"The most successful are smart, know who they are, and work their asses off" with Vanessa Valiente
Vanessa Valiente is San Diego's top personal stylist and first fashion blogger. Established in 2007, V-Style features flattering fashion, effective beauty products, and accurate travel advice for successful women. Vanessa has been featured in The Washington Post, National Geographic, and New York Magazine to name a few publications.
What is your background? How did you become an influencer?
I was born and raised in San Jose, California before moving to San Diego to get my Costume Design degree in Theatre and Film. In 2006, I began styling for television programs starring the likes of Eric Dane, Rhona Mitra, Bo Derek, Morgan Fairchild, and Joe Manganiello. I have since expanded to editorials and catalog shoots, but my core focus is personal styling. In 2007, I created V-Style to deliver supplemental consulting to my clients and provide relevant fashion, beauty, and travel commentary for like-minded women. It blew up from there.
What 3 things does anyone starting in your industry need to know?
1. SEO and best practices of your favorite social media platforms
2. Being a successful influencer is a full-time job.
3. Define your voice and niche, and stay consistent.
What would you do differently if you were starting in your industry now?
I would attend Influencer and Blogging conferences, like Blog Her and Alt Summit from day one. Hit the ground running because each day you wait puts you behind. Whatever platform you are using, google "{preferred platform} conference" and then attend as many as you can afford, or focus on the best two.
Which people or resources have had the most influence on your growth and why?
Hiring my editor Katie Watkins is one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. Attending Alt Summit was essential. IFB was also great back in the day and still has helpful articles. For new help, try Bloglovin for finding influencer articles.
What do you think is the top key to success in your business?
Dedication and a defined point of view. The most successful are smart, know who they are, and work their asses off.
How did you come up with your pricing model?
I make my money through affiliate programs, which is determined mostly by the advertiser. For the partnerships I control, I charge $100 - $150 for mentions in a blog post, but only from companies I already use and love. I honestly can't remember how I came up with that. I generally shy away from any other kind of "take over" advertising and banner ads.
Talk about the biggest failure you've had. What did you learn from it?
God, I have made so many mistakes. I did not educate myself enough in the beginning, so I was blacklisted on Google for not abiding by the guidelines in 2011. I was deeply ignorant about Instagram for far too long and didn't treat it seriously until it was too late to grow my following the easy way. I want to absolutely kick myself. The lesson is START NOW and LEARN from people who know what they are talking about. Do not guess, get an education. I don't let an opportunity sit anymore. Act fast and act right.
How do you market your business? What has been the most effective form of marketing?
I haven't found one form of marketing to be especially more powerful than another, although promoting my blog posts with my Facebook community gets the most hits and time on my site. My monthly newsletter is also highly successful. It's all about diversifying. Be searchable and put yourself everywhere. All influencers should be working on word of mouth, social media, and national press.
How do you find brand partnerships? What is your advice to those starting out?
Mostly brands reach out to me, but for someone starting out, you need to be on affiliate marketing platforms. There are amazing. Some require a minimum amount of followers, but most do not. Here is a list of platforms you can use...
for Social Media Influencers: Reward Style, Brand Backer, Fohr, Izea,
for Bloggers: Rewardstyle, Rakuten, Commission Junction, Ascend, Impact Radius, ShareASale, ShopStyle
What does a typical day in your week look like?
I always start the day at the computer addressing imperative emails and working on press pitches. I then go on a run and then get ready for my first client of the day. Afterward, I do post work for my client, and then prep a blog post before sending it off to my editor. If I've finished my post for the week, I'll work on a press pitch or Instagram post. I do photoshoots for the blog/social media 1-2 Fridays a month. I also spend a lot of time reading articles and watching videos that educate me on blogging, press, or business efficiencies.
What keeps you going when things get tough in your business?
I work too much, so having time to myself is rejuvenating. My daily run is everything, and I love drinking prosecco with my favorite people. If you are referring to when business is slow, I just haven't faced that in a long time. If it did get slow, I would educate myself more and get more press. My saying has always been, "If you can't get paid, get press." During the great recession, I was all over the news. Everyone was blown away by my success, I would laugh and say "If you see me on the news, I'm probably not doing great."
How can our readers get in touch with you?
I would love to connect on Instagram! If you are interested in becoming a personal stylist, my technical manual on How To Become A Personal Stylist now available for presale.
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