SHE Media Partner of the Week: Cara Owens of Kindly Unspoken
Tell us a little about yourself and your blog!
I’m Cara, a proud police wife, mom of two boys, and full-time blogger/creator of Kindly Unspoken. On my blog you’ll find affordable makeup reviews and recommendations, beauty tips + tutorials, budget-friendly fashion finds, yummy recipes, and family lifestyle posts.
What inspired you to start Kindly Unspoken?
I started Kindly Unspoken in November of 2016 as a creative outlet for some of my biggest passions. That includes beauty, fashion, family, and baking. As a total girly-girl, I’ve always loved “playing dress up” with makeup and clothes and for years have enjoyed testing out different makeup and skincare products on the hunt for the best of the best. I’m also a huge bargain shopper always on the lookout for a great deal, and I wanted a place where I could share my favorite affordable beauty and fashion finds, as well as share helpful tips to help women look and feel their best. In addition to beauty and fashion, I also love creating and sharing yummy desserts and family-friendly recipes, as well as sharing real life family posts.
What are some of your favorite beauty posts you’ve created?
I have so many favorite beauty posts that it’s really hard to choose, but I really love my best drugstore makeup series, where I test out and compile my top recommendations. One of my favorite posts to date was this huge roundup I created with 20 other beauty bloggers where I asked each of them to share their favorite drugstore makeup product. It’s one of my most popular posts to date and I had a lot of fun putting it together!
I also really love Halloween and creating fun Halloween makeup tutorials every year. Some of my favorites to date include my Melting Ice Cream Cone, Cracked Pumpkin Skull, and Galaxy Girl.
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What social media platform can you not live without?
Pinterest is definitely my favorite! Not only do I love it because it’s one of my number one traffic sources, but I love using it for ideas and content inspiration. Also, I could totally spend hours looking at all the drool-worthy recipes!
What do you focus on most when it comes to creating content?
Currently, my number one focus is in creating content that is really going to be valuable to my audience for years to come. In the beginning I would sometimes create posts on a whim without giving them much thought, but I’ve learned over the years that the intentional, helpful posts are the ones that will really stand the test of time and are what helps build a loyal audience.
It’s also really important to listen to your audience and provide content that they ask for. I always love polling my audience and looking at my google analytics to see what posts perform the best. This is really helpful in understanding what type of content I should focus the most on.
Any tips you want to share with bloggers just starting out?
1. Write down your “why” and always keep that at the forefront of whatever you do. Blogging isn’t easy and as with everything in life there are definite ups and downs. Knowing your why and remembering your purpose for why you’re blogging will keep you motivated when you’re going through tough seasons. I’m also a huge inspirational quote lover and my girly home office is full of cute and inspiring quotes to really keep me motivated.
2. Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself and your dream and take the time out to learn everything you can about SEO, Pinterest, and how to pitch to brands. Learning these three things is what has been instrumental in my blog’s growth and success, and I’m so glad I took the time out to really educate myself on these topics. I’m still constantly learning things and figuring out ways to improve my site and grow my audience, and I think that’s what sets apart the successful bloggers from those who are just doing it for fun. You have to be willing to constantly learn and adapt to changes in the industry and with social media. You can check out some of my favorite blogging tools over here.
3. Be unique and let your personality shine through. In a sea full of similar bloggers, figure out how you can really set yourself apart and focus on that. Don’t try to copy what others are doing, and try to come up with something unique to pave a new path. I’ve never tried to be anything other than myself and I think my audience really appreciates that authenticity.
What are your 3 favorite family-friendly recipes?
Mom’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies – These truly are the best chocolate chip cookies ever and are so easy to make! My boys always love helping make them and I love the sweet memories that are made in the process.
Easy Weeknight Cheesy Taco Pasta – This pasta is one of our family’s go-to meals on busy weeknights and it’s so delicious! It’s also really inexpensive to make, requiring only a few ingredients.
Mini Pepperoni Pizza Muffins – These are our family’s favorite for pizza night and are quick and easy to put together. Plus the mini size is so cute!
What is your favorite thing about blogging? Least favorite?
The thing I love most about blogging is content creation and connecting with my amazing audience. It’s so fun to come up with new and creative ideas and I always enjoy hearing from my audience when they really love a product or tried something out that I’ve recommended. I feel like I’ve gained so many friendships through my blog and it’s truly amazing being able to really connect with people from all over the world.
My least favorite thing about blogging is definitely all the tedious, behind the scenes work and dealing with ever-changing social media algorithms that sometimes make it difficult for content to be seen. Most people don’t realize what bloggers really do and the amount of hours and sometimes days work that goes into creating one post and it can be exhausting at times. But at the end of the day, even with all the hard work, the blog that I’ve built allows me to work from home and be my own boss, so it’s totally worth it in my book!
Follow Cara on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!
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