Both Lolita Says So blogger Emma Hoareau and Vogue Vandal vlogger Domenica Calarco are bonafide experts of the blogging industry - having amassed a handful of brand associations and mass of followers behind themselves.
Calarco is both a blogger and vlogger and currently has almost 10,000 Instagram fans, as well as over 4,000 YouTube subscribers. Hoareau on the other hand has just been named a L’Oréal Professionnel ambassador, having amassed 12,900 Instagram fans with her photography skills.
BD spoke to the two members of the BD Expert Panel on their beginnings, as well as their thoughts on what it takes today for social media success.
What inspired you to start blogging?
EH: When I was studying at university I needed a creative outlet from the endless essays and readings, so I created a blog. Back then hardly anyone had a blog and I used it as a place to post my favourite photos (a bit like I would use Pinterest nowadays). It evolved over the years into my own photography of beauty, travel and style.
DC: I've always been an incredibly creative person and once I started blogging and creating relationships with my readers and hearing their passion for fashion and beauty, it made me strive to make my blog bigger and better.
What is the subject you feel most passionate about discussing on your blog?
EH: Real life. Yes, I enjoy ‘this cream is good’, ‘this top looks nice’ and ‘this is a great hotel’ but it’s the moments when I get to talk about all these things in relation to the real world and issues everyone can relate to that feel most special to me.
DC: I love making women feel special and I think that is what the industry is lacking at the moment. I'm extremely passionate about women following their dreams and making them happen.
What differentiates your blog from the marketplace?
EH: I think it’s not necessarily the subject matter but the way you put it together and present it to your audience. That’s why it’s so important to be yourself and not compare yourself to others - you’re the only one who can curate your blog the way you do. Plus, I used to work at magazines as an editor and that gives me that insight into the industry that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
DC: I like to look at the bigger picture; so seeing fashion and beauty as a lifestyle rather than separate entities. That is why I think my readers and viewers love my content.
How do you find inspiration?
EH: All around me. I shoot every day, read books, go for long swims in the sea. Being by myself is when I find the most inspiration, when I can think over the people I’ve met, the things I’ve seen … Sydney is such a beautiful city to live in, there’s inspiration everywhere.
DC: From everyday life, going for walks, talking to my girlfriends and my moods.
How many hours per week do you dedicate to your blog?
EH: I work three days a week on my blog.
DC: The real question is how many hours a week do I not dedicate to my blog. Running a successful blog and online enterprise is a 24/7 job that never ends, you've always got to be on the ball.
What other bloggers do you admire?
EH: So many! I love Eleanor Pendleton (GRITTYpretty), Talisa Sutton (Badlands) and Jasmine Dowling as Aussie bloggers. Otherwise one of my favourite blogs is Into Mind (into-mind.com).
DC: Chloe Morello and Shaaanxo.
Do you have any tips for those who are interested in starting their own blog?
EH: I often get asked on social media what people should start a blog about. If you don’t know what you want to blog about, then don’t. Blogging takes up a lot of time so it has to be a real passion. But if you do it, then I’d say take time to plan the look of your website and write down what you will/won’t post. Be very precise with the look and feel of your blog and what you want to achieve from it, I wish I had done this years ago!
DC: Be prepared to work your ass off.
What has been your greatest career achievement to date?
EH: Recently I was appointed L’Oréal Professionnel ambassador in Australia. It was such an honour to be recognised by the biggest beauty company in the world, it really made me believe in myself and go after my dreams even harder. Persistence and hard work does pay off!
DC: Filming with Clinique this year was a major WOW moment for me, I will never forget it!
What career goal do you still have to achieve?
EH: So many – I’m one of those ‘never stop dreaming’ kind of girls … I’m currently working on a series of prints of my photographs that I’ll sell through Lolita Says So, stay tuned!
DC: To see myself in a shop front or window … corny I know.
How important is it for bloggers to have various social media accounts and why?
EH: I think nowadays for bloggers, Instagram is certainly the most important because it’s so visual, and nowadays life is all about photos. I think creating one interesting, on-brand and beautiful social media account is far more important that stressing out trying to keep on top of five different accounts.
DC: So important, you need to be constantly talking with your community and creating content that is relevant to them.
What do you think is key to gaining Instagram followers?
EH: Beautiful photos! If you can visually stimulate someone, get them thinking or dreaming then you’re onto a winner. It’s not just the photo itself, (although that’s very important), it’s also what you can bring to your followers’ lives when they’re not on Instagram anymore.
DC: Consistency is number one! And of course knowing your audience and creating content that is relevant for them is what works best.
Image crop: @emmahoareau
Image carousel: @emmahoarea and @voguevandal
