Blog: My Kind of Joy
Who: Bárbara Marques
Where: Porto, Portugal
Age: 26
Blogging Since: May, 2013
Name some of the brands or companies you have collaborated with. Explain how these collaborations came about, and how both sides worked to make it a success.
Gosh Copenhagen, H&M Beauty, Smart, Timeout California, Deichmann, L’Oreal and Vichy among others. Most opportunities were presented by communication agencies, but some come directly from the brands.
What is the key to building long-term relationships and partnerships with brands?
I think the main key is to be professional: keep your word, and deliver the best work you can; also, be open to dialog.
Which way do you find to be the most efficient to organically grow your blog?
I think that keeping in touch with fellow bloggers and being active in their platforms is one of the best ways to encourage people to visit yours. And by “being active” I obviously don’t mean “to spam” other blogs, because that would probably have the opposite effect.
With the rise of Instagram and in the era of social media influencers, how does one keep their readers engaged and interested in coming back to their blog?
This may sound like a cliché, but I really believe that being yourself is the only way to achieve that. Only you can be you. And the interest is in that difference.
How are you building your audience?
Slow and steady – and fairly, I like to believe. I prefer to stay away from those “tricks” you see every now and then.
Do you find it important for your business to attend fashion week, and if so, in what ways?
I think it’s an advantage to keep up with trends and collections, and be surrounded by people who understand the love for fashion. Plus, you never know what opportunities may appear for your blog in fashion week. So, I think that attending them is a plus, even though I don’t find it essential. I attend my country’s fashion weeks whenever I can, and I’d like to attend a few international fashion weeks someday.
What are your main revenue channels, and how have they evolved since you began monetizing?
My main revenue channels are sponsored posts on my blog and on Instagram. At first, I’d be happy just to get an item in return, or even a simple discount, but I quickly realized that there are lots of brands taking advantage of that, and of us, bloggers. So, now I evaluate each proposal individually, and I try to come up with proposals I find the most fair for both sides.
How do you evaluate your most popular posts up to date? What do you think has made them successful?
There’s one thing I know, and I’ve actually written about it recently: often, the posts I get most excited about, and I can’t wait to publish, don’t get the reaction I expected. And, on the other hand, lots of posts that didn’t match my expectations and that I didn’t really like got crazy positive feedback. I’ve also noticed that whenever I talk about something more personal that reflects on the views.
What kind of opportunities other than blogging do you see rising for you through your blog?
I’m currently working in my study field, Law, but I’d love it if my blog could bring me a fashion-related job someday, like contributing to a magazine or being a brand’s buyer, for example.
What are the most crucial elements to establish to take your blog to a professional level?
Most of all, never forget what made you blog in the first place. In my case, it was my passion for creating outfits. I try to never forget the essence of My Kind of Joy. And that is what makes me refuse opportunities that I don’t find fair or I don’t think would fit my blog. I think that, for blog to be professional, it has to have standards. Do it for the passion, not for the money. And that’s what will bring the money.
Images © My Kind of Joy
