In part two of our series in which we share the profiles of some of our content creators we meet ‘KeepitsimpElle’. We had a chat with Elle Linton about how she started out, her experience and what she is up to over the coming months.

 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what made you start writing your blog?

I started my blog back in 2012 around the time of the Olympics. I was working in the sports sector but I wasn’t particularly active. I ended up getting involved in so many of the activities surrounding the Olympics that I wanted an outlet to share everything I’d been up to! My blog has grown with me as I’ve become more involved in the health, fitness and wellbeing community both as a participant and a professional. 

 

What benefits has blogging brought you?

It helps me to keep my finger on the pulse with what’s going on; everything from fitness trends to brand campaigns and what the people I want to connect with are thinking and feeling. It’s been an awesome creative outlet to share my views, knowledge, opinions and experiences with those around me and even further afield. I’ve made friends as far afield as Canada, USA, New Zealand and everywhere in between! 

 

How do you measure the success of your blog? 

Of course stats are important, but they’re not the be all and end all. I monitor my stats loosely to keep an eye on areas that I can grow, but also to see what content people are enjoying. Outside of numbers, I monitor engagement – do my posts get comments, do people converse with me on social about what I’m writing? My biggest measure of success however is whether or not I am enjoying blogging. 

 

 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a blog / be an influencer?

Be authentic. There is no rule book out there for how to blog or how to become an influencer. Technically we’re all influencers anyway if you share what you love / don’t love with friends and family. The difference is your audience size and method of delivery. 

As for starting a blog; it isn’t always as fun as it looks so make sure you are ready to commit in order to create something people will be interested and that can cut through all the noise from the millions of other blogs out there. Consider guest posting for a friends blog to see how it works for you and get feedback on your writing. 

 

What has been your blogging/influencer highlight?

It’s hard to choose just one (and it’s also hard to distinguish between my career / passion and blog opportunities)! Being invited to Bestival in 2015 for Slow Motion which was their wellbeing part of the festival was a lot of fun! I’m not really a fan of festivals but it was a great opportunity to mix the two worlds! 

 

Is there a brand (brands) you dream of working with and why? 

Not particularly. Over time, I’ve come to realise that I enjoy working with small – medium brands more. They’re a little more personal and sometimes allow you more creative freedom. They’re also more in tune with marketing today and understand the value of working with bloggers and influencers as well as appreciating the work that you put in for them. 

As a professional, I’d love to work on a fitness retreat, lead sessions / events / create content for brands I already use and love (like Sweaty Betty, Ocado or Vitamix as examples). I’d also love to combine my passion for fitness with more travel. 

 

 

How do you use social media to promote and share content? What are the challenges?

I’m not really a huge fan of subscribing to have emails land in my inbox so I’ve therefore never asked it of my readers. I know so many places tell you that your subscription list is the holy grail but I’m up for doing things differently. 

I use the majority of the big social media sites including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to share my content regularly. I schedule around 10 tweets per blog post to try and catch my entire audience  the biggest challenge is not saturating my feed with scheduled tweets so I always try to ensure I’ve active on the sites too to reply to tweets and engage in conversations in real time. 

As with most things these days, building a following is just the first hurdle. For example, with Facebook, if you want your entire following to see your posts you have to pay. It’s not an expensive form of marketing but if it’s for a hobby and you’re not making an income it’s worth considering if there is the return on investment that you are looking for. 

 

What will be big in your blogosphere in the coming months?

In the coming months I’ll be looking to extend my professional portfolio by teaching more classes and also working as a consultant between fitness / leisure facilities and influencers as I have extensive experience on both sides. I’ll also be focusing on officially launching my new business – Borrow My Blender – an Event Smoothie Specialist service. My business ties in well with blogging and was created based on inspiration I’ve gathered whilst blogging. 

 

What the future holds for you? Where do you see yourself and your blog in 5 years time?

In 5 years time I expect my blog will have evolved with myself and my life choices. My blog will continue to align with my passion for health and fitness as well as with my business. I plan to continue developing as a fitness professional and continuing to share  my experiences and knowledge. 

I imagine my blog growing to the point that I’m able to have contributors who write regularly for keep it simpElle helping to spread the word and create a dynamic resource for those on any part of the health & fitness journey spectrum!

Elle’s blog
www.keepitsimpelle.com

Photo credits: Elle Linton and Lolography (www.lolography.com)

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The Freestak platform seems to be the only platform which consistently provides opportunities and connections in the niche of outdoor adventure. Every opportunity has been well thought out and creative. I loved using it to keep up to date on what my fellow influencers are getting up to and discovering brands that I would thoroughly enjoy working with. 

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If you are an influencer in the endurance sports sector and want access to brand campaigns, useful pointers around content creation and engagement ideas, why not join Elle on the platform? Questions? Hit us up on Twitter. ??