Fauzia Zafar is the master of all trades, from being the head of influencer marketing at Pakistan’s largest E-commerce company, to being a full-time blogger and a mother of a new born baby girl, she speaks to T.Edit about her actively growing blog, “Rants Of A Desi Bride”.
How did you come up with the idea of your blog?
There were no wedding blogs back then and I thought an Instagram account would be a fun way to document my wedding journey. Honestly, I did not expect to get the kind of attention and appreciation it got!
How do you manage to run an actively growing blog as well as a full-time corporate job?
Since my job takes almost all of my time, I unfortunately am unable to post stuff on my blog as often as I’d like. However when I feel very strongly about something, I always make time to write and share it with my followers right away. For other usual content, it basically just needs a little bit of planning and scheduling on my end so I dedicate my weekends for all the blog work.
What is the biggest misconception about blogging?
That blogging is just taking pretty pictures and uploading them on a public profile or that it is an easy way of getting free stuff and passes to events. You need to put in effort to create quality content. There are so many exceptional bloggers in the country who schedule their entire day around their content - taking pictures in the right light, brainstorming and coming up with fantastic ways to integrate brands while staying true to the aesthetic of their blog. You need to analyse your engagement rate, your followers, your total interactions - just having a million followers doesn’t count for anything if your total relevant engagement is 2% (I’ll stop because I can hear myself getting technical).
What has been the most challenging project you have worked on so far?
I collaborated with a couple of bloggers to create awareness about mental health and connect people with mental health experts. The kind of messages I received and the sort of information people trusted me with blew my mind. The pressure and responsibility that came with this project truly made it challenging but at the same time also turned out to be one of my favourites as it made me feel like I was using this platform for something good and really important.
Describe a typical day in your life?
No two days are usually ever the same but these days a typical day almost always include waking up and having a 10 minute chat with my husband about random things, cuddling with my baby girl, checking my work mail, reading and responding to messages from my followers and watching a short episode of a random show on Netflix.
Define your signature style?
As casual as Pj’s all day.
What advice would you give to aspiring bloggers?
Please don’t consider blogging an easy way out - a way to get free stuff or make quick money. It is hard work that requires a lot of patience. Don’t run after the number of followers but work on getting loyal followers. Don’t work for free and at the same time don’t ask for too much money if you don’t have the results to justify it. Understand the responsibility that comes with a public space - you have the power to influence so use it for good and avoid being bad and ugly.
How do you unwind after a stressful day or week?
Games night with friends, catching up on sleep while someone volunteers to babysit, cooking (if i can muster the strength lol!), watching a good show or just a conversation with my siblings or husband.
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
My husband. He is the kindest person I know, extremely honest and dedicated to whatever he puts his mind to whether it’s his job or his relationships. He’s also one of those very rare people in the world who are not afraid to accept their mistakes and flaws and then consciously fix them.
Three skills to possess for running a successful blog?
Discipline to stay persistent, staying true to your personal style and always being kind and humble are all vital for running a successful blog.
Three things you always carry in your bag?
Wallet, keys and a neutral lipstick.
You’re now a mom to a new born baby, what are the challenges and lessons you’re learning from this new phase of life?
Being a mom is definitely the most rewarding yet the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. It’s weird how your perspective on life changes when you are responsible for more than just yourself. You really learn how it feels to truly love unconditionally and how pure and helpless babies are. I’ve also developed a great deal of brand new respect for all the parents, especially mothers in the world. I’ve been exposed to a whole new world and I am also sharing my learnings little by little on my blog!
What’s next for Rants Of A Desi Bride?
I’ve never really planned anything, the blog and content is usually whatever is on my mind at the time. However what I can promise are lot of honest, relatable conversations straight from the heart!
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