I receive alot of questions about how best to start a blog, how to make a blog successful, how to make blogging your career - so I've decided its well overdue I address these kinds of questions here on my blog. I'm by no means the biggest or most successful blogger - and there's still going to be mistakes I'm making even today.
To begin with, let's all take a trip to my very first blog post, back in October 2008. It's Here.
The photo looks like it was taken on a two dollar disposable. Did I have ambitions/prospects of becoming a successful blogger back then? Hell no!
Progress for me was quite slow - I started my blog around the time Chiara, Rumi and Andy were all starting to gain momentum. I was inconsistent with my posting, my pictures were terrible - but I was passionate. Most importantly, I didn't have ambitions of fitting in a role that someone else had patented, satisfied with my own journey. It took three years for me to reach the point where I could almost sustain myself on the income from my site. I improved and learnt along the way, what was engaging and how I could share what I loved while still staying true to myself.
Here's a few points detailing what I've learnt.
1. Good pictures are important. I'm sorry to say, if you're going to be a good Fashion Blogger and create original photo content, getting your photo skills up is important. Getting to know how to utilise your urban surroundings is important - the best way to do this is to look at fashion editorials and blogger pictures and find what you like.
2. Being yourself is always best. Writing genuine and engaging content is always easier when it comes from the heart - the best example of this is by looking at Jennifer Lawrence. This is a women who has arrived big time on the hollywood scene and people love her so much, she's so endearing because she's so candid. It's great to see someone who's happy with themselves, 'flaws' and all. The more you give of your genuine self the more beautiful your blog will be. You don't need to be the coolest, the thinnest, the best dressed - you just gotta be you.
3. Don't follow the formula (too much). This is a challenging one to figure out because the reason a formula exists is because it works - but so often you can look at a new fashion blog and just think 'Where have I seen this before?'. If you wanna see a fashion blog that breaks the mould check out Strange Ambition (Bonnie doesn't write on it anymore but it's still very fun and cool to read!). Incidentally I saw Bonnie last night here in Berlin but I was too shy to approach her. Regrets!
4. Play your strengths. Don't feel like you have to suddenly blog about runway shows during fashion week just because it's happening. I'm not really the best fashion writer - but I can take my own pictures of the shows! So I just don't write alot of text besides #omgilovethis or whatever. Figure out your strong points and work them.
5. Find satisfaction in your own journey. Don't feel like you have to measure up to anyone else with your followers or statistics or anything like that, envy is a counter productive trap. What you're doing is always going to be worth something if you're writing with passion. I wrote a longer post related to this topic HERE and it was one of my most popular blog posts EVER.
6. Be consistent. If you want your blog to grow in popularity, one thing that you can trust is that posting regularly is going to help you significantly. It's just science guys.
7. No posts is better than a bad blog post. Perhaps counter to my previous point - but don't throw up any old thing just for the sake of it, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Just do you best - and this rule also applies for instagram! I'll lose followers if I post up a shitty photo. It's better to have nothing.
8. Don't expect to start a blog and be able to earn money right away. For myself - I had to work quite awhile before my work and blog was commercially viable. You need to have something to offer a brand that they can't get anywhere else - and that should take some time! Success doesn't happen overnight in this industry. The important thing is to just get started and keep learning.
I want to write some more points here but I had one (or 3) too many vodka's last night and my brain suddenly feels like mush. I'd love it if you could leave some questions or topics you'd like me address related to this post so I can continue the conversation.
Throwing this post up with pics from my shoot with Sara and Archie (original post here) - sans illustration. Sorry I don't have anything new right now! I'm about to dash off the airport. Next post coming should be a youtube from my time here in Berlin!
:)
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