Chioma Ezekwesili highlights the Essentials to Building and Growing Your Blog
“The main essential for starting a blog is to first have a passion for something”. – Chioma Ezekwesili Blogging is a great platform to express yourself, build a brand, and even make a source of income. Due to the diverse benefits of blogging, there is an influx of blogs and bloggers. This can make the process of building and growing your blog daunting. You might question whether it is worth it and how do you go about building this presence online? In this interview with fashion and lifestyle blogger Chioma Ezekwesili, she provides inspiration for prospective and current bloggers on her experience of starting and building her blog and brand. When and why did you decide to start your fashion and lifestyle blog and what were the essentials to beginning it? The main essential for starting a blog is to first have a passion for something. It could be cooking, fashion, gossip, politics, and other topics. You don’t have to be an English guru but you should always endeavor to read something new about your passion. This is significant because you can then provide your readers with new insights into your niche. In addition, you will be able to come up with new and diverse ways to relate to your readers. Secondly, you should draft a consistent timetable. It’s hard at the beginning but once you start, keep at it. Every day, have a topic you can write on. What will help you is approaching each day with an open mind? Also, make sure the photos, write up or videos are original because it allows your readers to connect with your originality. As for myself, I started my fashion and lifestyle blog in 2015 but I couldn’t keep up with it. This was because I started the previous blog with the sole purpose of making money. The blog was just alive for about three months and that was it. Then, I officially started www.yhitschioma.com in July 2016. This blog is out of my love for fashion. I also felt the need to express my opinion on lifestyle tips. I try to make my posts inspirational. I merge fashion styles to relatable inspirational quotes. I want to let people know that fashion is more than wearing designer clothes. Fashion is also a way of passing a positive message to the people around you. [bctt tweet=”I grew my 7k followers on Instagram by posting my Sunday bests every Sunday and tagged it #fashionforchurch – @Yh_ItsChioma” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is the best platform for intending media influencers to be on and why? Instagram and Twitter are the best platforms, dependent on the type of influencer you are. Instagram is mainly for fashion, lifestyle, and style. It’s best for visual appeal through photos and videos. Then, Twitter is good for sports lovers, especially soccer. The discussions on Twitter around the leagues is something that anybody building his/her brand around soccer needs to be on. Twitter is also a good platform for having discussions about politics, sports, music, health tips and more. I advise that you be linked on both platforms. That way, whatever you post on one can reflect on the other. However, more attention should be placed on the social media platform primarily for your type of brand. Social media metrics are ever changing and for those looking to make an impact online, the competition is increasing. Is it possible to grow one’s social media organically? Yes, you can grow organic followers and I am a testimony to it. I grew my 7k followers on Instagram by posting my Sunday bests every Sunday and tagged it #fashionforchurch. Every Sunday, people were looking forward to what I wore to church. Once you find out what your followers like, stick to it and be consistent. Do not buy followers because interactions on your post will not match your followership. That matters because people and brand will immediately see through that. The first year might not be easy but keep posting. Also, make sure you use hashtags because they work like magic. What is your process of growing your brand presence? Building your brand starts with a conscious effort to actually build the brand. Find the social media platform that suits what you are trying to build Try to make your followership on any social media platform that you are on organic. If you are on Instagram, never miss relevant hashtags like #MCM #MondayMotivation #WCW #TBT #FBF or things like that. You can even come up with your own personal hashtag that people can follow through your post. For me, it’s #LifeOfAStartingEntrepreneur and #yhitschioma. If Twitter is your platform, be sure to check the trending hashtags and draft your tweets around it. Finally, you have to be consistent your post on social media. Be sure to have your contact details available for people to reach you. Reply and like comments so that there is a discussion around your post. How can one stand out and be unique online? You stand out by being real. Don’t try to be in competition with anyone. Rather, you should strive to be a better version of yourself. Keep doing what you love and don’t copy others. Be original with your posts. What steps should an aspiring media influencer take to attract opportunities to work with organizations, brands, and collaborations? Keep your profile open not private. Make sure you give credit to other brands you are wearing or using on your page. Then, you get other brands to notice that you are promoting other brands. They will then want to work with you. For blog collaborations, if you never reach out to people, you might not have anyone reach out to you. Last year, I sent about 5-6 messages to other bloggers like myself for collaboration. However, I got turned down by about 4 and I didn’t mind. I did a collaboration with the bloggers that wanted to. The result is that other bloggers saw it and then reached out to
