I haven't been very active in the blogging universe recently because of the stresses of uni exams and work, however I have now officially finished second year!! (lol what?) and I want to use to summer "break" to focus more on my blog. I thought a good way of getting back into the blogging scene was with an interview. I have never done one of these before but my friend from school very kindly agreed to help me by being my interviewee. Fellow blogger, Rikki, has her little corner of the internet over at RIKKI ETC. I asked her questions all about her blog and her experience with blogging over the last few years.
1. Can you tell my readers about yourself and your blog?
Yes, of course! I’m Rikki, a 19-year-old student at the University of Reading, studying English Language. I started my beauty blog around 5 years ago and although I mainly post beauty reviews, I do occasionally like to switch it up with DIY’s, holiday posts, fashion posts and interviews.
2. How did you first get into blogging?
I started blogging for numerous reasons. Firstly, I was in the midst of GCSE’s and I took them really seriously. So, I found myself getting really stressed out and decided to start blogging to relax me- (it worked!). Also, I never really had a talent or hobby, so wanted to find something that could fill that gap. I knew that I liked doing my makeup, I loved creative writing and I thoroughly enjoyed photography, so blogging was the perfect way to combine all 3! The last reason I started blogging was because I had ALWAYS wanted to start a YouTube channel, but I was super young and was really sceptical of YouTube at that time. I was scared of random people watching and judging me, so blogging seemed like a good alternative- and it was. It’s honestly the best thing I’ve ever pursued!
3. What inspired you to start your blog?
When I was around 15, I started getting into makeup. I’d go to my local Superdrug and would go crazy buying “loads” of makeup. (At that point, loads of makeup was a new concealer, mascara and lip gloss- oh, how times have changed). But I’d come home and either be really disappointed or would be really excited to show up to school the next day with my ‘new look’. I really wanted to share my opinions of products with the public so that largely inspired me to start a blog. I was bullied at school and the last thing I wanted was to draw more attention to myself, so I actually kept my blog a secret for years (although some people did find it). Now, I feel comfortable being a lot more open about it.
4. How would you describe your blogging style?
This is a difficult one. I feel like my style has changed over time… I have always written in a chatty style, but would avoid using swear words or slang, because you do need a certain level of formality. However, I have never sat down and structured a post. I just type how I think, because I feel like it can sometimes seem ‘staged’ and ‘fake’ otherwise, whereas this way it feels 100% genuine.
5. Who are your favourite bloggers and why?
I genuinely don’t have ‘favourite bloggers’. I much prefer to spend my time discovering more new bloggers rather than reading the same ones. I will say that I feel as if there are sooo many underrated bloggers out there. I have found many bloggers in my time who have less than 300 followers, yet I enjoy reading their posts more than those with 300,000 followers, because they are passionate about what they do, and it shows!
6. Have you met anyone interesting/famous on your blogging journey?
I have interviewed a few cool people over my time, like Caggie Dunlop from Made in Chelsea and Jemma McKenzie-Brown from High School Musical 3. I also went to ‘The Clothes Show’ a while back, where bloggers had their own little room to stay in. It was right next to the celebrity room so I met some interesting people there, mainly reality TV stars. I have been invited to many events over time, but I’ve always been way too scared to attend them, so have missed out on some great opportunities at companies headquarters or London Fashion Week events etc. I’d love to attend one this year, but I just find the concept seriously daunting, especially when you’re alone, so have missed out on meeting so really interesting people, as a result.
7. Do you have any specific goals for the rest of this year?
Definitely! I like setting goals because it helps me stay on track and be the best I can be. As for my blog, I’m simply working on making my photography, content and layout better. With my Instagram, I have more of a milestone I’d like to reach, which is 5000 followers by the end of my Summer holidays. I know it is a MASSIVE push, considering I’ve only just hit 2K, but it is important for me to keep growing, particularly because of the career in marketing/ advertising/ social media, that I want to pursue.
8. Would you encourage other people to start a blog and why/why not?
Starting a blog was the best decision I personally ever made... The good points definitely far outweigh the bad, however, it is extremely time consuming, competitive and hard-work. One thing I would stress is that you should never start blogging if you’re doing it for the wrong reasons (because you want followers or free products etc.). If that is the motive, then your readers will honestly see right through it. If you’re really passionate about something though, then it’s definitely worth starting a blog where you can share this.
9. How do you manage to get such banging photos for your blog and instagram, both of yourself and of products? Do you take your outfit photos yourself or get others to take them for you?
Ahh, haha, thank you. I’m not entirely happy with my photography yet, but I am a bit of a perfectionist. For my blog, I use a ring light (which is really useful in the winter, when the lighting is awful) and I use a Canon 700D. It was pricey, and you definitely don’t need to invest in a fancy, expensive camera. My Instagram pictures tend to be a bit more personal than my blog, in the sense that they are normally selfies or pictures with friends/ family. I deliberately wanted my Instagram to be like this, because although I adore blogging, it’s really difficult to get that personal touch, so that’s what I try to achieve through Instagram. My selfies and mirror pictures are taken by myself but my full-length posts are usually taken by somebody else… I use anyone that’s around me at that time, whether that’s my sister, the boys that I live with at university, or one of my best friends- Isabel, who seems to always take the best pictures of everyone! I just use my iPhone 6 for that.
10. What is the best thing about blogging?
There are so many things, it’s hard to pick one. But, I’d probably say the community. The blogging community are honestly amazing and are always willing to help each other out. It’s a really warm and friendly environment where all are welcome!
Thank you so much Rikki for agreeing to be interviewed! Please read Rikki's blog and follow her on Instagram and Bloglovin'.
Rikki can be found on these links:
Thank you for reading, I hope you liked this post!
With love, Chloe x
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