SISIYEMMIE ON PM NEWSPAPER AS A FEMPRENEUR - READ THE INTERVIEW !

Yay! My friend Cocogist sent me this! I didn't even get to see my first proper newspaper feature *sobs sobs*...it deserves to be framed! LOL. I look forward to being on the cover of a magazine one day sha....Here's the interview so you ca enjoy and maybe pick something from it!

WHAT IS YOUR BLOG ABOUT?

My blog is a lifestyle and personal blog. I write reviews, beauty, relationships, advice, inspiration, career, recipes, giveaways and I have a lot of humorous stories to share. I also have a YouTube Channel where I share similar content.

WHAT WAS YOUR LINE OF CAREER BEFORE YOU STARTED THE BLOG?

This has always been my line of career, so I didn’t switch lanes. I studied Mass Communication for my BSC. So it is within the same family as Mass Communication is very broad. The typical careers in Mass Communication would be working Radio/ TV/Advertising/Newspaper & Magazines but now New Media has come to stay and more career paths have opened up.

WHAT INFORMED THE IDEA OF A PERSONAL BLOG?

At the time when I was studying for my masters I had a lot of free time on my hands and I was always bored, so my Fiancé suggested I try blogging since I loved to write and share experiences. Prior to that I never knew what blogging was, so I did my research and I loved what I found out. I started my blog in 2010…it was all over the place in the early days but gradually I found my niche in personal and lifestyle blogging.

ARE YOU A FULL TIME BLOGGER OR IT’S ONLY ON A PART TIME BASIS?

When I get asked this I always reply that I am a full-time-part-time blogger. Here’s why: I blog full time but I have employment somewhere else. I blog everyday of the week: sometimes more than once a day, and mostly, weekdays. I enjoy blogging so even though it is time consuming, I find it fulfilling. I am gradually making the transition as an absolutely full time blogger.

YOU BLOG A LOT ABOUT FOOD, WHAT IS IT ABOUT FOOD?

I love food: its true love. I believe the experience of enjoying good food is one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind and I enjoy good food and love to explore food. Good food nourishes, and lightens the heart. Here are quotes about food I love: “One cannot thing well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virgina Woolf“& “There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” – George Bernard Shaw

YOU WERE RECENTLY MADE THE ONLINE AMBASSADOR FOR ONE OF THE SPICE BRANDS, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT AND WHAT’S YOUR ROLE?

Yes I was. As a blogger, brands will find you. Networking is also important. I was recommended for the position by someone on twitter and was contacted. It reaffirmed that social media is awesome for networking and you never can tell who’s looking at your work. My role is [Ongoing] that of an online ambassador, promoting, providing content and acting as a feeler for the brand. 

HOW DO YOU GET CONTENT FOR THE BLOG TO KEEP IT RELEVANT?

I get inspiration everywhere and with any experience. I am a very observant person and can be quite an entertaining story teller. So everything I see or experience or imagine I manage to turn into content for my blog. If I find a new way to make I hair, I film a video tutorial to show my audience. If I have recipes to share, I film that as well. When I visit new Restaurants or places I offer a review to my audience. I get inspiration from my life.

YOU ARE ALSO A SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETER, WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL?

Social media is the technology that connects people (sharing content, chatting, sharing experiences/photos) Social networks [Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, YouTube and Pinterest e.t.c] are the places where social interactions occur. As a social media marketer I use that technology to build relationships, drive repeat business and attract new customers through friends sharing with friends/audience. That’s because social media marketing is really just word-of-mouth powered by technology. To be a social media marketer you need to have followership.

HOW CAN BUSINESS OWNERS UTILIZE THE SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROMOTE THEIR BRAND? 

A lot of people are online, sharing experiences. Any business that wants to succeed should leverage on this. Your customers are on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: a lot of your customers read my blog. So businesses can partner with social media influencers (people with followership and conversation in the social space) and use this partnership to create awareness for their products/services/events. A lot of businesses lately are instagram based, or twitter based. 

