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Interview with Amy Locurto of I Heart Faces

January 15, 2011

Creative powerhouse Amy Locurto is a mother of two, blogger, and highly sought-after content creator and speaker, and manages to juggle it all with style. She owns Living Locurto, a resource blog for moms full of projects ideas and free printables, and is co-editor of I Heart Faces, an award-winning photography site. She weighs in on personal branding, networking, and shares her inspirations.

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How did your blog (Living Locurto) begin? What made you first push “publish”?

Truth? My mom called me one day and asked if I had seen Ree Drummond’s website. Ree is married to a boy from my hometown. Mom said Ree’s website was really cute, that she told funny stories just like me. She said you design websites! You should write about your funny stories and all of the creative things you are always making. I then went to The Pioneer Woman and was so inspired. It just looked like so much fun that I started reading blogs. So much eye candy! I was wowed by all of the super talented and creative bloggers. I knew right then, those were my people. Finally, I wasn’t some weirdo who went way overboard with creative projects… there were people just like me! I jumped in head first and never looked back.

What about I Heart Faces? How did it begin?
 
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 Angie from The Arthur Clan and I met online through blogging about a month after I hit “publish” on Living Locurto. She lives in Ohio and I’m in Texas. We had never met in person until months after starting I Heart Faces!
 
We first began commenting on each other’s blogs, then moved to emailing each other pretty much daily. In late November of 2008, Angie noticed that there were quite a few photography challenges like nature, the sky, animals, colors and other things, but not for her favorite type of photography – portraits of people. She wrote me an email saying she’d love to start a site just for photographers who want to share their photos of people. I said… let’s do it!
 
Then, from that one email, a slew of brainstorming started and the ideas began to flow between the two of us. Lucky for her, I’m a graphic designer who specializes in brands, so a few days later I came up with a name we both loved and a brand identity for I Heart Faces. The site was live just a month later. We can honestly say that we never expected it to take off so fast!
 
How do you grow your sites?
 
Twitter was probably my number one source for growth in the beginning for both blogs. It’s such a great tool to engage others and spread the word about what you’re doing.
 
My blogs are about the eye candy, so creating original content with great photos is a must to catch people’s attention. Readers tell their friends about you, and things grow from there.
 
I’m very social, so I find it easy to connect to others within the blogging community. I love making personal relationships with other bloggers and sharing or collaborating together. I write for other sites as well as link to others. All of that helps both websites to grow.
 
How do you reach out to your readers and fellow bloggers?
 
For I Heart Faces, we not only utilize our blog, but also have a community site with around 9,000 women. The IHF Community is a great way to connect with readers and get discussions going. We are on Facebook daily as well. Facebook has been an amazing source to connect with people.
 
We also plan events and get to meet our readers in person. We host photography workshops and last year planned a Photowalk Across America in 22 cities in one day with over 1,000 people! It was a blast.
 
Who are the bloggers who inspire you?
  
Well, obviously The Pioneer Woman is one since she started this whole thing. That girl amazes me with all that she does! I want to take a nap when I think about it all.
 
Bakerella is my blog crush. I want to have a sleep over and make cake pops with her someday. Okay, was that too weird? I jumped up and down like a little girl when she featured me as a Pop Star.
 
Amy Atlas inspires me with her lovely party tables and styling. I’m always wowed and find so much inspiration when I see her work.
 
Wendy and Tyler from Blue Lily are traveling photographers. Their work is amazing and it’s always fun to see where they are going next. I wish I could be that spontaneous and free.
 
Cathe Holden rocks my world with her talent. I can’t believe she’s not famous yet.
  
What’s your biggest piece of advice for new bloggers?
 
Along with writing great content, be sure to find your niche and get to know others within that blog community. Good branding is very important in leaving a lasting impression with people. Plan ahead for your brand. Really think about what you want you and your blog to represent from the beginning.
  
What are your most successful ways to promote yourself/your blog?
 
I am always changing things up. I talk to readers to see what they like. Subscribe to many great blogs and try to learn the latest technology or what’s new in social media to help promote or make my websites better.
Right now, I’m loving my newsletter on Living Locurto. I offer exclusive designs for e-new subscribers and special discounts to my shop. For I Heart Faces, we do a lot of promotion through Facebook and our IHF Community.
  
What’s your advice for bloggers who want to participate in PR/branded campaigns?
 
I didn’t get involved with brands until I started doing meet-ups with local bloggers. So my advice if you want to get invited to participate in PR campaigns, is to put yourself out there and meet other people in the blog community. It could be online, meet-ups or conferences.
 
Be sure to put a PR page on your blog with some info about yourself, your blog and who you’ve worked with on other campaigns.
 
You can also pitch an idea to a company. Write a great proposal with your ideas, how it will benefit the brand and don’t forget to include the fees for your time… a girl’s got to eat!
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About HeatherMann

Heather Mann is founding editor at Dollar Store Crafts; she connects DIY niche bloggers with the #crafterminds chat every Monday, and is a partner in social media agency Blueprint Social.

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Comments

  1. spacer bridget {bakeat350} says:
    January 16, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    So good to see Amy here! I always love getting to know fellow bloggers a little better! spacer And, I was able to MEET Amy in December….she is so fun!

    Reply
  2. spacer Mique says:
    January 16, 2011 at 8:42 pm

    I love this post Amy- so fun to read all about how you got your start, who your favorites are and tips. What a fun interview!

    Reply
  3. spacer Anonymous says:
    January 16, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    Great interview Amy and Heather!! Amy amazes me with her creativity and knowledge every day!! Can’t wait to finally meet her her Nashville in a few days!!

    Reply
  4. spacer Manda Padgett says:
    January 16, 2011 at 10:11 pm

    Wonderful interview!! So nice to learn more about you, Amy! You are definitely a blogging Super Woman!

    Reply
  5. spacer angie {the arthur clan} says:
    January 16, 2011 at 10:49 pm

    Awesome to see you featured here Amy! You know I love you girl and couldn’t be prouder of all that you have accomplished. spacer

    Reply
  6. spacer Kim-Today's Creative Blog says:
    January 16, 2011 at 10:55 pm

    Love this! Love Amy!

    Reply
  7. spacer Laurie {Tip Junkie} says:
    January 17, 2011 at 11:14 pm

    I adore Amy. She has some seriously mad skills and a brilliant mind. I’m in constant awe of her talent.

    Reply
  8. spacer Amy @ Living Locurto says:
    January 17, 2011 at 11:15 pm

    Thanks ladies!! I’m honored to be featured on She Posts!!

    Reply
  9. spacer Jen says:
    January 18, 2011 at 1:49 am

    Great interview!!! I think Amy is so talented and such a nice person too! I loved hearing how she and Angie started I Heart Faces.

    xoxoxo
    Jen

    Reply
  10. spacer melissa @ theinspiredroom says:
    January 18, 2011 at 6:27 am

    Great interview with such an inspiring lady! It is so fun to hear how and why people started blogging and see where it has taken them!!

    Reply

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