Social Media is no easy feat. We’ve interviewed the best of the best to share their social media secrets and successes with you and today we’re talking with The Fashionable Accountant!

Tell our readers about yourself and your blog

An Accountant by trade and a Fashionista at heart, my blog is where I share tips for both fashion and finance called The Fashionable Accountant. Every woman, from college student to mother, wants a sense of style while still saving money.  With my knowledge and experience, I provide tips on shopping your wardrobe; traveling on a budget; and financial tips for improving your credit and paying off debts. Also keep an eye out in Orlando’s Central Florida Modeling Magazine, because March 2017 my blog will start having a monthly article. I promise to show you how to have style and look chic without breaking the bank, so you aren’t spending a million bucks, but are surely feeling like it! I promise it’s within everyone’s reach!

Tell us how you first got into blogging.

I fell in love with reading fashion blogs thanks to my lovely idol Angela Lanter and then my girlfriend Rae was like, “Nikki you are so good at styling and shopping you just need to start your own blog.” I was pretty scared to do that and put myself out there, but it has been a blast.

How did you establish your “theme” or brand?

Ok, so my blog actually used to be called Flamingos & Pineapples because those are my two favorite things haha. However, after watching a webinar by Julie Solomon & Angela Lanter about rebranding I realized I should rebrand my blog into something that was really my niche. Since, by day I am an accountant I incorporated that into my blog, and voila, The Fashionable Accountant was born.

For your theme or brand, do you have things that you do consistently?  

Yes, Ma’am! Every Friday I post a fashion and finance post. There is always some kind of financial advice included in with an outfit/styling post.

Where do you find the inspiration for your blog posts?

Sometimes I see a new combination in my closet that I want to try out in order to help other people rework their closets, then through what that outfit represents in my head, I decide what kind of financial advice could go along with it. I also give advice based on seasons such as holiday shopping, or tax season.

What do you think is the best strategy to get more traffic to your blog?

Facebook groups and networking. You need to be active on social media and with people in your community for people to know who you are. And always, always, make time to respond to questions and comments. If someone asks me to do something and I can make it happen then why not help out! I always want to stay real and grounded.

What’s your favorite social media platform?

Instagram for sure!! I am a visual person and I love a pretty picture.

How do you gain followers?

I engage with others on social media, use plenty of hashtags, tag brands that I’m wearing, post Pinterest worthy photos, collaborate with other bloggers and brands, and pay attention to what time of day people seem to be most active on your posts and try to post around that time every day.

Once you have the followers, how do you keep them?

I ask them questions and engage on their social media platforms. I try to write about things that not only I enjoy and want to put out there, but that I know my readers will relate to and want to know about.

How many times a week do you post?

I post almost every day on IG, Facebook, and Twitter. For my blog, I post at least once a week, sometimes twice if I have something interesting I have thought about to put out to my readers. I really feel like it’s all about quality over quantity. I used to post on my blog more often, but I didn’t feel like the content was as good because I was concerned about keeping up with the Joneses and just getting more posts up. Once a week now really works for me.

Is this a part of your strategy to keep gaining followers or do you post at random?

I would say consistently posting is a way to keep and gain followers. This is because they know when to expect content from you and they don’t get fed up and fall off the bandwagon so to speak.

What are some misconceptions about social media?

I feel a couple of misconceptions are that if you are on social media, then you must be on all social media channels. This really depends on where your readers are though…I’m actually not a big fan of twitter, even though I am on there. Also, your content and your titles really do matter. If you want people to search and find your posts, or want to read your post then you want a relevant and catchy title. You also want to make sure you are including SEO words throughout your post if you want people to find it. Just because you are on the internet does not mean people will actually find you there easily.

Do you have photos taken professionally or do you take them yourself?  

I have two photographer friends that help me out at times. I take all my own flat lay photos and then I have taught my partner to take all of my outfit photos.

What are some tips you can give in order to take a good photo?

Get a good lens. You can have a basic DSLR, but you really won’t get the best bokeh if you don’t have a good prime lens. I always buy mine used from Keh.com. I also suggest really researching about depth of field and learn how to use your camera on either aperture priority, or manual.

What’s your favorite location to take photos?

I love anywhere around Winter Park and Cranes Roost. Everything is so pretty, green, and well maintained.

How do you find relevant hashtags for your photos?

I look at what other bloggers in my niche are posting and think about what I would search if I was looking for a photo like mine.

What are your top 3 favorite emojis?

Hearts, Winking Kissy Face, and Ok hand (to me that means something is “on point”)

How do you keep your website updated & relevant?

I research the trends and try to post about what’s going on right now around me.

What apps would you recommend to our followers?

VSCO, Snapseed, Lucid & Photogene for photo editing. Photogrid for creating collage photos. Stylebook for keeping track of outfits.

What else do you want to add to help small business owners?

Just keep trying and putting yourself out there because positivity and perseverance is the key to success. Stay true to yourself and what makes you unique. Remember that your chapter of your story is completely different from anyone else’s so try to not compare yourself to others, even though most of us can be bad about that haha.

Photo credit: Gil Sturgis at www.facebook.com/bodyscapephotography

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