Souchka nail artist and travel influencer

Could you introduce yourself in a few lines so that our community can get to know you better?

Hello ! My name is Pauline, I'm 27 and I live in Paris. I have a blog called, www.souchka.com and a YouTube channel www.youtube.com/souchka.

I'd already been following a number of blogs for a few months, and I too wanted to share my photographs and tutorials and create a little space all my own. I was already very connected on social networks, and my blog allowed me to centralize the information I wanted to share, and to further develop my posts. I'd already had Skyblogs before, a MySpace page, and other small blogs before I started. www.souchka.com so it was a bit of a logical follow-up.

How much time do you spend on your articles or youtube videos? Directing, editing...? Do you have any organizational tips for other bloggers and youtubers?

The time it takes to work on my articles and videos varies a lot from one post to the next. I'd say never less than 3 hours, but I've already put up to 10 hours of work into videos. It has to be said that I have a rather "tired" computer, so that doesn't really help!

The number 1 piece of advice I could give to other bloggers and YouTubers If you make a mistake and accidentally delete the files on your computer, you won't have to start all over again! Likewise, don't hesitate to write your posts in word-processing software and save them regularly. There's nothing more annoying than spending a lot of time writing a post and then losing it all because of a bug or mishandling.

Which community are you targeting?

My community is predominantly female, in the 18-35 age bracket. I exchange a great deal with my followers on a daily basis, and I feel we've succeeded in creating a fun and caring community together, and I think that's absolutely brilliant! I'm lucky enough not to have any haters, and I hope it stays that way!

Where do you find most of your inspiration? And which social networks do you use most? 

I'm inspired by everything around me, I watch a lot of series and films, and I analyze shots and editing a lot. I learn everything on the job, so I follow a lot of tutorials on the Internet to progress! I use Instagram a lot to share my shots, Twitter to keep abreast of current events, and Facebook on a personal level to keep in touch with my friends all over the world. I also love Snapchat, which allows me to share my experiences live with my community, in a very natural and less "calibrated" way than Instagram.

How do you manage your time, between family, work, social networking and blogging?  

I've been self-employed since September 2013, so I manage my own schedule. I have a Google calendar on which I note all my appointments and other imperatives. For everyday things, I make to-do lists, often in the evening before going to bed or in the morning when I'm having breakfast.

Did one collaboration/partnership stand out for you more than others?  And if so, which one?

I've worked with a lot of different brands, and it's hard for me to pick out one experience in particular... The most original was with Yves Rocher for the launch of one of their products. They contacted me to take care of the PR for the launch of one of their new products!

For this, I collaborated with my friends Amélia and Paul of the company Nymphéa's Factory and we created a box dedicated to influencers to highlight the new product and Yves Rocher's plant-based universe: we created the graphics, sourced the products, handled all the handling and personalized each box. We also created the mailing list, drawing on our network of blogger and YouTubers contacts. It was a very rewarding job, and I really enjoyed the experience!

What would you like to undertake or develop next? 

I'd like to do more PR, community management and photo/video content creation. I do it every day for myself, so why not put my skills to work for other companies?

Do you produce your own visuals and photos? And if so, what equipment do you use? 

I produce all my visuals, photographs and videos myself, from shooting to editing. I use Panasonic cameras, in particular the Lumix GX8, which I've had since last October. I also have lots of different accessories, tripods, flashes, filters... The list goes on!

What advice would you give to other influencers in the community?

I would advise them not to hesitate to say no. We are very often approached by brands for various and varied projects, and you have to know where the line is between financial interest and the values you hold. Respect the law and mention sponsored content when you are paid for your posts. Never take your community for granted, and be honest: your followers will appreciate it, or on the contrary, let you know that they're disappointed. You can't buy your community's trust once it's lost!

And what would you say is your main secret to success?

I think my subscribers appreciate my frankness: the reviews I give are always honest, and I don't hesitate to give a negative, well-argued review if I don't like something. 

What does being a blogger mean to you on a daily basis?

Thanks to my blog, I've been able to set up my own freelance business: it's certainly the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I'm happy to take advantage of it every day. Goodbye rush hour on the metro! 

What do you think of Value Your Network? Do you have any specific comments you'd like us to improve?

I discovered this platform fairly recently, but I really like it. I like the diversity of the campaigns on offer and the ease with which they can be shared.

I think it could be interesting to offer sponsored campaigns allowing influencers to be creative ( Instagram post creation, blog/YouTube product placements...)