Photo courtesy of Terez Baskin
Terez Baskin, founder of the fashion blog Dbabetta, is more than just a fashion and beauty blogger. Her experience with public relations and her passion for social media and branding have catapulted her career into a new book and a speaking event at Social Media Week in Chicago! Read on to learn more of her fashion, PR and content creating insights.
Q: When did Dbabetta launch?
A: I started Dbabetta in June of 2011! I started out with other contributors, but I am the head blogger for the site.
Q: Where did your interest in fashion and beauty begin?
A: I used to work in fashion retail in high school. I know that sounds super cheesy, but I worked at The Limited and I loved dressing women and giving advice on what to wear. Beauty began even sooner than that. My mother has been selling Mary Kay Cosmetics since I was 14. I got to see her change women’s lives by making them look and feel better about their skin.
Q: What do you think makes the blog unique?
A: It is a blog that talks about beauty and fashion, but I am a public relations and business girl at heart. I talk about social media campaigns I love in the fashion and beauty world. I love how brands execute their new product launches and incorporate social media.
Q: In what ways do you utilize social media to promote yourself and your blog?
A: In every way. I teach other bloggers how to use social media: I teach the platforms, I have a profile on every major platform, and my dominate platforms have always been Twitter and Facebook. I am getting more use out of Linkedin to connect with the growing group of fashion and beauty professionals on the platform. I also started using more videos on Youtube to promote my blog and to provide a fun and entertaining connection to my audience. I wrote an entire book on the topic so I love to use them all! I wrote 11 Beautiful Tools: The Social Media Success Guide for Beauty Professionals because I would teach workshops and the attendees would look so lost on what I was saying.
Q: Tell us about your event during Social Media Week in Chicago, 9 Beautiful Tools That Will Help You Become Internet Famous!
A: This workshop is going to be super fun. I am co-hosting with Tori Dorsey - a fashion and tech blogger here in Chicago – and Elly Deutch - a sports and tech social media director at Convometrics. We will be throwing a fun party- I mean workshop – to teach people how to use the nine most underused or least understood tools that can give them some Internet fame. We think that there are a lot of people out there with a great story, but no one knows or cares about who they are. Being Internet famous can grow your brand and your business in a way that nothing else can. I think people are scared of the word famous. I know that it sounds very narcissistic, but the truth is you need people to know your name and understand your passion in order to buy from you. We are here to help you talk about you and your passions in a way that can lead to some good ole’ fashion Internet fame, creating an inbound flood of folks who want to work with you or buy from you. We were so excited that Social Media Week understood what we were trying to say to business owners and brands. I hope a lot of people come and walk away with some great info to change their Internet story and spread their work.
Q: What fall fashion trend we should look out for?
A: There are just so many. I am loving muted pastels, browns, blues. Leather and suede details. I am dreaming of an amazing leather pleated skirt. The camo trend has me over the moon, but I am excited to pair it with a soft item or something blinged-out and shiny like glitter. Everything looks better with glitter.
Q: What’s the best part of being a fashion and beauty blogger?
A: I love sharing what I love. I love testing and trying out new products and suggestions on how to use them or how to style them. I like the clothes, but I love the story that the clothes or the product tell about the women who wear them.
Q: What about the most challenging?
A: I have more content than there is time in the day, which often leads to some stale blogging. I just finished a book and that took my focus off blogging for a few months and that hurt my blog a lot. I wish I was a full-time blogger – I’d be killing the game. But there aren’t enough hours in the day and I try to find creative ways to still share the events I go to or products I love. My blog isn’t my primary point for that. I use Instagram, Twitter, my Facebook page, my newsletter and Pinterest. It is a complicated dance, but I am trying to make it work.
Q: What are your PR pet peeves?
A: “Dear Blogger, or Dear ______.” I don’t like when people are lazy at pitching, since I am in PR. I understand that you are busy, but respect my time and yours by being specific. I manage more than 1000 e-mails a month. Please make your pitch specific, targeted, and timely. I love getting things that are fun and right up my alley. My audience is interested in fun fashion and beauty products. I love innovation. So I am always looking for products that make me look better and are shiny and new.
Q: Any tips for PR professionals who want to get in contact with you?
A: Shoot me an e-mail terez@dbabetta.com and let me know how we can help each other. It is all about getting a mutual partnership.
Find Terez on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and YouTube.
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