It’s common enough for people to joke about phone addiction, but what about those people who see their smartphone as more than just a personal tool? For many journalists and bloggers, their smartphone is a fundamental part of their day job. As their personalities become a more important part of the way they report, their job becomes just as much about the ever-present demand for social media commentary as it is for great stories and content.
This is especially true in the hectic world of fashion and beauty, where yesterday’s trends are well, so yesterday. Keeping on top of all this is a tough ask and Sophie Eggleton, our Xperia Z3 Compact-toting fashion blogger, has had to learn all the tricks of the trade. We caught up with her earlier this week to talk about the role that mobiles are playing in the blogging world.
Lovely to catch up again Sophie! Tell us, what have you been up to over the last couple of months?
Hey there. It’s been as non-stop as ever since we last spoke! First there was festival season where I was lucky enough to go to Reading and Leeds Festival. I did about 18 interviews over that weekend which was pretty intense. After a few days of recovery I went from the fields to the catwalks for London fashion week to take some snaps of the fashion elite. Once that frenzy had passed, I treated myself to a little holiday in Rome which, by the way, is beautiful. It wasn’t just the scenery that was worthy of snapping though – the food was incredible too!
Sounds like the life of a blogger is pretty fantastic!
Life as a blogger is what you make it. It can be a small part of your life or it can completely take over. Either way, it’s a great way to meet people – from events to finding common ground via the things you’re posting. I’ve had a stressful few years in and out of my blogging life and I intend to make those experiences and events a large part of my channel and blogging in general.
It’s an interesting path to go down, how did you get involved in it?
I was always quick off the mark when it came to signing up to new social media as I’ve always had an interest in new ways of communicating – perhaps because I’m quite a shy person and enjoy having a less pressured way to talk to people. Experience wise, I graduated with a degree in fine art and did various internships in fashion. Illness then led me to spend a lot of time at home. I wanted to continue doing work and talking about fashion, so got in touch with people about writing, as it is something I had always enjoyed. Next thing you know, I’m a blogger!
What three pieces of advice would you give to someone who’s looking to start his or her own blog?
- Decide what you want your blog to be – not only the format but what you want it to be about. Making it about something you love or know about is your best bet. Your passion will come through in your writing.
- You need to find your USP – What will make your blog different from existing blogs? What’s your angle?
- Make sure you have what you need to create consistently good quality content. As that’s your product. I’m on the go a lot, and having a phone with a top quality camera (with the capabilities to create nice looking Instagram posts), HD video functions (and editing apps) for those times you don’t want to lug your weighty camera around, and user-friendly social media apps to update live make life an awful lot easier.
On that note, what features in your Xperia Z3 Compact are helping you the most, whether that’s through creating quality content or just on a day-to-day basis?
Well it was great having a durable and dependable phone during festival season. Normally people have to take an old, pre-smartphone type of handset because you know it’s going to get wet. But after years of dealing with the stress of rain and puddles and using an older phone with a dodgy battery or a newer phone with a limited battery, I didn’t have to worry about that this year because of the waterproof rating and Battery STAMINA mode.
Another useful aspect is when I have to take shots of the models strutting down the catwalk at fashion shows,. I only really have one opportunity to take the photo so I’ve started using the Timeshift burst feature. Taking a load of shots really quickly is handy for when, like me, your timing isn’t great. As you can tell, it came in pretty handy on Fireworks night too! One thing I’ve not tried yet, but really want to, is the Live on YouTube app – it’d be perfect for my vlogging YouTube channel that I’ve recently launched.
What are the challenges that bloggers face today?
Time management is a big one. You won’t believe the amount of emails that come in daily. Working out what opportunities to take on is important. You’ve got to consider whether it’s a good fit for your blog and for you. You also have to gain a thicker skin. It’s impossible to keep everyone happy, especially on the Internet.
In this multimedia age, with every one having access to their own publication platforms (like a blog or twitter feed), do you think journalism and blogging are beginning to cross over?
There is definitely a crossover. I see bloggers, who have built a huge audience or follower base, given roles that journalists have trained or worked years towards. Of course attracting readers is important, but I hope they are looking for articles that are well written, have a unique voice, or say something important.
Are there any challenges or opportunities in this?
Blogging gives everyone a voice. The opportunity for someone to write about their opinions, thoughts, passions and everyday life means we now have a vast pool of words, images and videos to inform, make us smile, or pass the time. A huge positive is that people can discover things about themselves they wouldn’t have without the outlet blogging has given them.
The only problem with there being no vetting or interview process when it comes to blogging is that there is nothing controlling quality. Like anything, it’s a mixed bag out there.
What do you think the future holds for bloggers?
I think we’re going to see more and more bloggers in the public eye, people like Zoella, etc. We’ll start seeing them being used as celebrity figures, brand ambassadors and even role models. Of course it’s always so hard to predict what’s round the corner in this industry. There’s a new social media platform almost every month so the media landscape and what is and isn’t popular can completely change the face of blogging. I think it’s why I enjoy it so much – it’s both scary and exciting.
We’ll be catching up with Sophie again in a few months to see how she’s getting on, but in the meantime have a look at some of her latest pictures below and be sure to follow Sophie on Twitter, or better yet visit her blog and YouTube channel!
Źródło: Bloggers, blogs & blogging with Sophie Eggleton
Category: Sony Ericsson | Tags: None
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