Hi all,

Wish you a fruitful 2021 and hope you are healthy!

Gurneet (@thesavvyfashiongirl) is a Seattle based fashion and beauty mom blogger. She is an IT professional by degree and a blogger by heart. Channeling her passion for fashion through content creation. Read to learn more about her journey and super insightful tips below.

Sections:

1. About Gurneet

2. Tips + Advice

3. Working with brands

About Gurneet

Tell us a little about your background. When did you start creating content? What got you to start?

I created my blog Savvy Fashion Girl and my Instagram account 3 years ago as a creative outlet and love for fashion. I slowly expanded to Pinterest and Twitter and now I am spreading my wings in LiketoKnowIt app. I am also including more contents for moms in my blog and feed.

Do you see creating content as your full-time job or more of a hobby that you do in your free time?

What started as a hobby has turned into a full-time endeavor for me. Content creation takes a lot of time and planning and makes up a major chunk of my work.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced or you are facing as a creator/influencer?

Instagram algorithm! Who knows what exactly is that! I am still trying to figure it out. I try not to bother about the numbers and focus on the quality of content and getting a return on investment for brands by making real connections with my audience.

Tips for other creators:

What kinds of tools do you use to stay consistent and active on your social media?

I use Planoly and Preview to plan my posts in advance. This helps me batch my Instagram content and stay active.

What are some of your favorite editing tools? (If you use them)

I love Picsart and Facetune. I also enjoy Pixaloop.I try to keep the editing to a minimum and like to take my pictures in natural light and then use the default presets in Lightroom.

What are some tips for creators who are just getting started?

Keep it real! The audience is smart enough to spot the difference between real and fake and likes to connect to creators with whom they can relate their every day lives. Your page should not look like a billboard. Having a media kit is very important! I highly encourage having one.

Do you have any specific goals set for yourself for the coming months?

My goal is always to do better and learn new skills. I am always trying to do better, better photos, better style, better makeup skills. I am aiming at more paid campaigns and also learning to take self-portraits.

How do you balance your personal and work life?

Let's be honest here, I do not have a magic mantra here and I am not a superwoman. I am still learning!! The biggest challenge is navigating motherhood and content creation. I am a mom to a toddler who does not like cameras, phones and laptops, basically, every tool that plays a major role in creating content. Its been a journey navigating the first year of doing both and I am still learning.

How did you “learn” the ways of content creation? Are there any resources you see as absolutely necessary?

You learn from experience, either your own or of others. The biggest learning resources for me has been connecting with content creators in my niche.

What kind of advice do you have for creators who are not seeing any progress or success?

Keep going! I have honestly lost count on how many times I wanted to give up, but then I didn't. I am still a micro-influencer and not growing as fast as I would like, but I love what I do and that's most important according to me.

What are some of the biggest misconceptions that people have about you that you’d like to address?

I think a common assumption people make on social media is that influencer/blogger life is as perfect as it appears to be and that's why keeping it real is so important. Life is not perfect, and it is our social responsibility to address the imperfections, failures and shortcomings. I try to keep it real on my feed even if that means taking a break from social media.

Working with brands:

What have you found to be the biggest challenge in working with brands?

Getting paid! Most brands want to work in exchange for product only, I always try to negotiate because content creation is not really free. It's not just a picture, its a picture, an outfit (shoes, accessories and so on), hair and makeup, a photoshoot and the list is endless. If both agree on it its win-win for both the brand and the creator.

What brands have you worked with in the past? What are some that you would like to work with?

I have worked with a lot of small businesses in the past and I am currently working on a campaign with Just Fab. I would love to work with brands focussed on sustainable fashion like Everlane and clothing rental subscription brands like Rent the Runway.

The takeaway:

"Consistency is the key: keep going, keep learning and do your best because giving up is never an option. Good Luck! "

Love,

Corcus Team

If you are interested in being part of this series, please email creator@corcus.io.