Aida Bamba: The gourmet in the city
[bctt tweet=”What makes Serial Foodie unique is me and my pen – Aida Bamba” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Ever heard of the saying that the period after a break up is your most creative? Aida Bamba started blogging in July 2015 after breaking up with her then boyfriend. Aida had put a pause to her passion for writing for her ex but then after the break-up decided not to put the desires of others ahead of hers. Firm in her resolve not to stop herself anymore, Aida Bamba eventually started blogging at Serial Foodie. Serial Foodie explores and reviews restaurants in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. As a foodie with a flair for cooking and an Agro-Food engineer, Aida brings her unique background to food blogging. This lady can tell if you haven’t put enough mint in a mojito. Why did you decide to start Serial Foodie? I decided to launch Serial Foodie in December 2015. I started my blog on advice from Orphelie Thalmas one of the best bloggers in Ivory Coast. She informed me that several people had loved an article I’d written reviewing a restaurant and suggested that I might have to specialise. I had already made a tour of many restaurants at that time. Not to mention, I have a talent for cooking and I’m an Agro-Food engineer by training, therefore have an understanding on a number of processes. I decided it was a good idea to specialise in food blogging and that I was going to follow Orphelie’s advice. Together, we chose the name of the blog, Serial Foodie and the slogan, “A gourmet in the city”. And that’s how Serial Foodie was born. You started blogging after a break up, can you tell us about that? I have always had complex emotional relationships. I have too many things to think about, there are many things in mind that I would like to achieve. This often disconnects me from reality. When you’re in a relationship, it is not obvious. In that relationship, I wanted to give the maximum and that lead to sacrificing myself. I put my passion for writing on hold. Unfortunately, my sacrifices did not lead to anything and we parted ways. What do you think makes Serial Foodie unique? What makes Serial Foodie unique is me and my pen. My way of transcribing the experiences lived in restaurants is my own. For me, to describe an experience in a restaurant is not limited to just saying; “I went here, I tasted these dishes, I liked it or not, the price ranges are, the place is located here and the number is…” For me, what counts is reception. How did I get to this restaurant? Do I like its decoration and ambience? What of the hygienic aspect? Then, my special feature is to focus on the dish. To give information on the components that I perceive; the recipes, the good flavours, the bad flavours. I will know for example if a cocktail lacks an ingredient or if a step has been missed. This is what I propose to those who read my blog; a unique experience that until now has only been offered by me. Abidjan has the reputation of being very cosmopolitan, what’s the foodie scene like there? Since the end of the crisis, the city of Abidjan has seen an increase in the number of restaurants. These restaurants cover all edges and are diverse. From Asian specialities to local cuisines, the foodie scene is moving and well. What do you do outside blogging? Apart from being a blogger, I’m an assistant at Instant2Vie, a photo studio. I’m also a social media manager. I manage brand image, from person to enterprise. I am freelance and work from my home; it’s not easy but I love this! I entered into the world of freelancing through my blog but I’m also an Agro-Food engineer as I mentioned above. [bctt tweet=”I will know if a cocktail lacks an ingredient or if a step has been missed – Aida Bamba” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] You’re also a writer with a published novel, can you tell us more about this? I wrote my first non-fiction book in 2005. The title is, “Les Revers de la Vie” or “The Reversal of Life”. To be honest, the publishing house has never paid me my rights even though the book is still on sale. I decided to overcome this disappointment on my own and come out anew after the loss of my father last April. “The Reversal of Life” is available on Amazon Kindle. #love #instagood #follow #followme #foodie #picoftheday #abidjan #food #france #blog #blogger #foodblog #foodblogger #serialfoodie #follow4follow #followforfollow #followback A photo posted by Bamba Aida (@serialfoodie) on Oct 24, 2016 at 3:11pm PDT Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner in Abidjan, where would you recommend people reading this go? My suggestions for Abidjan are: Breakfast: Pause Café, Nougatine, Comptoir des Artisans, Bao Café, Couleur Café, Flow. Brunch: Flow, Nougatine, Norima, Pause Café, Radisson Blu Lunch: Le Kallisté, le Rallye, Salad and Sun, La Maison des Combattants, Norima, Le Bao, Le Comptoir des Artisans, Dinner: Wasabi, Oishi, Kanpai, Kallisté, Don Antonio, Hippopothamus, Norima, Mondial, Saakan, Chez Jay’s. If I were to choose one restaurant, it’ll be Norima Restaurant Vallon. My menu options are; mini cowboy burger and buffalo chicken wings for starters. The Mongolian beef rice bowl for main and kiwi mojito or pina colada for drinks! If you’d like to share your story with She Leads Africa, let us know more about you and your story here.
