She may have fallen into the blogging sphere as a creative outlet in which to share travels with family and friends back in mid 2012, but Lisa Hamilton’s See Want Shop blog has stretched far beyond any initial dreamings. Paving her way through the digital landscape as one of Australia’s top lifestyle bloggers, the blog’s success has also transcended into social media – where Lisa commands more than 320K Instagram followers.
From envious escapes to the dreamiest of wardrobes, Lisa commands a captive audience with daily snippets of insights into what a typical day in her life looks like (and believe us when we say it looks pretty damn good). But while we’re transfixed by her posts’ content, we want to know more. More about just how Lisa got to where she is today and what a typical day really looks like. And so we asked…
Can you tell me a bit about your background? What were you doing before becoming an Instablogger?
I am a women’s health physiotherapist and I still work casually around my full-time blogging! I started the blog whilst I was on a working holiday as a platform to share all my travels with everyone back home.
How did you start on the road to becoming an influencer? Where you working in a normal 9-5 job?
Yes, I absolutely was. As things started getting busier, I went part-time at work which worked out fantastically. But as my travels increased, I found I wasn’t able to commit to a permanent physiotherapy role so this is when I went casual. Now I am able to blog full-time whilst still working when I can as a physiotherapist.
Was it hard to juggle the two? How did you manage?
At first yes it was very difficult, but I managed to get a lot better at time management and things improved from there. It also helped a lot taking on a manager as it reduced a lot of my admin.
How did you initially grow your following? Did you actively go out to grow a following or where people just organically finding you?
It has always been very organic. I started it as a platform to share my travels and I found people started getting interested in what I was doing and what I was wearing. From there it just started to grow!
What were some key initial ‘wins’ that helped your Instagram gain traction?
I had a couple of major moments that very much helped. One was when Khloe Kardashian reposted a photo of mine, second was when, very early on in my blogging career, I was featured on Who What Wear in America.
How has your Instagram account changed since starting out?
It was a lot more personal to begin with and my photo quality was certainly not at the level it is now! I was also never strategic about what I posted or when I posted.
How much time do you spend dedicated to each post?
It depends! Some are super quick and others might take a lot of time and effort.
How important is it for you to network with other fashion bloggers?
Very! I have made some great friends through blogging and I am so thankful for this crazy industry for it.
Do you find it hard to relax when you go on holidays as you’re always thinking of the next shot you can snap?
Never. If it is one thing I know how to do, it’s switch off and relax. In saying that, I always have my eyes open and am scouting to look for the next place to shoot!
Who normally takes your pics?
I have a photographer that I use regularly who is fantastic! When I am on my travels I use my Instagram boyfriend.
Can you talk me through a normal day?
Every day is different from the one before! I always start with a morning workout and a good breakfast. Then I might be out on a shoot or answering emails or attending an event or editing imagery or writing a blog post or visiting my agent’s office! That’s one of the things I absolutely love about this job, it is certainly not monotonous.
Is it hard to monetise being an influencer? Do you have to actively go out and talk to brands or do they normally come to you?
At first, yes it can be hard, but I find once you are established and can prove to brands that you are a worthy marketing tool then you can definitely monetise it. I am lucky to have an amazing manager who does this for me!
What are your top tips for aspiring bloggers?
Find your own niche and brand, make this your own and stick to it.
What does the future look like for See, Want, Shop?
A YouTube channel is just around the corner!
All images: @SeeWantShop
