A couple of weeks ago Her Campus hosted Regan Cleminson as a panelist for a talk on social media branding. She’s currently the co-founder of RPR (R Public Relations) with Robbin Mangano. She also maintains an Instagram blog with 60.7K followers where she documents her travels to different cities and countries.
Photo from Instagram @venturetravelist
What motivated you to start up RPR?
Prior to founding RPR, I had been freelancing, and quite successfully. But, I knew that I was going to hit a wall at some point because there were only so many hours in the day and I was just one person. I ended up meeting Robbin Mangano and spit-balling about the idea of starting a business together. Through a series of serendipitous encounters and conversations, we both felt like it was the right move. We married my expertise and love for all things Digital Marketing and Influencer Marketing, with her PR chops, and in just over a year we have blossomed into a business that is taking on the big agencies, which is so rewarding.
Can you tell me a bit about the company and what sort of work you specifically do?
RPR is a fully-integrated marketing and PR firm. We start all of our clients with strategy, and then fulfill their needs to execute on that strategy. That consists of content creation, media relations, social media management, paid social, and influencer marketing. We also on occasion do events for clients, and some more guerrilla marketing tactics on a case by case basis.
What experiences did you have that brought you towards your business and your blog?
I had a very different idea of how I would enter the professional world after college compared to what has actually happened. I thought I would get some corporate communications job or work in a law firm. Two weeks before graduating I ended up being at the finish line at the Boston Marathon when the bombing happened. I was injured as a result and just had a total mindset shift and decided that I needed to go and travel the world instead. My blog started organically from there as a way to communicate with my friends and family while I was traveling solo. Once I was back stateside, I took a job traveling around the country with Ben & Jerry’s as a Storyteller — yes, that was my real job title. From then on out, I knew I was born to stay and conquer the marketing world.
Photo from Instagram @venturetravelist
How long did it take you to develop Venture Travelist into what it is today?
I started Venture Travelist in 2013. It’s taken a good four years to really understand how to capture the right kind of content, be disciplined in my posting practice, and ultimately monetize my platforms. My business naturally comes first, so there are weeks where Venture Travelist doesn’t get as much love as it should. I’m continually working on striking that balance.
What inspired you to do a travel blog?
The travel blog was almost developed as a necessity. I was going to be in some countries where more common means of communication were difficult, so I wanted a way to make sure my family stayed updated along my journey. I naturally started writing my tips and tricks, favorite bites in each city, and even posted some outfits. I just talked about what I liked — not ever thinking that people would care, or that someday brands would ask to be featured. I think people that start a blog with the intention of getting free stuff or becoming “Insta-famous” are doing it for the wrong reasons. Do it because you love it.
You mentioned that you get some crazy questions when you do Q and As. What are some of the weirdest things you’ve been asked?
A lot of people ask about my dating life. I think it’s natural to ask, and I always say that I am devastatingly single because it’s true. Other weird questions are usually still travel related… like “Where is the best place to find a bathroom in a foreign city?” or “What is the best thing you’ve told an airline to get a free upgrade?”
Photo from Instagram @venturetravelist
How do you handle time between both the business and your social media platforms?
Business comes first. Period. However, I do treat Venture Travelist as a client of RPR. Any money that my account makes goes back into the business, so if I am finding that time dedicated to my personal account is making us a good amount of money on any given month, I will carve out the necessary time. Additionally, vacation time I take usually results in content for Venture Travelist. For example, I’m heading to Europe this month for a quick vacation, but will be actively capturing content to share on my Venture Travelist platforms. I would say it’s more of a work-life integration than balance.
Does your business influence where and how much you travel?
Definitely. Sometimes my business partner and I get pitched to travel together. This year we did Finland, Estonia, and Germany as a duo. We’re finding that it is harder and harder on the business for us both to be gone at the same time, so we probably won’t have as many joint trips in the future. Other travel to NYC or California is usually revolved around our clients for the time being. I’m actively working to see how we can get work in cities that intrigue both of us — like Charleston, London, and San Francisco, so that we can have an excuse to visit a couple times a year.
Photo from Instagram @venturetravelist
How do you know what to post?
I post what I like. I’m always experimenting on types of content. This month I’m focusing on collaborating with other photographers and creating more opportunities to shoot video content. Next month, I might be into something totally different. I think a lot of it is intuition and gut, but I do let the analytics guide me as well. For example, photos of me perform way better than almost any of my other content.
How do you become more discoverable?
That is changing every day. A lot of it is still super old school concepts re-envisioned for the modern day. For example, instead of door knocking, I absolutely slide into people’s DMs and ask them to share my work. Sometimes in my contracts with brands, I require that they share my content with their followers and credit me for the shot. I’ve also been starting to invest in Facebook ads. If you have a budget, I would definitely recommend deploying ads on a series of platforms; a Snapchat filter could do you wonders! I would say the last way to continue on the path of discovery is collaboration. Working with other photographers or influencers and posting joint content is a great way to cross-promote.
You mentioned that you worked with New York Fashion Week – how was that experience?
NYFW is nuts! I was fortunate to be a part of seasons from 2012 to 2016 right before it was fully invaded by social media influencers. I got to work with some of the largest social media influencers who were just breaking onto the scene at the time; it was a really cool time to be in fashion. I wrote and took images (which is very rare; often people can only do one or the other). I worked this to my advantage because while some outlets were working to get two people in, I could jockey for one spot to the biggest shows and get the same amount of coverage. Backstage is always super crowded and my skillset definitely played to that. In my first season, I was backstage at Tibi, Marissa Webb, Jonathan Simkhai, Misha Nonoo (the rumored matchmaker for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry), and Tanya Taylor. I covered many emerging designers’ first shows, which gave me a lot of clout as they got bigger in the industry through the years. Long story short, if you ever find yourself working any fashion week, don’t expect to get much sleep.
Photo from Instagram @venturetravelist
What do you think makes up a successful blog?
In this order: authenticity, consistency, and a true point of difference. This trifecta paired with a good amount of hustle will help to build a successful blog.
You can follow Regan at venturetravelist.wordpress.com and on Instagram @venturetravelist.
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