Behind every great luxury blog, you will find a great story. Luxury bloggers are real people, not machines. To successfully work with them, we recommend you get to know them a little better. Through our years at LuxeInACity, we have talked, collaborated and exchanged ideas with dozens if not hundreds of great bloggers from around the world.
Since bloggers rarely talk about themselves – they tend to talk about everyone else instead – we hope to showcase their skills, expertise and opinions in this blog series.
Get to know these luxury bloggers, learn from them and hopefully you will find an innovative way to collaborate with them.
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Today’s blogger is Doron Levy of TheTopTier.net, a luxury lifestyle blog that aims to curate the best in luxury and affluence. Doron lives in Toronto, a great Canadian city that never sleeps. If you took the time to chat with Doron on the phone, you would soon realize how passionate he is about his blog. As you will read below, Doron stumbled into the world of luxury blogging after working in retail for several years. Since then, his blog has been a great source of information for those who love luxury. Read below to get to know the man behind TheTopTier.net.
Every blogger has a different story on how they got started blogging. What is yours?
I worked my way through the retail industry for most of my life and I was always impressed at the resilience of the luxury category. It is truly a category where the normal rules of economics don’t apply. The more exclusive an item is the more desirable it becomes. I found the whole category interesting and decided to feature content and write original work about luxury. And as an admitted gear head and watch lover, covering and writing about these subjects is truly enjoyable
Like most successful bloggers, you probably receive hundreds of emails per month from luxury brands who want you to share their story. What makes you decide to work with a brand over the other?
I look at several factors. The product itself is important. How it’s made, price and reputation all come into play. The biggest factors though are the company and brand itself. I like to learn about the history and roots of any brand that approaches us. True luxury is not just adding jewelry to an iPhone. There has to be a degree of exclusivity and equity when considering a brand to feature.
What is your take on press releases? Do you like receiving them or do you simply discard them?
We use press-releases as they come depending on the subject and time of year. Most recently was the Geneva Motor Show; so you would see a high frequency of PR coming from manufacturers during the show. While I find most press releases sterile and too wordsy, I like to add my own introduction and analysis to any press release we receive.
What would make you choose to work with a brand on a giveaway campaign on your site?
It depends on the brand, the giveaway and how they are promoting it. Ultra high net worth individuals don’t really subscribe to giveaways or contests; so we like to focus on the information they want.
If a brand wants to reach you, what channel should they use? Do you prefer email, social media or another means of communication?
I believe in being fully connected and staying connected as we work with people all over the world. We can be reached via email, Facebook, DM through twitter, SMS, Skype and will even answer smoke signals. I have to admit, I do miss having phone calls… (I have to agree).
In your mind, what makes a successful blogger outreach program? Is it the incentive, the brand itself or the relationship you already have with the brand?
It’s all about the relationship. While the incentive may be a nice perk, a solid partnership is way more valuable to me.
Of all the social media channels you engage on, which one do you prefer and why?
I really like the rapidity of twitter and the ability to reach a large group of interested people in short amount time but it can be a day to day situation where one channel is more popular than the other. During the Sochi Olympics, twitter was really the place to be but when engaging with content that is of a more creative nature, Facebook and LinkedIn become my preferred outlets.
Which social media channels does your audience interact with the most?
A lot of incoming traffic comes from Facebook and LinkedIn. The groups at LinkedIn are an invaluable source of readers as you are engaging people specifically looking for your content (as long as you post work in the appropriate groups).
In your opinion, what does it take to become successful on social media?
Someone who is adaptable and is not afraid of change! All social media outlets now have a bottom line to worry about so what was doable in social media 2 months ago will not work today. Your content will be mixed in with paid ads and sponsored articles. The key to success is constantly engaging your followers and friends with content they are interested in. You want to stand out in feeds and not be washed out by an onslaught of paid ads.
Do you monitor your Klout score on a daily/weekly basis? Do you think this social ranking is of any real value to luxury brands?
I do not but I am on their email list so I am updated when my score changes. There have been some big debates about Klout and its worthiness. My Klout score has remained constant for the last year but I have seen my hits, twitter and Facebook engagement all increasing so I’m not 100 percent sure what metrics they go by. We don’t include Klout in any of our marketing materials.
What is the main reason you blog on a daily basis? Is it for pleasure, for business or for both?
I can fully admit that it’s both. I enjoy the writing and covering the luxury category and it does provide a means to connect with organizations and individuals who would be interested in our services.
Do you sometime receive compensation from luxury brands, whether it’s in the form of cash or incentives, to blog about them?
Third party marketers will offer a small payment for a link in a sponsored post. Yes, we do offer sponsored posts just like all the big guys do. (We agree – it’s common practice. RG)
Apart from blogging, do you offer additional services to luxury brands who choose to work with you?
Yes, through our ControlMedia.ca unit, we offer marketing, social media campaign setup, web design and our favorite, media creation.
Do you think luxury brands should understand that blogging is also a business for some?
I think luxury brands are starting to understand that point as blogging is becoming a vital part of their marketing campaigns. Luxury brands benefit from the ‘bespoke’ attention that bloggers can give them. Detailed reviews, real world experiences and commentary makes for more engagement with potential clients.
Do you manage more than one blog? If so, which ones?
Yes, we currently have 4 in our portfolio, TheTopTier.net, Vacayster.com, EmptyLegCentral.net and TradersNetwork.biz.
Have you rub shoulders with the rich and famous through your work as a luxury blogger?
Through our affiliation with Seven Star Global Luxury Awards, we recently landed exclusive interviews with prominent Greek and Turkish media personalities.
If you had to mentor a new blogger, what is your go-to advice to become successful?
Use a CMS that is easy to use and update such as WordPress and maintain fresh content daily. That is the tried and true method in building an audience and SEO presence.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to Doron Levy on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, by email (info {@} thetoptier.net) or if you want an introduction, reach out to us.
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