Meet the Muse: @naturally.classique
1. How would you describe your Instagram?
Overarchingly, when you look at it, the “9 squares of my life” has a very clean and calm aesthetic. With the soft brightness, the whites, the greys, it is an accurate reflection of my personality that is predominantly calmer and more neutral.
My Instagram aesthetic also goes hand in hand with my blog. This is why I stick to clothes with neutral colors and minimalist look to keep everything consistent.
Basically, from the way I dress to how I see things encompass the overall calm tone that I really appreciate having in my life.
2. That is a very interesting outlook on how you project your online persona! So how did you get started with Instagram?
I was a project manager at a digital marketing agency and working closely with likeminded people in the creative industry. Even though I’m not a designer or somebody who works largely with a creative perspective, I like to wrap my head around a creative mindset.
So simply put, I received a lot of creative exposure from my education background, work experience, and interest to be involved in the community. But my decision to start my own blog and Instagram began from just following some big influencers and admiring their posts. One day I told my husband, “Hey, I can do this too.” So he went, “Then you should!”
3. Wow, having the support from your closest people is definitely a very important aspect. How did you get into fashion?
I’ve always been into fashion, but it’s how the fashion industry has evolved within the digital industry that intrigued me. I believe that influencer marketing is not going anywhere, especially seeing how quickly it is growing. Fashion is something that I truly feel passionate about and feel confident in sharing. Bonus perk: I’m currently living in Houston, and the founder of liketoknowit actually lives in Dallas.
4. Any other interests that you post on Instagram?
I want my blog to be inspirational. One type of content that I really like to incorporate is about healthy living. This is the avenue that I will be going into this year.
Coming up with the name naturally classique intentionally pushes me to get into more natural living. Eating better, buying organic, and educating myself about the importance of relying on natural products. It’s exciting to see more and more brands sticking with more natural ingredients as well.
5. How do you usually choose who to work with?
For me, I know it’s right when everything seems natural. For example, I’d know that it’s not right when I have a hard time to write a blog post. So it’s important for me to work only with brands that reflect my style.
In the past, I used to explore with more different brands to the point of perhaps forcing the relationship. But then I’d have a hard time to write a blog post, and that’s when I know it’s just not right.
6. How do you engage in the influencers community? What do you love about being a part of it?
I love that it has helped me form real connections with the girls in this new town. When I relocated to Houston 3 years ago, meeting people became a tad difficult. After I started my blog, however, I got to connect with new and old friends in Michigan who started blogging too.
On a larger scale, I’ve been part of the reward style and liketoknowit where we share some strategies or sometimes they have a get together. I also attend other blog communities conferences. I went to one in Dallas last winter called Create & Cultivate. It was hosted by different speakers discussing about strategies and other relevant topics.
Events like this is a great way to connect and engage with other bloggers, and empowering each other to build a very supportive community. The influencers is a community that believes in sharing and giving back to the community to empower each other. I am really grateful for being a part of such a supportive community.
8. What do you think influencers should avoid doing?
Paying for followers. It’s tempting, but ultimately you want your community to be filled with people you want to engage with, and people you genuinely want to work with. I’d prefer to have a community that shares mutual interests with me.
9. Do you have your favorite photo editing apps?
VSCO, that’s my primary. I actually do the majority editing on my computer though, because sometimes the quality is diminished when you edit on your phone. So, I start from my computer, get them to the blog, then transfer them to my phone.
10. Who are some of your favorite or must follow Instagram users? And why?
The main ones are fashion and travel focus like @margoandme. She’s great for higher end clothing and does a lot of travel posts. Another role model is @juliahengel. I don’t just like her because of her style, but she actually shares a lot of strategy. She reflects a great personality as well as a great resource for bloggers.
11. What do you want to see more in this upcoming year as the influencer marketing industry keeps growing?
I’d like to see more brands getting engaged with influencer marketing, but more importantly is also to pay bloggers. I’d like to see more openness from the brand side to paying influencers, be it small or large ones. Because sadly, even though influencers are more than happy to do product endorsements only, this marketing model will not be sustainable without a standardized payment alogirthm.
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