Hi you guys! It's my 2 year blogaversary!!! I am so excited to be writing today's post. On my instagram stories I asked y'all if you had any questions for me about blogging in general, life, or relationships. Today, I'm going to be answering your top questions and talking about A LOT of the behind the scenes of blogging that you probably didn't know about.
"How did you find the courage to become a blogger and influencer?!"
Answer: I've wanted to become a fashion blogger since I was in highschool. I honestly always looked at @cmcoving, @emilyanngemma, and @shopdandy for inspiration on the daily and thought about how amazing it would be to do what they do. They were truly my inspiration to start. I was never nervous to start because it was something that I had wanted for so long. I think if you want something bad enough, you don't let your fears get in the way. I literally woke up one day and decided to do this for myself. On that same day 2 years ago, I made my website, took my first picture and posted it on my new Instagram @daniellespotz. I had no clue what would come from it, but I knew I had to try. As for the influencer thing, I don't really think I'm an influencer yet. I would love to be and love to reach more people, but I think that comes with time and persistence.
"Do you get paid for blogging? How does that work?"
Answer: This is kind of a tough question. There a few ways to make money from blogging. I'm apart of an affiliate program called RewardStyle where I get to link all of my clothes through Liketoknow.it and when someone uses my links to shop for things, I get a VERY small commission from it. Everything that you see on Instagram is almost always linked on Liketoknow.it, so I make it very easy to shop my pictures. The purpose of it is really to benefit my followers who want to shop what I'm wearing. Of course, it means a lot to me when somoene uses my link because it's kind of like giving me credit. The second way I've made money doing this is by sponsored posts. Oftentimes, companies reach out and offer to send me a product of some sort and ask me to post on a specific day with specific guidelines and give me an amount they will pay me when the promotion is complete. I like doing sponsored posts, but only if it's with brands I really love. Another way to make money is by having ads on your website. I have to say that I really don't make enough to just "be a full time blogger". I'm also a student working towards a career and have a part time job because my blogging career just isn't there yet. Would I like it to be? Absolutely. This is my dream job, but I'd need a few more things to fall into place before I could ever really make a living from it.
"I really like your style! Do you get free clothes a lot?"
Answer: Thank you! And yes, I do get a lot of free clothes. So even though I'm not making a ton of money, I do get sent a bunch of free things which I definitely feel so thankful for. 100% of the time that I'm sent an outfit, it comes from a company who reaches out and allows me to pick out the items that I want sent to me. So I want you to know that all of the outfits you see are genuinely what I like and what I really wear. I don't buy anything or get sent anything that I would never wear. That's pointless to me. I would never want a company to waste their time and money on something if I don't love it as well. I have been so fortunate to collaborate with incredible companies this year who have been so kind in sending me outfits to share with all of you. Shoutout to the sweetest brands- Shein, DIFF eyewear, Pink Lily Boutique, Shop Stevie, En Creme USA, Stella and Ruby, Bevello, Caroline Hill and more. I love them all so so much, so you should definitely check out their sites and instagrams.
"Do you think you'll be blogging 5 years down the road?"
Answer: Hmmmm, I would love to be blogging 5 years from now. However, I'm in my 20s and soooooo much happens in your 20s. I could be in a completely different career by that time, or have kids, etc. I have no clue what the future holds, but I do love blogging and would love to continue doing this for as long as I enjoy it. I do think that the blogger world is almost too saturated for smaller influencers to become successful, but I have hope that I my consistence will pay off and will allow me to keep doing this 5 years down the road. If I'm being honest, it's hard to work so hard at something and not see results right away. I really thought I would've grown way more by now, but I've also had opportunities fall into my lap that I had NO idea would ever happen. I've been really fortunate to connect with many of you and form relationships with incredible brands that really believe in me even though I'm a "small influencer." So, we will see....
"Any advice for newbie bloggers or someone who wants to start a blog?"
Answer: Yes, first of all, I have a blog post that I wrote last summer on how to start your blog and all the steps that go along with it. If you're lost and just need somewhere to start, I would read it HERE. And advice for newbie bloggers: Be your own person and your own content creator! You do not have to be like every other blogger out there. I encourage you to be different, step outside of the box and find your own mojo. I promise that by being yourself, your page will seem way more authenic and you will be noticed because of it. I would think about your goals and what you're wanting to accomplish with your blog. Do you want to be insta famous? Do you just want money? Do you love fashion and want to share your style with the world? Do you want to connect with girls like you? These questions will help you determine how you run your page and what content you create for it. Stay consistent, work hard, be creative, and keep the fun in it. Don't take it too seriously because it's something that should really be enjoyed.
