#BEYOUROWN MEETS SKAISTE

This week’s guest is Skaiste, a Fitness, Fashion Beauty & Wellness Blogger of SCENTOFBLANC.COM We chit chat about what it takes to become successful in the blogging industry, her new online shop, and inspiration behind her motives.

Hey Skaiste, Can you give me an insight into Scent Of Blanc.

I’m the Founder and Blogger of Scent Of Blanc. I focus on creating lifestyle content, which includes Fitness and Health, Beauty and Fashion. My main focus is to collate and eclectic mix of posts presenting a realistic shopping experience with our ever-evolving modern day lives.

Why did you start blogging?

I began my blog in my very first year of University, I was so fascinated by taking interesting images, reading about new trends and didn’t feel like I had space where I could share it all, Facebook was simply not enough and family and friends didn’t really get it haha. I was placed in a very creative environment as I studied Fashion Marketing and Branding. I was surrounded by inspiring lectures, projects and meeting new people made me fascinated to know more about the media and how it all works.

What about your own personal style?

I would say my personal style is minimal, simple and comfortable. I like grey, black and white tones in clothing and sometimes a hint of one specific colour as a statement piece. My favourite is a sports luxe look, mixing in a sports bra or a pair of trainers in my daily outfit is my kind of thing.

Where can you see yourself within the next 2 years then further 5 years?

My dream plan is to have Scent Of Blanc as an international online place filled with articles as well as your first destination for new updates on beauty, fashion, and fitness. 5 years plan would be to possibly have a brand of my own, I couldn’t tell you what exactly I would sell just yet, but I know it will come to me!

You have just extended a shop to your blog is that correct?

Yes, I’m very happy with it. I have categories that range from beauty, fitness gear, lingerie, and tops that are all updated weekly and are personal recommendations of mine. I do not get a commission for promoting these items in the order that I do, but I do get a small bit from those that do buy the item. I just simply wanted a page where I can place all items I either owe myself and recommend to my readers, some I have already spoken about on my blog, some are little wish-lists for myself and inspiration for others.

How much did you research the UK market prior to starting and do you feel you did enough?

I feel like I am always in ‘research mode’ from reading other blogs, websites of photographers, videographers, hair stylists and even reading a newspaper on a train or chatting to a friend. I think it’s important to stay relevant to all subjects as eventually, they all affect each other in the long run.

Do you feel like the market is over saturated and how do you keep the motivation going to find something new and innovative?

Don’t get me wrong it can get tough. There isn’t a book on ‘how to blog’ everyone including the publishers and brands seems to kind of go with the flow at the moment. That’s why I think it’s important to embrace in your own niche and get yourself a media kit together. The idea is simple, if you are straight to the point with what it is you do, the more relevant brands will contact you. For example, I didn’t have a ‘beauty’ category, to begin with, that was one of my biggest mistakes ever, brands searching to promote a beauty product would have totally overlooked my profile. To keep yourself motivated you must be like a sponge, gather ideas that excite you, that will create good content and innovative ideas.

What about your inspiration for creation?

I find Pinterest very inspiring, I enjoy browsing through imagery that might seem totally irrelevant but it then sparks an idea that I can relate to my posts. I also enjoy communicating with people, It’s very important to learn how to listen to others. If you talk, you already know the content that you will talk about, but if you listen – you’re learning something new.

I remember working in a retail store on Oxford Street, a lot of the time us girls would be chatting in the fitting rooms and I would hear them asking questions that would spark an idea for a perfect blog post. For example, my ‘My New Summer Body’ post

is a pure example from my friends and colleagues at the time that simply wanted to know a few things, which reached a high number of readers. I think it’s important to get back to basics and listen to what others want to hear and see, that’s when you can interlink your own opinion into helping them find it. Traveling is something I wish to do much more in the next few years, meeting new people and culture is a huge driver to new ideas.

How do you feel the use of Snapchat has benefited Scent of Blanc?

Snapchat brings life and reality to my personality, it’s also ideal for blogger events, for example, my most recent one was the launch of Caudalie’s latest Grape Water collection where I snapped throughout and had a few replies from people wanting to try the products that I captured.

How do you use it to its full potential? 

Snapchat is great for a more personal approach to anyone’s life. I capture my workouts, my daily lunch or a meal with friends on a Sunday evening. I think doing videos rather than just photos is important to keep your audience engaged, also people want to see you speak and share your honest thoughts about your day, hence why the industry of Vloggers has highly increased.

What other social media platforms have been a useful effective marketing tool for your blog?

I feel like Instagram has been brilliant, it allows me to be visually creative. Twitter and Facebook are great for actual communication, answering any questions. I feel that Youtube and Snapchat are both growing sources that will become even bigger in the next few years as both allow a more personal approach to your personality.

How many times do you blog and share content across your platforms?

I aim to have two posts a week on my blog and update my shop & Instashop once a week. I am also on Instagram daily and usually post around 2 times a day.

How do you keep your followers entertained?

I listen to people, I always read comments and respond to any questions which then also allows me to come up with new ideas for the blog and answer those questions in more detail.

Can you share 5 of your top tips on starting a fashion blog?

1.Research into your topic, is it something you’re absolutely fascinated about and want to know and learn more and more?

 2.You must find your ‘niche’ area so people know what to find once on your site. For example ‘Fashion’ bloggers site you will expect to find new inspiring outfits. Blogs that talk about everything and anything have lots of quantity however it’s much better to have quality content with specific topics. Once your content is part of the same topic you will see your audience grow.

3.Be consistent and write as if someone very important is reading it because you never know who might come across your post.

4.Being prepared to work extra hard, be tired and exhausted with no money coming in. Successful blogs have people that are have worked extremely hard yet stayed fascinated by what they do, you must fall in love with it and not focus on the money, to begin with.

5.Be honest. Don’t be afraid of turning down a brand that you totally disagree with; this will benefit you in the long run and create a profile that is much more respected by brands and your audience.