What Bloggers Want: Interview with ReeRee Rockette
With the British fashion industry now worth over £20bn a year, and following the glowing success of our ionFashion conference earlier in the month, we’ve taken the opportunity to interview ten of the best fashion bloggers in the business to see what makes them tick.
Throughout the next few weeks we shall be publishing their Q&A responses in a series of posts that will lift the lid on what they really think of PR agencies, how and why they pick certain brands, and where they see the direction of fashion blogging in the future. For more information on fashion marketing, click here.
Here is the first with ReeRee Rockette of Rockalily Cuts:
Why did you start blogging?
I’ve been blogging for over 6 years, perhaps 7? It was just a natural progression from the years of using chat rooms and forums I guess. If you wanted to share and connect back then, blogging was the ‘new’ social media once forums started slowing down. I suppose I’ve always been a story teller, and enjoyed reaching out to new people.
What made you focus on the fashion & lifestyle Market?
My blog has always been about ‘me’, and I started blogging during a big style change in my life. I’d started discovering the rockabilly look, working in burlesque clubs and so sharing my new fashion choices felt natural. My blog has since followed me through quitting my job as a teacher, starting a lipstick brand, and now opening two hair salons.
How influential do you think blogs are within the industry? Will their influence increase or diminish over the next 5 years?
As an ‘early’ blogger it’s been fascinating to watch the influence change. Blogs (and other social media platforms) have created such a level playing field for writing, documenting and journalism. We can now all be heard, and my, what a power that can wield! I’m not sure it will diminish, but we’d be foolish to think it wouldn’t change. Look how much it’s changed in the last 5 years already!
What approaches from brands and PR/Search marketing agencies annoy you and what makes you want to work with a brand or product?
The constant spamming of offers of written blog posts. I don’t know if anyone ever accepts them, but the emails have certainly got a tad smarter - they work hard to not sound too spammy now! I also hate the idea of having to write a blog post for a chance to win the item, for example, blog about our scarves, for the opportunity to win one. The exchange should feel win/win for both of us.
What advice would you offer to brands and agencies approaching you?
To remember that the exchange should feel beneficial to both of us. In some cases, the offer of the item may be enough, in other cases, it may not.
Would you review any product or do you pick and choose?
I only review what fits in with my blog. My blog’s job is keep the readers returning. It can’t just be full of stuff they don’t care about.
Do you use a variety of media on your blog (e.g. video, images)?
I use images, and sometimes I embed video (not my own).
What posts, or types of posts, have been most effective for you?
I like to have a lot of regular content, and posting daily outfits helps keeps this going. I like to write a variety of posts intertwined with my daily style ones, often about fitness, self esteem, business, beauty and dating.
As social is a must for any blogger, what channels work best for you and do you plan to change your activity in the future?
I’m a heavy user of twitter and instagram. I use facebook for my business, more than my blog (but they are very blended). For now, they work for me, but social media changes all the time, so who knows!
If you could offer any advice to young up and coming bloggers, what would it be?
Try to think about your blog from the readers’ eyes. Why would they come to your blog, and why would they want to return?
