The Pop Profile series is a peek into the creative process of some of the most talented people making content on social media. It’s a chance for them to step out from behind the camera, into the spotlight, and let us pick their brains. This month, we’re talking with Sara and Melissa about their lifestyle and DIY blog aliceandlois.com that’s dedicated to the good in life.
Melissa and Sara are best friends who happen to be twin sisters. While their lives have taken them to different states across the country, they maintain their creative collaborations through their blog and social accounts, Alice & Lois. Like most of our creators, Melissa and Sara don’t fit just one category. They are content creators, writers, stylists and photographers, to name a few. Their work can be found in print and digital, ranging from Better Homes & Gardens magazine to MarthaStewart.com and RealSimple.com. They cast their creative net over a variety of things worth sharing, from DIY ideas to recipes, interior design and lifestyle content.
There is a palpable joy Sara and Melissa’s work, and that passion traces back to the name of their blog, Alice & Lois. They decided to name their blog, which is a source of inspiration for millions, after the two women that inspired them the most — their grandmothers. You can’t help but feel you’re part of this creative bloodline when you read their attainable, down to earth How To’s that manage to make you feel motivated to try something new despite the looming risk of the dreaded DIY #PinterestFail. Sara and Melissa are approachable, yet produce creative ideas and content that are far beyond average. We caught up with this dynamic duo to pick their brain on the evolution of the social landscape, their creative process when working with brands, and the unique perks of working with your twin sister.
On their inspiration for getting started:
We launched our site, Alice & Lois in 2013. We named our business after our grandmothers who we admire so much. We both have backgrounds in journalism and communications and a passion for creating, so starting a site together was the perfect combination of our passions and skill sets.
On finding what works after expanding from blog content to new social media channels:
The transition was seamless in a sense – it offered a new place to share our content. But the ever-changing landscape of social media means constant analysis of what is working and how to change things to stay on trend. It has also allowed us to push ourselves creatively, to create on different platforms.
For Instagram, we recommend keeping it on brand for you and keeping it to your aesthetic so it doesn’t feel so advertorial. For Pinterest, we found that DIY projects and recipes do really well. When we are shooting campaigns, we think about each social platform and creating the perfect shot for each social channel.
On keeping it authentic with branded content:
We work through a few key phases when working with a brand. First we want learn as much about the brand as possible through a brand deck and their site and social channels. We then brainstorm on how we can best communicate with our readers/viewers the brand product and/or benefits. If we are creating content purely for brands use, we really look to inject our style and expertise at creating unique content for the brand so it still reflects the brand vibe. If the content will live on our site and social channels, we come up with ways to create a story around ourselves and the brand product so it feels “real” to our followers.
On the constant evolution of brand collaborations:
Our initial collabs were all about the blog post. Now, it is all about Instagram. The benefit of a holistic collab (blog post plus social) is the content can live on and on. Meaning, the content can live on the blog and continue to have life on Pinterest for years. We are excited about the new use of video on Pinterest and cannot wait to see how that grows.
On their favorite collab:
We did a three part series with HP. One of the DIY projects we made for the series was a large modern pegboard. We were featured in the last September issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine with the peg board.
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On balancing each other out:
Since we are identical twin sisters, we have very similar design aesthetics. But we also have different skill sets as far as the business and creative process, which is incredibly helpful. We love working together virtually on our business. We feel so lucky to do what we do together. The biggest challenge is we wished we lived closer!
Big thank you to Melissa and Sara for sharing their creative process and journey with us. Be sure to follow along for more creative ideas on their blog, Instagram, and Pinterest page.
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