ALSO, CAN YOU SHARE SOME TIPS WITH POTENTIAL BLOGGERS?

For aspiring bloggers the advice would be to start small, with whatever is in hand. Blogging is networking, so you need to spread your reach as well. Be creative and connect with your audience. Most people do not start making money from the first day of blogging so be patient, I only took it up as a business after 3 years of blogging as a hobby. Think of yourself and your blog as a brand, manage it as such. Research, find bloggers from other countries, find bloggers that inspire you and see what they do differently to succeed. Blogging is hard work but it definitely pays off. Remember, social media is your friend. If you want more tips check my blog, I share blogging tips often.

DID YOU HAVE TO RAISE CAPITAL TO START?

You don’t have to raise capital; all you need is the internet: people blog from their phones so a computer is not very essential, but if you are going to be a creative blogger, you would certainly need to invest a little. I didn’t have to raise initial capital; it started one day at a time. One day I was satisfied with poor quality photo’s the next day I wanted great quality so I used my pocket money with some help from my dad and got myself my first professional camera. After a while I wanted my blog to look different, so I paid someone to help tweak the design [Did you know blog designing is a lucrative career? ] Later on I bought a Macbook, then editing software, then studio lights/umbrella e. t. c As time goes by, I find myself investing little by little into my blog. 

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNMENT CAN BOOST ENTERPRENEURSHIP IN NIGERIA ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE NEW MEDIA?

Our society is shaped by media, education and policies directed by our government. Entrepreneurs need governmental infrastructure in place to facilitate business startups. The Nigerian government can boost entrepreneurship by encouraging investors to improve internet accessibility and quality as used in other developed countries. Nigeria also needs stable electricity: It takes electricity too to run an internet based business. Conclusively, continue to allow freedom of expression via new media. 

IS BLOGGING A PROFITABLE BUSINESS IN NIGERIA?

Blogging is profitable if you’ve made a name for yourself as a blogger that has a lot of traffic. Traffic = money. The more you have, the higher your rates for advertising will be. Some bloggers have a lot of traffic but are doing it as a hobby; this was me until earlier this year [2014]. So as a blogger you have to be able to market your platform and negotiate rates that are substantial.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ENCOUNTER SINCE YOU STARTED BLOGGING?

Every experience is memorable, from meeting my blog readers to reading the comments on my blog: it’s all memorable; we have a special kind of bond! The experience that stands out for me was when I was competing for My Big Nigerian Wedding and I needed to source for votes, I used every social means I had to plead with people to vote so I could go on to the next stage. A lot of my readers did and my fiancé and I won the competition: it was a big deal because what we won is sponsorship for our wedding. It was an amazing experience because I couldn’t believe people would go out of their way to vote and also tell their friends to vote for me. It was totally overwhelming!

WHERE DO YOU VISUALIZE YOUR BUSINESS IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

I visualize it as evolving. Blogging for me is going to evolve, and it can expand to include producing, and presenting TV /Radio content. The possibilities are endless. The mind has to be open to new opportunities.

ARE YOU MARRIED? HOW SUPPORTIVE IS ‘OGA AT THE TOP’

I am getting married soonest and Oga At The Top has always been supporting and reassuring. He helps to take pictures for my Outfit of the Day Posts; he helps film on some days. He basically has been one of my biggest cheerleaders. He believes in me and I am very grateful for that. My family and friends have also been very supportive. It blows my mind!

WHAT IS YOUR DEFININTION OF A FEMPRENEUR?

A fempreneur is a highly creative woman starting and growing her business using a woman's approach which can be mostly intuitive. Being a fempreneur comes with distinct challenges but can be managed and overcome with a creativity and diligence. A Fempreneur is not superwoman and does not have it all: what she has are certain set of skills to support her over the long haul.

Thank you!