Chiedza Mahere: Social media is the cornerstone of entrepreneurship
“Downtown Harare evokes people’s emotions”, says fashion blogger and rising #MotherlandMogul Chiedza Mahere. Chiedza is the woman behind Diary of a Smurf Dinkie. Despite the fact that she started blogging without a solid plan, Chiedza is the Zimbabwean International Women’s Award (ZIWA) Blogger of the Year 2016. It’s no secret that at SLA, we love Beyoncé but Chiedza Mahere’s actual person is Solange. Believe it or not, Solange inspired Chiedza to start her blog and establish her brand. Diary of a Smurf Dinkie is a thrifter’s heaven, through the blog Chiedza reveals the (affordable!) fashion gems that can be found in Harare, Zimbabwe. Using social media, Chiedza has expanded her website to include a store and is now making moves to become a stylist. And guess what’s also really cool? Chiedza works for/with her boyfriend! Of course, she shared tips from her experience below. Tell me about yourself and what you love… I am Chiedza Mahere, I am 26. I love fashion, clothes, I love shopping and I love to see people happy. Clothes reflect what a person’s feeling on that day. On a gloomy day you’ll see me wearing all black. Then on a happy day you’ll see me wearing all sorts of colours because it evokes my emotions. It happens lots, it’s just that people hardly notice what’s really going on. Clothes were made for feeling. Tell us about what inspired your blog You know Solange Knowles? That’s my actual person! After listening to her first album 5 years back, I introduced her to everyone I knew. They’d ask, “Who is she and what’s she all about? Oh, Beyoncé’s sister!” She was never just Solange. I felt a deep connection to Solange not only because I loved her music and had a passion for fashion just like her but because I could relate. I was always Tari’s sister, so I understood exactly how she must have felt. Everyone had been telling me to start a blog but I just wasn’t ready. I didn’t feel comfortable, I was a size 16 then, much bigger than I am now. I didn’t like the idea of having something made just for me because I couldn’t fit in the sizes the clothes came in. It wasn’t until I listened to Solange’s second album that I thought, she really is growing. People were starting to identify her as an individual and not just as Beyoncé’s sister anymore. She was breaking the mould and I wanted the same thing. It was time for my blog. During a discussion with Zash, my boyfriend, he told me different clothes reminded him of the city, —downtown to be exact. Downtown Harare evokes people’s emotions, it makes them think their parents would have worn jeans like this; their grandmother probably would have worn a dress just like this and been in this exact place. So I decided I’d mix designer pieces like a Haus of Stone dress with thrifted shoes or a thrifted belt. We did our first photo-shoot in the city, I had no idea it would be that big, everyone loved it. I decided that Diary of Smurf Dinkie is only going to be in the city, it doesn’t matter which city just downtown. I can’t wait to do a shoot in downtown Cape Town. People neglect the downtown part of their cities, Zash and I want to show that downtown a beautiful place. [bctt tweet=”@smurfdinkie believes downtown Harare evokes people’s emotions, even in fashion” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] What is does blogging mean to you? Blogging’s like a little magazine you can draw inspiration from but you don’t have to buy because it’s online. Blogging helps me express who I am, how down to earth I am and how I want to inspire women to be confident in their own skin. I don’t do the typical upper class look, I like old school clothes because I want you to feel like you aren’t pressured to be something you’re not or wear something that you can’t afford especially because we are young. My blog shows that you can go to Mbare, Avondale Flea Market and get a top for 50c and a dress for $5. My blog lets you know about the joys of thrifting, what’s hot at the moment and about what people are working on so that you discover local fashion designers in Zimbabwe and support them. How did you fall in love with thrifting? During our time in Botswana, my mom and I went to the mall one day, I didn’t feel like going into Mr. Price so I went straight into the second hand store next door. As I walked into the store, I saw a real pretty dress, similar to one I had when I was 6. This dress was orange and had daisies on it, my mom used to call me Daisy because she said the daisy was almost like the sun. My name “Chiedza” which means light, represented the sunshine I brought into her life. The dress was only 10pula, I was 11 years old at the time and and I fell in love with thrifting then. When we moved back to Zimbabwe, my mom’s friend asked me if I wanted to tag along, she was going to Mbare. I didn’t know what that was because I hadn’t grown up here, she told me it was a ‘musika’, a market where they sold everything from building material to clothes, I was so excited. We got there and I went punk, I was so excited to find a pair of original Calvin Klein jeans. You get all these cool things that no one else is going to be wearing. [bctt tweet=”Through Diary of a Smurf Dinkie, Chiedza Mahere highlights Zimbabwean fashion designers ” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] So your love for thrifting yielded a blog and you recently won a Zimbabwean International Women’s Award (ZIWA) for Blogger of the year. How does that make you feel and why do you think you won? I don’t
