Christian Craven Takes 200 Pictures And Two Weeks To Product Test To Guarantee Worthwhile Reads

It was only a matter of time before Dallas-based fashion and lifestyle blogger Christian Craven moved into skincare-focused social. “I’ve always been a beauty junkie,” declares Craven. He started blogging for fun, but the online endeavor led to working with fashion brands like Zac Posen and, now, he’s judging the 2017 Indie Beauty Expo Best In Show Awards. Beauty Independent caught up with Craven to discuss blogging versus influencing, the predicament of overpriced products and a sugar scrub he can’t get enough of.

How did you get started as a blogger/influencer?

I started blogging in 2012 after moving to Texas to go to school. I didn’t really know anyone here, and I saw there were several girls in Dallas that had fashion blogs. I started looking for male bloggers to follow. I couldn’t find any, so I wanted to fill that void. I knew that I wanted to share my story with people, share my sense of style. Back then, I didn’t know anything about the blogging business. After about two years, I realized I could turn my blog into a business, so I started to take it more seriously. I completely rebranded my blog so it would be something I could really grow and also better appeal to both men and women as I was starting to pick up a following of both. Then, in the summer of 2016, I started paying more attention to social media and putting more of an emphasis on Instagram. I paid more attention to aesthetics and to the type of photos I was taking and posting. Once I started paying attention to the link between Instagram and my blog, and really being meticulous and particular about the types of images I was posting and the way I was captioning them, the traction really started.

What differentiates your photos and captions?

Better quality photos, not cell phone pictures. Posting things that were aesthetically pleasing, paying attention to lighting and other details. Making sure that it looks like I put effort into it. I wanted to compete with the people that had hundreds of thousands and even millions of followers. Regardless of what my following was, I wanted to produce content that was on that level. With captions, I found it’s asking questions, trying to get people to comment. Now, with the [new Instagram] algorithm, the more comments and engagement you get and quickly, the more that photo is shown to your followers and the more that you show up on the Discover page.

How long does it take for you to create an image? Do you take several at a time?

If there’s a brand that I know I’m going to do a full review of on the blog, then I’ll shoot all the photos in one sitting. Then, I’ll pick two or three of my favorite photos to share on social to promote the post. That can take four hours from start to finish, maybe more. If it’s an outfit shoot, I might take pictures for an hour, then go home and filter through the images, then another hour to edit them down. I’m taking 200 to 300 pictures and trying to edit it down to eight. Then I have to think about SEO for the images. All together, it takes four to six hours for a blog post. For Instagram, if I’m doing a small shoot and want to give a mini-review, that might only take an hour from start to finish.

Who are your followers?

I’m very blessed to have a diverse following. It’s something I’m very proud of. It’s easy to have a whole bunch of followers that look like you. I have 52% men, 48% women. My primary market is Dallas, where I live, and my secondary market is New York City, which is also something I’m proud of, that I’m able to have a large following in such a huge city. Then my third is Austin, which is nearby. The age is mostly 25 to 40. I don’t have a super young following, it’s something that I’m working towards.

What are some ways you’ve worked with brands and what do you charge?

When I’m looking at doing a paid sponsorship with a brand, the most important thing to me is that it’s authentic. I only want to work with brands I believe in. As soon as you post that something is an ad or is sponsored, your followers are immediately going to question it. I want to make sure, if someone asks me a question on how a product performs, I’ll be able to answer that question. When I’m working on a partnership with a brand and trying to decide on a budget, there are websites out there that look at Instagram and your number of followers and will tell you the average rate you should be charging. I’ll put together packages. For just an Instagram Story shoutout, that can start at $75. That’s the smallest. Another package could be two Instagram posts, and that could cost $150 to $200. Then, say you want to do three Instagram posts and one blog post, that’s in the $450 to $500 range. If the brand’s willing, I like to do it over a month period, so about once a week over the month. I’ve worked a lot with Old Navy and, with them, I work by quarter. I do one blog post every other month and, during those months, I post one photo for them a week. That way the partnership throughout the quarter feels natural and has a flow to it. I’m posting about them often, but not too often. 

“When I’m looking at doing a paid sponsorship with a brand, the most important thing to me is that it’s authentic. I only want to work with brands I believe in.”

What would be your dream partnership?

I’m really interested in the beauty category, so I’d love to work with a skincare brand I believe in, that has great ingredients, whether it be creating a product or a mask or being a part of a new campaign.

How long do you use a product before you post about it?

It varies. I’ve never had problematic skin or acne-prone skin, so skincare is a bit easier for me. I always keep that in mind. If it’s a mask, I may use it two times and then share the key things I noticed from it. If something is supposed to be really anti-aging, I try to use it for two weeks. I actually like to take four to five things I’ve been sent and keep them in my bathroom and use them throughout the month. Sometimes there’s a bit of a rush from a PR standpoint because these products are new. I’m constantly in the tug of war of promoting the products at a certain time and keeping things authentic with my followers. People with acne-prone skin are not going to trust you if you say you love a product after one week. Before I give a full product review on the blog, I try to give everything two weeks.

Do you keep within a certain price range?

It is something I do pay attention to, but it doesn’t usually inhibit me. Drinkable skincare is a big trend right now, and one company recently sent me a drink mix that was $100 retail. It was about four ounces of powder. While it tasted good, I didn’t post about it because I didn’t think it was a good price for what you got. It just didn’t make sense to me. I also think about if the product is unique enough. With the collagen drink, I had four other products like it that are half the price.

What do brands not get about working with influencers?

I understand that it’s a give and take, and that there are multiple sources of income as an influencer. Other influencers would never post a review without being paid for it. For me, I feel like, I signed up for this, and not every brand is going to have budget to pay me, but they do have budget to send PR [product], and I respect them for that. If I choose to share [their product], then I choose to share. I think each influencer is different in how they handle their business in that way. Now, though, I’m running into that less and less. Now when brands reach out, they say right away they are looking to pay me. There’s more transparency than there used to be.

What has worked really well that you wish more brands would do?

It’s all about information. Any additional information a brand can is send is great. Press releases, what makes the product unique, breakdown of ingredients, including details on why they were selected. I love that type of information because it makes it easier for me to talk to my followers.

What’s a product that a brand sent to you and you ended up loving?

One is Organic Skincare Doctor. They are an affordable, cruelty-free, organic drugstore line. This is not something I would have normally picked up, but they sent me a bunch of stuff and I’ve fallen in love with it all. All of the products are really elevated for [a] drugstore [brand], I was really impressed. I also love Clean Coconut. I love her stuff because her ingredient deck is super-simple. I’m obsessed with her sugar scrubs. It gives a really good exfoliation and leaves the skin glowy and dewy.

Are you an influencer full time?

It’s ever-changing. I like a lot of security, I like a 401k, so I do take on different creative projects in the retail space that come my way outside of being an influencer. Everyday, I ask myself, “What I can do to grow as an influencer?” It gets harder and harder as more people take a swing at it, but it is my true passion.