WHO IS ALINA ALLEN?
Alina was born in Pakistan and moved to California when she was 2 years old. She spent most of her childhood in CA and then moved to Dubai and lived there for about 10 years! In 2011, she moved to New Jersey and have been there ever since! Alina graduated with a dual degree in International Affairs and International Business with a minor in Arabic from Drexel University. Growing up she always watched her mom decorate their house -making sure it was always tidy as she trained her to pick up after herself while assigning daily chores to me and my siblings. As a child, she loved helping her mom decorate and clean up around the house. Her passion for home decor solidified after graduating from college. She then decided to embark upon @dressyourdecor in an effort to create an outlet for anyone struggling with ideas for home decor and design. Alina strives to inspire vicariously by offering easy and attainable ideas to assist people in turning their house into a beautiful home!
HOW DID ALINA’S INSTAGRAM JOURNEY BEGIN?
Alina opened her page back in 2018 and reserved her handle name @dressyourdecor. After losing her mom, Alina decided to take some time off before really starting her page. She says she didn’t even post until August of 2019, but when she did, she dove in. Alina started posting and sharing inspiring content which was the beginning of her journey! She wanted to share inspirational videos of beautiful spaces, homes, and content for her followers. She didn’t start sharing her own home or anything in it until the beginning of 2020 – this year! She believes that Instagram is an outlet for inspiration!
WHEN DID ALINA START SHARING HER PERSONAL HOME ON HER PLATFORM?
Alina didn’t start sharing her own home or anything in it until the beginning of 2020 – this year! At first, she was fearful of being judged, rejected, and underappreciated. However, she was so surprised and overjoyed by all the love and encouragement she received after starting to post her own content. Home décor has always been close to Alina’s heart and she says she got it from her mom! She says as much as she loved being an inspirational account, being a content creator is what she’s really meant to be doing!
WHAT IS ALINA’S FAVORITE HOME DÉCOR ITEM?
If you haven’t seen the beautiful chandeliers in Alina’s home, you are missing out! Alina says “chandeliers are like jewelry for the home!” – and I totally agree with her! People truly underestimate what beautiful chandeliers and lighting can really do for a home! Alina says to consider a chandelier like the last piece of the puzzle – after finding your color palette, furniture, and other home décor, that’s when it’s time to add a gorgeous chandelier as the final touch!
WHAT IS ALINA’S ADVICE FOR MAKING GREAT VIDEO CONTENT?
Although Alina says she’s still learning, there are some points she wants to share about her amazing video content and quality. Perfecting Instagram videos definitely takes time and no matter how professional your videos are, there is always more learning that can be done. Alina admits when she first started, her videos were nothing like they are now – it just takes a lot of trial and error. The most important thing for making a good video is LIGHTING! “Lighting makes all the difference!” Natural light or enhanced lighting can be utilized – including ring lights! Lighting is key and makes a huge difference. Also, angles! Alina has never used a special camera, just her iPhone 11 pro – she claims it’s the best investment she’s ever made.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO START A COLLABORATION?
In order to build a relationship with a company, the first thing Alina does is follows the account she wants to work with on social media. Engaging on their content is also very important! You know it’s working if they 1) like your comment or 2) reply back to you!
Showing love and interacting with the account is really vital because eventually they will reach out to you and want to partner with you. Another way to collaborate and partner with a brand is to reach out to them! There is absolutely no harm in that – it’s just showing them that you’re really interested. And, the worst thing that could happen is for them to tell you it isn’t the right time. Reach out through either Instagram message or email – either way works! If there’s ever a company that Alina doesn’t feel is a good fit, she won’t go through with the collaboration! In order to partner with a company, you have to truly love their product in order to share with your audience! Being trustworthy among your followers is extremely important. Be true to what you love and what you’re showcasing.
WHAT IS ALINA’S ADVICE FOR ANYONE STARTING UP A NEW ACCOUNT?
Alina truly believes in knowing your target audience before starting anything else is key! Is it home décor? Lifestyle? Fashion? Whatever it may be – have a plan and choose the type of account you’re going to be. Although Alina’s content changed from other accounts to her account, the purpose behind her content didn’t change! She is still an inspirational account to others who have a passion for the home. Staying true to your audience and standing up for your purpose is something Alina sees as very important. Changing content and topics too much will result in a loss of audience and trust from your followers. Consistency is another key to owning an account.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND ALINA?
TikTok:
www.tiktok.com/@dressyourdecor
Amazon Store:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/dressyourdecor
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/DressYourDecor
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