Sekayi and Tukiya: We want MaFashio to represent Zambia on a much more international scale
[bctt tweet=”When sisters Sekayi & Tukiya started @MaFashio they didn’t know that fashion blogs existed” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] With big smiles and charming personalities to match, Sekayi and Tukiya Fundafunda have a star-like quality about them. Popularly known as Kahyi & Kii, the powerhouse sister-duo are behind Zambia’s hottest fashion blog, MaFashio. According to the sisters, “MaFashio” is a slang that describes someone who either looks really good —or really strange. In other words, fashion that makes a statement. That is essentially what MaFashio aims to deliver —content that celebrates the uniqueness and strangeness of Zambian fashion and culture, packaged in a way that is fun, inspiring, and accessible. Since bursting onto the scene in 2012, MaFashio has positioned itself as the premier “style house” in Zambia with its one-stop shop approach to fashion solutions, including blogging and styling and creative direction. Kahyi & Kii have carved out a permanent place for themselves on the fashion and lifestyle scene in Zambia and are well on their way to becoming a successful and well-recognized international fashion brand. The sisters recently opened up to SLA contributor Uloma about their blog, fashion, and some of their favourite things from 2016. How did MaFashio begin? Where did you find the inspiration to start a fashion blog? Kahyi: We had a lot of artistic influences growing up —mom made wedding dresses and dad was an artist. As teenagers we dressed very differently from our peers, which wasn’t something that was popular in Zambia at the time. One summer towards the end of our high school years, Kii and I happened to spend a lot of time together, and we discovered just how cool the other [person] was. As we spent time getting to know each other and observing the people around us, we both simultaneously had this realization that we were encountering a lot of people dressed in really interesting and diverse ways. That was how the idea for MaFashio came about. One day we just decided that we were going to start telling people they looked nice, take their pictures, and create a place where we could post and share these pictures. At the time we started, we didn’t even know that “fashion blogs” existed. All we knew was that we had found this project that we were really passionate about and we were determined to pursue it as far as we could. We built a simple blog on Blogger put up pictures, then spammed everyone we could think of to direct them to our blog. One day we got a call from Gareth Bentley, who had somehow caught wind of our site and was impressed by what we were doing. He showed us how other bloggers were doing it and gave us tips on how to make the site appear more professional. From there things sort of took off. When did you realize that MaFashio had finally broken onto the Zambian fashion scene in a big way? It was definitely when we got invited to attend and blog at Fashion Week in 2013. It was such a surreal experience, getting the VIP treatment and being introduced to some major players in the Zambian fashion industry. Being at that event and getting to blog about it definitely put us on the map and opened doors for us. After that, we knew it was time to take MaFashio to the next level and that was when we decided to register the brand as an official entity. [bctt tweet=”We never back down from a challenge and we are motivated to continue improving our skills” username=”SheLeadsAfrica”] Your story sounds almost like a fairytale. Coming from an artistic background, having a flair for fashion and design, and then starting what was probably the first fashion blog in Zambia at a time when there was no one else in the space. Were there any parts of this whole process that did not come easy to you? You’re right, we do have a natural affinity for styling and writing, but the photography and other technical aspects didn’t come easy and took a lot of effort. In fact, we are still learning, but that’s what I love about us. We never back down from a challenge and the more MaFashio grows, the more motivated we are to continue improving our skills, acquiring new ones, and also asking for help when there is something we can’t do ourselves. How does the division of labour within MaFashio work? Kahyi: I have a