"What resources or tools do you use on the daily for blogging?"
Answer: Okay, so I almost wanted to do a seperate post on this question because there are sooooo many tools and resources that I use for blogging and for all different things. So I'll quickly jot down the list and what I use them for and if you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment.
1. Lightroom - I use lightroom to edit all of my pictures for Instagram and my website. It's been a game changer for me.
2. Media Kit- If you're a new blogger, you NEED a media kit. I made one all about my stats on my blog and Insta that I use to send to companies when I propose certain collaborations. This is just an easy way for companies to quickly get a feel for you and what you're all about. I used Canva to create mine. It was so easy!
3. RewardStyle- Like I said above, this is the affiliate program I am apart of and absolutely love being able to link my clothes on here so that it's easy for you to shop my looks.
4. Octoly- Octoly is a great app that you have to apply for to be accepted. Once accepted you are given 5 "credits" which means you can get 5 things for absolutely free sent to you and once you post about the item, your credits are renewed.
5. BrandSnob App- Brandsnob is an app that allows you and brands to be on the same platform. You can look for collaborations and send a proposal to the brand or they can send one to you. There's not a ton of great collaborations on there, but still a few that you could be interested in.
"How do you find your inspiration for your content?"
Answer: I find inspiration everywhere I look. I get really excited about putting outfits together and once I have an idea of the outfit in my head, I start brainstorming locations or poses for a photo. I really enjoy photography and modeling clothes so it's really fun to think of new poses and new ways to take the photo. I try to be creative and step outside the box every single time it's time to shoot. I don't want all of my pictures to be the same and it's very easy to do the same thing over and over. However, challenging myself to create something new is really exciting.
"How much work goes into blogging? I'm a student like you, and don't know if I'd have the time."
Answer: Like I always say, you make time for the things you want to do. Blogging is something I really love so I make sure that there's enough time for it in my daily and weekly life. I don't normally do it every day when I'm in school. However, in the summer or on breaks I'm constantly working. But it's fun working. There's a lot that goes into just one single photo or blog post. I have to get an outfit, style it, take the picture somewhere, edit the photos, find all the links for the outfit details, and then I get to post. It could take hours to just accomplish a single photo. But again, I do this while I'm in school and also have a part time job and it's very attainable. I just do it when I have spare time or make time for it.
"What are your favorite makeup/beauty products?"
Answer: I have soooo many good makeup products that I'm using right now! Here a few of my favs:
Foundation: The Covergirl True Blend foundation is so amazing
Concealer: Makeup Revolution conceal and define is the perfect dupe for shape tape! I love it
Contour Kit: Kat Von D Shade and Light Palette
Overall palette: Smashbox the Cali Counter Palette- this palette has a countour, bronzer, blush, 2 highlighters, and a matte highlight. It's the perfect "on the go" palette to touch up makeup or perfect for traveling
Lip shade: I've been obsessed with using Mac's matte lipstick in the shade "velvet teddy"
Perfume: I just got the pink Valentino perfume and I am OBSESSED. It smells soooo good. I also love flowerbomb!
Skin Care: I use Tula almost every single day. Their cleansers and moisturizers are amazing and I use the mask once a week!
Curling wand: I curl my hair every single day and the hot tools 1.25 inch is what I use. My hair holds all day without hairspray.
"What is your major? What are your career goals?"
Answer: I am a junior currently at UNT studying Public Relations with a minor in psychology. I chose public relations because it's SO broad and I could go into any field and do what I do. My ultimate goal is to work for a fashion or entertainment company and do PR for that. I also think working for an airline would be fun because you get free flights (and ya know I love to travel) I would love for blogging to really take off and do that full time but I'd be happy doing it part time as well. I also think it would be really fun to be a buyer for a small boutique or even open up my own one day. I'm so young and there are just endless opportunities in front of me. I can't wait to see what the future holds.
That's all for today. Thank you so much for following along and being there the last 2 years. It's been a whirlwind of fun! xoxo