We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Destiny Snyder a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Destiny thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?

If you told me 5 years ago today I would have a successful travel blog and have my own social media marketing business I don’t think I would believe you! I moved to Florida by myself on a bit of a whim after graduating from college with my bachelor of science in dietetics. At that point, I was set on becoming a registered dietitian with a food blog on the side. I loved the idea of sharing information and dispelling common food myths in a way that could reach people all over the world via the internet.

Things changed a little bit once I moved to Florida though. I began traveling more, which led people to ask me about the places I visited, Florida, how I traveled so much, how can they move to a new city, etc.

It was then that I decided I wanted to create a travel and food blog: Appetite for Adventure. After about a year I decided I wanted my name to be a part of my brand— and I mean with a name like Destiny why the heck wouldn’t I? So I totally rebranded into Guided by Destiny (which was a hurdle all on its own).

I have been running my blog for a little over three years, but I didn’t really start making money from it until around a year and a half. I honestly didn’t mind not making money from it initially as it just started as a hobby and a convenient way for me to share information and tips with whoever wanted to know. Once I realized I could really make money from it, as well as use it to support local businesses I became even more passionate and determined.

Seeing my pageviews grow, getting comments from appreciative readers, and learning so many skills that I can utilize even outside of my blog just lit a fire under me.

I started having businesses reach out to me for my input on their social channels, and I realized there was a way I could do even more for these companies! I called one of my good friends and said “we’re launching a business!”. She was in, and Blondes Social was born!

Madeline (my business partner) and I have both invested so much in courses, done trial and error, had consultations, and put our blood, sweat, and tears into our own social channels that we knew we had so much to give these businesses. Having our own social media marketing company allows for us to utilize our creativity and knowledge to help these local businesses grow and hone in on their audience.

We offer social media management, consultations, content creation, influencer event planning, and so much more! It’s been such a fun process and learning experience. I’m very excited for our future and all of the people we get to help along the way!

Destiny, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I grew up in a small town in Ohio, and I was raised with the mindset that travel is expensive. While it of course can be, I began to realize there were so many ways to experience new places on a budget. It became very important for me to spread the word that anyone can travel, and there are ways to do it affordably.

From budget travel, I pivoted a bit to focus heavily on Tampa Bay content. I do a lot of research before I travel to places on things like the best coffee shops, best restaurants, best things to do, etc. I couldn’t really find any current lists for the area it felt like, so I decided to create my own. I am pretty obsessed with our area and I feel so lucky to call it home that writing about it is just such a joy!

My passion for this area has led me to want to do more, and since launching Blondes Social I’ve felt like I’ve been able to make more of a difference. Since we were influencers and bloggers first we understand SEO, how to create an engaged community, and how to create content that resonates. Plus, when it comes to things like influencer marketing projects, we make great liaisons..

Because we want to help as many people as possible, we plan on sharing in-depth blog posts and easily consumable social posts giving tons of free info. We want the information to be accessible, and helpful for companies who are trying to find their way when it comes to social media. We understand not everyone has the budget for a social media manager, so we just want to do our part to enable these small businesses and start-ups to have an online presence and create brand awareness.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Madeline had reached out to me on Instagram after seeing I attended an event she was set to attend. It was her first influencer event so she was curious how it went, what the expectations were, and what I did for my photos. I was so excited that I was connecting with another influencer I told her I would go back to help her take photos.

I met up with her and we realized we had so much in common! We both moved away from our small towns and had big dreams. We ended up hanging out again and we just clicked so much. She was my first friend who was also a content creator and it was so nice being able to talk to someone in person who just gets it.

When I decided I wanted to start a social media marketing business, I knew she would be the perfect business partner. Obviously a lot of thought went into it. Starting a business with someone else involved is a huge decision. But ultimately I felt like she was the yin to my yang. We both are savvy with Instagram, but she is the queen of video content from TikTok to Youtube, and I thrive with SEO, website design, and Pinterest.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Prior to launching my blog and Instagram account I became obsessed with learning everything I could. I invested a nice chunk of change into a course that was a great stepping stone for me. One of the best parts of the course was the Facebook community that came with it.

It was full of girls on all levels, from beginner to advanced. We could seek advice, share our wins, or even plan meetups! It really showed me the value of community. A number of us connected and constantly engaged with each others content. Having that initial engagement when I was just starting out really gave me the confidence boost that I needed.

My advice to those just starting out is invest in yourself. As an influencer, if this is something you’re passionate about get some skin in the game! When you invest in yourself it helps take you to that next level, plus it makes you feel like you have more on the line. After buying my first course it made me even more persistent. If you’re a brand, your focus can be better spent elsewhere in your business. If you have the means to outsource your socials, do it. It can save you a lot of time, and it can help you grow at a more steady rate. I outsourced a number of tasks when I first began blogging, and the best part about it was watching someone else do it taught me how to do it! So if it isn’t something you want longterm, it’s also a great way to learn firsthand.

Next is always keep your audience in mind. Inspire, educate, or entertain. Make sure you are providing value to your audience in one of those ways. Whether you’re telling a story that helps you build that emotional connection with them, providing a list of useful tips, or hitting them with the inspirational story of how you got started. It’s going to depend on your business or niche as a content creator that determines the type of content you share. Really sit down and think about your ideal audience and what they would want to see from you. What’s going to make them hit follow? How can you keep them engaged? Pay attention to the frequent questions you’re getting. Take polls to ask your audience what they want to see from you.

Contact Info:

• Website: guidedbydestiny.com | blondessocial.com
• Instagram: @guidedbydestiny | @blondessocial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/destinysnyder/