background in Economics and Finance, so I would say I am the more business-savvy one of the team. I love structure and I enjoy creating systems so I am always looking for avenues to incorporate that into our business. Kii: I have a background in Law, which has come in quite useful in interpreting the contracts we are presented with. When it comes to MaFashio, while Kahyi focuses more on the planning and organization, I would say I contribute more to creating the content and aesthetics for the site. In the best of ways, Kahyi is the yin to my yang and we complement each other in a way that is good for the business. As frontrunners in the fashion blogging industry in Zambia, how have you embraced this role as leaders and mentors? Also, as others come onto the scene, what has it been like dealing with the competition? Kahyi: Last year we organized an event called Fashion for Brunch and honestly it was a struggle to scrape together 16 bloggers at the time. This year, we hosted the same event again and we had 35 bloggers. We even had trouble picking the 20 we needed for the event! It has been a pleasure for us to watch this new generation of bloggers come onto the scene, and we don’t necessarily view them as competition because we understand our role. The only yardstick by which we measure our growth and success is ourselves. Kahyi: I attended a lecture earlier this
6 steps to building the confidence you need to bring your blog to the masses
Have you ever wanted to share something with the world, but you’ve hesitated? You ask yourself, ”can I really do this? Will people like what I produce?” I can relate. Putting yourself out there is daunting – the Internet can be a scary place. If anyone had told me a year ago that I’d be running my own website, www.abiola.me and sharing my thoughts on life and faith, I would have laughed in their face. Me? Faith? My experiences? It didn’t sound very glamorous and we all know it can be a touchy subject. After months of umm’ing and ahh’ing, I decided to take the plunge. Since then, I’ve found that the world of writing isn’t so big and scary after all. In fact, there’s a lot of good that can come from joining the conversation. Now I’m going to share 6 steps to help you to launch your blog with all the Naomi Campbell-level confidence you can muster. Step 1: Believe in your product and it’s purpose First of all, your product (or in the blogger’s case, content) should be something you’re passionate about and you think other people will enjoy. I didn’t start Abiola.me just cause I ‘wanted to have a blog’, that’s not enough to sustain you when the novelty wears off. From chatting to friends and strangers alike, I could sense that we were all looking for something ‘more’ in our lives, that missing piece. Personally, I had found something that had a huge impact on me, and I had a strong feeling that other people might find it useful too. In true Olivia Pope style, I decided to trust my gut. A strong belief in your product will eventually outweigh your self-doubt or fear of what people might say. Step 2: Your online voice is unique, believe in it, develop it Next, think about your tone of voice. This is one of the most important things as it helps people to buy into and believe in what you’re offering. I decided that I wanted my blog to be approachable and relatable, kind of like speaking to a wise, trusted friend. Each time I publish a blog post, I continue to ask myself, do I sound like that friend? Asking yourself these questions regularly will help bring your content to life. But I can’t write as well as some of the other people out there… I hear you say. Listen, no one becomes good at something without practice – don’t ever let that put you off. We all have to start somewhere, as long as you’ve got your spelling and grammar down, you’re good to go. If you need help, send a draft post to a friend for feedback – that’s what I did at the start and it worked like a dream. The key is to share it with people who are supportive but also comfortable with giving constructive criticism. Remember that this entire experience is a learning opportunity, and waiting until you’re ‘perfect’ is unrealistic (even the Chimamanda Adichie’s of this world have still got stuff to work on! We all do). Step 3: Take the plunge, spread the word The next thing to do is to tell people! It’s really that simple. When I first started my blog, I told no one except 4 or 5 close friends. Even worse, when I added new posts I didn’t tell anyone at all because I was too shy. This is where belief in your product and yourself becomes super helpful: I knew what I was creating was useful and I was putting in too much effort for it not to be shared. So I decided to finally put on my big girl pants and spread the word, what was the worst that could happen? Sharing wasn’t easy – the very first day I prepared my social media promo posts, I was nervous. I knew deep down that I would never feel 100% ready, I’d always find another excuse, so