Alivia Fields on Building an Influential Online Presence

A photographer, blogger, influencer, and world traveler, Alivia Fields has built an engaged online following around two personal passions: intentional living and sustainability. From creating an online brand that accurately represents her interests, to pivoting her content in response to the pandemic, Alivia consistently works to keep her online presence responsive to her personal experiences and those of her audience.

She recently talked with Squarespace about where her interest in sustainability began, how she’s developed her influencer platform over time, and why the Unfold app has been instrumental in building her following.

SQUARESPACE: You’ve built a career as a photographer and social media influencer focused on sustainability and intentional living. Where did your path to this career begin? 

Alivia Fields: It wasn't until a few years ago that I switched from just being an average lifestyle blogger to one that had a strong passion for educating my audience on the importance of implementing sustainable measures into our everyday lives. Back in 2017, I was invited on an influencer trip with a sustainable cosmetics brand. Myself and a few other influencers spent a weekend at a cabin up in British Columbia, and we monitored how much waste we created over the weekend, ate solely plant based, used bikes and EV cars to get around, and overall learned a ton about food waste, and what it meant to live a zero waste lifestyle. That first introduction really kick started this passion for me, and I am so grateful for that opportunity. 

SQSP: As an influencer, you inherently merge your personal and professional lives. How do you balance your public persona with your private life? 

AF: Balancing public work and private life is definitely tricky at times, especially because my job is to share my life, publicly! Something that has helped me find that separation in a world where the lines are so blurred is to try my best to reserve weekends for personal life with friends and family, and to stay off my screens during those times. It feels so nice to go out to lunch on a weekend and not feel like I have to take a photo and share about it, haha. That may sound silly, but setting up those boundaries has really allowed for more real life connection, and also makes me excited to return to the screen on Monday morning.

SQSP: You use Unfold to create unique stories to share with audiences across your social platforms. How has the app influenced your own workflows for creating social content, and audience engagement with your stories? 

AF: I could rave about Unfold for hours, truly. I've been using the app for around three years now and I don't know what I'd do without it! It helps keep my workflow very organized, specifically when it comes to creating story content for my clients. I love that I can create the story, share it to the web for my clients to view, and then make any needed revisions so easily. I also love using the Unfold templates and fonts for my own personal stories, and always get tons of questions on how I achieved a certain look. That's what's so unique about Unfold. It's so easy to create something personal to your own brand.

SQSP: What advice do you have for entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of growing their personal brand online? 

AF: The early stages of any career are so exciting, and even more so when you are the driver, and are able to really define what you want your personal brand to look like. My biggest tip here is to be cohesive. Once you've got your 'look' and it feels authentic to you, stick with it! There's a lot of power in having a recognizable brand image, and it also helps you stay on track with what it is you're really trying to say with your business.

SQSP: You’ve run a sustainability-focused travel blog for over three years. How has the pandemic impacted your content creation and what you choose to share with your audience? 

AF: 2020 has definitely not been the year to shine for travel bloggers, or those in the travel industry all together. While I have had to completely shift my focus and content this year from sustainable travel to sustainable life in general, it has been really fun and a much needed break from being up in the clouds! :) I've been able to really figure out how sustainable living trickles into all areas of my life, not just travel, and it's been really fun to fit that into the content that I like creating, without having to compromise my brand image. 

SQSP: What role has your online presence played in the growth and development of your brand? 

AF: I can confidently say that I would not be in the position I am in, professionally, without digital media. As a photographer, I book 90% of my work because clients see my portfolio on my website, and as an influencer, social media is the best portfolio out there! While living a public life on the internet can be draining at times, the benefits of being able to connect with companies and individuals I dream of working with, and connecting with like minded people from all over the world certainly make it all worthwhile. I am so thankful for companies like Squarespace and Unfold who make it easy for me to continue building my online presence and further honing in on my personal brand and style.

Learn more about amplifying your online storytelling with Unfold.