR PORTER were so impressed with the look that they reposted his photo, leading to Sean gaining thousands of Instagram followers overnight.

Worked with brands including Diesel, Haig Club, Maserati, Superdry, NEXT, boohooMAN

"I've learnt that nothing is really for FREE and the vast amount of work that goes into the process of creating content - before I underestimated the time it takes to complete a campaign..."

You’ve done a fair few collaborations on your blog. Which has been your favourite and why?

It is difficult to say. However, one of my favourite travel collaborations was with the KLM & South Africa Tourism Board. They took us to Johannesburg for SA Fashion Week.

You started out as a chef; grew up in Anguilla before moving to the US at 17. You’re now plant-based, is food still a big part of your life; given the opportunity, would you ever go back into the foodie world?

Growing up in Anguilla was a great time for me, being surrounded by some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and the friendliest people. In Anguilla, everyone was like family, and food became a huge part of my life, so much that I wanted to do it professionally. I often think about being a professional chef again but don’t think I would be able to do it full-time. If I had the opportunity to work in a small but excellent restaurant once or twice a week, I probably would. However, I know I just don't have the time to commit at the moment.

Do you have any professional help with your channels? Any top tips for someone starting out in the social game?

I do most of the work on my channels. Most, if not all of the time, my pictures are taken by my girlfriend, Paula Potry. Tips for managing my account: If Not This Then That (ifttt.com) is a great way to post on multiple accounts at the same time; partner with a management team; socialise and collaborate with other content creators; I am a part of several groups of content creators from London, Germany and New York. In these groups, we discuss what's happening in the industry, who is good to work with and who is not.

Measuring success - Is it a numbers game?

I think once upon a time the number of followers mattered, but today I care more about the quality of my content and the consistency of posting and keeping my feeds uniform.

What’s your favourite type of content to write? What posts are most popular with your followers?

My followers are interested in fashion and travel. However, over time they have grown with me as I started posting about food and vehicles.

What do you love about London, how has it inspired your content and imagery?

I love the hustle and bustle of the London culture, everyone here is creating and they want to win. It is sometimes hard to find someone who is not producing and aspiring to be better at what they already do.

I was advised to do my internship in London by my American chef instructor who told me it will be intense and challenging, but worth the experience.

Blogging in the future – what will change? 

I think we are consuming content faster. I think creators are discovering new ways to produce shorter videos that have the same information and impact. Companies like Instagram and YouTube are implementing new ways for us to shop directly from these platforms where we spend so much time organically.

What are the biggest lessons that you have learnt while working/blogging in the industry?

I've learnt that nothing is really for FREE and the vast amount of work that goes into the process of creating content - before I underestimated the time it takes to complete a campaign. Examples of this include, sourcing location and props for shooting; editing images or videos; writing blogs and ensuring links and website mentioned are correct; designing and scheduling newsletters and posting and managing the comments and replies.

How can Influencers and PRs better work together? Have you got any pet peeves?

I believe influencers and PRs can work better together by building long-lasting relationships instead of the one-off approaches; I find it helps to build trust with the companies. My pet peeves are when agencies send you mass campaign proposals in chain emails.

Have you got any exciting projects lined up for 2018?

Yes, my girlfriend and I will be travelling more and creating more video content. At the moment we will be going to New York for a month in April and will be making Berlin our second new home in March. We will be living in London and Berlin and travel to both for collaborations, campaigns, and events. My full footwear collection Sug’s Sean, that was crowdfunded by 122 backers, will be released in September to the public for the first time!

Listed in DIARY directory in the blogs & vlogs section, Sean is one of over 1500 categorised influencers that PRs could work with. Subscribers can sort blogs according to social media following on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, and filter by country and UK region. See our previous DIARY Influencers here!