I just did it. Sometimes, you’ve just got to close your eyes and go for it. It’s like jumping into a pool, you’re hesitant at first but the adrenaline pushes you to do it anyway, and once you’re in you realise that it’s actually pretty fun! It also gets easier the second time, then the third time, and suddenly you’re 6 months down the line telling everyone about it. The best thing about sharing is that it’s infectious. If people like your product they will share it their friends without you even asking. I have had colleagues, old university mates and acquaintances tell me how much they enjoy reading my work. But it’s up to you to get the wheels turning; you are your first and biggest cheerleader, so never be afraid to lead the pack. Step 4: Be sponge, soak it all up Congrats, you’ve made it to Step 4 in one piece – not so bad is it? Next, absorb lessons from everyone (and everything) around you; articles, blogs, other people, celebrities – whatever. Inspiration comes from the most random places. So many things inspire the way I write, the images I use or my future plans. Also, never underestimate the power of your own story, even though learning from your peers and the gawds is important, don’t forget to get busy living. Be open to discussion, collaboration and feedback – there’s nothing like bouncing ideas around with people you respect, whether that’s friends, family, mentors, your readers or your peers in the writing game. What you choose to do with the feedback is totally your choice, but always be open to listening. Step 5: Your non-writing experience is relevant too Ever had a job or been in school, university or college? These experiences have helped you to develop the prioritisation and organisational skills you need to keep your blog alive. Developing content takes commitment, dedication and sometimes saying no to brunch (#tears) or staying awake for an extra hour. Being able to keep yourself accountable
Product review etiquette for bloggers
There are many perks that come with blogging, but none so welcomed as the ubiquitous product review. That is, receiving free products from a company to review on your blog in exchange for an honest review or advertorial. Some bigger blogs, in an ad network, are paid to do product reviews and smaller ones sometimes aren’t. It all depends on how you position yourself. If you’re able to successfully grow a loyal following, brand managers and publicists will notice and come knocking at your door. The only rule everyone must follow is full disclosure. Tell your audience if you received products or payment in exchange for a review. If done right, your readers won’t mind and will support your hustle. Beyond the full disclosure rule, here are a few etiquette points bloggers should follow to keep their sponsors happy and to position themselves for financial growth. Treat your sponsors like clients They are your clients, even if they aren’t paying you in cash and are providing you with free products. No rough handling, please! Care, attention to detail, and a basic understanding of their business goals puts you at an advantage for future business. Respond in a timely manner After you’ve done some preliminary research on the company to speak intelligently about their products, give them a call or respond back to their email as soon as possible. Ask yourself if the product is a good fit for your blog If not, let them go easy. Don’t burn bridges so the publicist keeps you in mind for future projects. Give the sponsor a definitive time for publishing their review Give a firm date even if it is months ahead and meet your deadlines. Plan your blog posts ahead of time or give a realistic estimate of the time it will take you to craft a blog post or film a YouTube video. Stay committed and make good on your deadlines so you don’t keep your client in the dark, waiting. Make the product review honest and relatable but don’t kill your client’s business Find kind ways to be positive about your client’s product. Yes, you can be honest with your audience and positive about a product you don’t necessarily care for at the same time. It’s all in how you word it. Your goal is to serve your clients and be honest to your audience while exposing new brands to them—not kill business. If you are having a hard time crafting a positive post, communicate this with your client, tell them what you would change about this product to make it better. (Brands love constructive feedback especially from influencers like yourself.) Tell them about the review you will post and if you’re willing, work with them to craft a post that works for both of you. You always have the last say on what goes up on your blog. Be grateful Thank them for selecting you to review their products and keep in touch so that your blog/brand stays top of mind for future projects. Bonus: After the review goes live, provide your client/ sponsor with post stats. They’ll thank you for the extra attention to detail and customer service.