Western Australia may be isolated but it is showing no shortage of creativity, particularly in the blogging world. Not just the hometown of vlogging superstar Lauren Curtis, Perth is the base of rising lifestyle bloggers Kiara King of Lion in the Wild and Sorren Thomas of Young Mum Stufff.
Photography is the forte of King, whose dreamy aesthetic and penchant for flatlays has nabbed her 30,000 followers. In contrast, Thomas focuses solely on honest-as-they-come product reviews, for which she has amassed 21,900 fans on Instagram alone.
In light of their growing fame in the blogging industry, the BD Expert Panel members share their beginnings, and what they hope to achieve in their career to come:
What inspired you to start blogging?
KK: Ultimately it was boredom that inspired me to begin Lion in the Wild and my need to be creative during my day-to-day life. I had just finished studying design at university, and quite frankly, I missed having projects on the go constantly.
ST: I started an Instagram account to share pictures of my favourite things - as my account grew so did the amount of questions I received from my followers, so I decided to start a blog where I could publish reviews in more detail.
There are so many blogs these days - what differentiates yours from the marketplace?
KK: It’s definitely tough to stand out in the blogosphere with so many truly incredible blogs out there. I always strive to not only create high quality content and imagery, but also do it on a very personal level to keep my amazing audience engaged.
ST: I think my blog is different because I am brutally honest. It doesn't matter what brand or company, I will always give my honest opinion. I’m a mum of five so I think I can also prove to busy women that no matter how busy you are there is always five minutes you can take for yourself.
How do you find inspiration?
KK: While Lion in the Wild began as a life and style blog, my love of make-up and skincare has ultimately turned it into a blog with a huge beauty focus (I love that your blog grows and develops with you). While I’m inspired by product experiences and trends, bits and pieces that I discover online, and of course magazines, I find the most inspiration observing not only my own lifestyle, but also how other people live their lives and their day-to-day routines.
ST: I feel inspired by the women in my life, they (like me) are sick of spending money on things that just don't work. So I really love being able to help them find products to suit their skin or their needs.
How many hours per week do you dedicate to your blog?
KK: A lot. While I blog almost every single day on Lion in the Wild, there is also an unforeseen amount of behind-the-scenes activity to keep it all running. I would say I spend a minimum of 60 hours dedicated to my blog and my business on any given week. It sounds like a lot when I put it like that, but I love what I do, so it doesn’t feel like ‘work’ half the time.
ST: On a normal week I would spend about five hours on my blog - the biggest part is the photos.
What other bloggers do you admire?
KK: Oh, there are so many! There’s the big international bloggers like Shini Park of Park & Cube, whose work is second to none (it’s mind-blowing stuff, really) and YouTube star, Shaaanxo, who must work 24/7 to create such engaging and honest content around the clock. And then there’s my fellow homegrown talent that never fails to support one another (too many to name!). I feel truly blessed to be part of such an inspiring community.
ST: The one and only blog I go to for amazing swatches and honest opinions is temptalia.com. She never sugarcoats her reviews and tells it exactly how it is. Her blog is set up so well with swatches and dupes - it’s so thorough!
Do you have any tips for those who are interested in starting their own blog?
KK: I get asked this constantly and the best advice I could give anyone is to: 1) Do it because you love it, 2) Be authentic and let your personality shine, and 3) Start now.
ST: I think start with Instagram. Build your following there by posting really clear photos and using your own style. Once you build a few thousand followers on there it’s really easy to switch over to blogging and gain traffic really quickly.
What has been your greatest career achievement to date?
KK: This is a tough one! There have been so many highs over the years including collaborating with some really wonderful brands, but working with the Clinique New York Creative Team as an art director and photographer was an unforgettable opportunity. More recently, Lion in the Wild was featured on Bloglovin and named one of their ‘favourite worldly bloggers’ alongside Song of Style and Park & Cube (#goals).
ST: It would probably be hitting 100,000 views on my blog, that was exciting. I love the relationship that I've built with companies and with my readers, I feel like they know they can trust my opinion.
What career goal do you still have to achieve?
KK: Everything! I feel like I’ve only just begun to explore the incredible opportunities that can come from this exciting industry and I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I’ve achieved all that I can.
ST: In the long run I would love to be able to stay at home with my kids for as long as possible and make blogging my job. I didn't start the blog to make it a ‘business’ but if it grew to become one that it would be the dream job.
How important is it for bloggers to have various social media accounts and why?
KK: The power of social media is mind-blowing, so of course it’s important to invest time into not only your blog, but also social media platforms that relate to your brand and your audience. They allow you to share more information in a different way and, most importantly, show who you are on a more personal level.
ST: Social media is really important. I occasionally use Twitter and Facebook but my main accounts are on Instagram and Pinterest. They are both great ways to share your work and to stay in touch with what is trending.
What do you think is key to gaining Instagram followers?
KK: When you find out, please tell me! Honestly, people love beautiful imagery (whether it’s a photo of Bondi Icebergs or a carefully curated #flatlay) and a personality to boot, and when these two things come together in an honest and engaging way, I really cannot help but press ‘follow’.
ST: It's definitely the clarity of the photos. You don't need a fancy camera - I use my Iphone 5 camera mainly. Your best friend is natural light. You also want to have your own style, so when people are scrolling [through their feed] they know it's your picture before they even see your name. Also, consistently uploading photos most days, using hashtags and chatting to the other Instagrammers is helpful.
