Advice about Starting & Promoting a Fashion Blog - See Post #1 for Thread Rules

[ShoeLady]

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I have worked for a few online fashion mags/blogs. I believe I have the skills to start my own and would like to, only I don't know where to begin. Does anyone have a blog, specifically a fashion blog? Where did you begin etc? I am also not positive about the objective. I would like to give an insiders view of the NY fashion world- I work for a large conde nast magazine- I think that would be interesting. But is there already a blog like this out there? I don't want to be a copy-cat.

 

[kimair]

i have a fashion blog, and basically i just went to blogger.com, signed up with a username and got writing...
blogger is very basic (and free), and doesn't offer as much in terms of customization...
i'm in the process of moving my blog and redesigning it, so it's more reader-friendly...

there is a blog similar to what you're talking about called view from the fourth row...
it's been a mystery figuring out where she works, but she goes to all the major shoes in nyc and abroad...
she's pretty harsh in her language, talking about her colleagues...

if you're interested in checking out some other blogs, check out coutorture which is a network of fashion, beauty and shopping blogs (i'm a member of it)...
it was recently bought by sugar publishing (home of popsugar and fabsugar) and have had coverage on elle.com...

glam.com also has a network of fashion blogs, but you have to have a certain amount of readership to join...

hope that helps...

 

[Dustcakeboy]

I did much the same as kimair, went straight to blogger.com and just started writing. I'm addicted now...although I do bemoan the fact I get v.little time to actually blog.

 

[Bellechloe]

are u journalist or sth?

 

[ShoeLady]

Thanks for the advice guys! Kimair those links are relly great.
I am not really a fashion journalist per se, I work for a fashion magazine producing their online content.
I will be sure to let you all know when my online blog is off the ground!!

 

[ele]

Hey, can people make money from blogs ? Like the really good blogs such as The Satorialist? Does it only come from advertising?

 

[kimberwyn]

Hey, can people make money from blogs ? Like the really good blogs such as The Satorialist? Does it only come from advertising?

Definitely. I have 2 fashion blogs and a successful celebrity gossip blog. I make a couple hundred per month from them plus perks like free clothes and what not. A lot of bloggers make a lot more. I didnt pay to advertise any of my blogs.

I would recommend using wordpress and setting it up on your own domain. Its much better than blogger.com. Then submit your your blog to blog directories, there are tons of them, and social bookmarking sites like stumbleupon.com and digg.com (these will get you indexed in the search engines asap).

Wait a while until you get a bit of traffic, then monetize your site. You can join the glam network and put up google adwords, they pay well. Blogads.com is good too. Be sure to get link exchanges from other blogs as well. Thats a good way to start.

And to the OP, if you work in the fashion industry, especially in a fashion magazine, people will FLOCK to your blog because you have the kind of insider kknowledge they want! If you're interested Id love to interview you for one of my blogs and post your link when you're up and running.

 

[The.Rock.Inc.]

I own a wordpress fashion blog but apparently it doesn't allow ads to be posted. I average about 1000+ readers per day now and I wish to post ads but can't!

 

[diorable]

How many times a week do you all blog if you are not a full-time blogger, while still maintaining a desirable number of readers?

 

[sassybella]

Diorable - what do you mean by desirable number of visitors? How many is your ideal?

I post a few times a day on my blog, and a few times a day on another blog. And both blogs get a different amount of visitors.

I guess it also depends on the top and if you've got big money backing your projects.

I also second the wordpress and buying your own domain option - even if you don't get your own domain, wordpress is better than blogspot for getting your blogs indexed by Google and other search engines.

 

[gius]

The fashion blogs I mostly see are basically critiques of shows and opinions on articles (for example, a new designer chosen to work for an established label, rumours, etc.)
I wonder if there are more 'craft' oriented ones, talking about fashion in terms of design, making, processes, any of that 'creative' type of thing --does anyone have some ideas? Perhaps I should start a new thread on this... Different kinds of fashion blogs

 

[Dustcakeboy]

^ A second good idea of yours in one day, gius

I agree wholeheartedly. Blogs are overrun now with rumours and the conventional news items that are featured elsewhere such as Vogue.co.uk, Elle.com etc.

 

[Kora]

I did the exactly same thing. blogger.com created a username and was on my way.

My Blog

 

[kimberwyn]

The.Rock.Inc. - I didn't know that! I host my own wordpress blogs though so I dont have that problem.

I agree w/ Sassybella about posting. It really depends on the blog though. If it's a general fashion blog then at least once a day, preferrably two or three.

Gius, that's why I started my blog about opening a fashion boutique, because I see so many people asking about it (my other one is about careers in fashion). My fave industry blog is http://stylebites.blogspot.com (she's a stylist).

 

[verymoni]

I have a blog but it is in spanish: www.missatlaplaya.com with blogger... I started it 10 months ago and I can't stop! It has 15.000 visits per month more or less.
I submitted my blog to digg.com, thanks for the idea, kimberwyn!
A blog I love is www.fashionista.com, a lot of daily updates

also, do you have any tips? some do's and dont's and that kind of things, it would be very useful! You guys have awesome blogs

thanks!

 

[The.Rock.Inc.]

digg.com?
I have been blogging for about 7 months now and Rock.The.Trend. average about 1000+ readers a day. The thing is, wordpress doesn't allow ads, so I don't get revenue.
I started Let.Them.Rock. in blogger like a week ago, and I'm thinking of ways to publicize it.
So what are the ways to 'promote' a blog?

 

[kimberwyn]

No problem verymoni! Submitting your site there will get you indexed in google quickly. And if you get other people to digg your content, you'll get even mmore traffic.

The.Rock.Inc., here are the best ways to start....

-Submit to directories. You can do a search on google for blog directories, and you'll probably find a site that has a list of them. One of my favorites is www.BlogCatalog.com.

-Be sure to focus on search engines like Google, etc. The more backlinks (an relevant backlinks) you have, the higher you'll rank. Directories count. And be sure to use good keywords on your page, in your page title and on your story titles.

-Use social bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon.com. Submit your site there, get five or six people to stumble it and you can get 1000 hits right off the bat. Then you can start stumbling and digging your individual articles. There's also Delicious, etc.

-Be sure to do link exchanges and story exchanges with other blogs.

-Doing a write up or an article for some sort of article site or another blog is a great way to bring in traffic too.

-If you want to spend a little bit of money you can run an ad on a blog via www.BlogAds.com.

-Anything viral is good too, like using myspace or youtube.

I hope those ideas help! If any of you guys have any other questions just let me know and I'll try and help.

 

[Chanel_Ivan]

I recently just got serious about my blog and linkshare seems like a great source for revenue....
check the link out
http://www.linkshare.com/affiliates/affiliates.shtml
ciao.

 

[Tushka_BeLLa]

I think Susie Bubble's blog is the best fashion blog I've ever read. Her honesty is probably the best thing about it.

 

[ATTITUDE]

just do it.

I have worked for a few online fashion mags/blogs. I believe I have the skills to start my own and would like to, only I don't know where to begin. Does anyone have a blog, specifically a fashion blog? Where did you begin etc? I am also not positive about the objective. I would like to give an insiders view of the NY fashion world- I work for a large conde nast magazine- I think that would be interesting. But is there already a blog like this out there? I don't want to be a copy-cat.

I've been blogging for ages now, and started a blogspot this summer, since it's way faster and more easy then the one I was using before or the one at Myspace.

http://abdul-lagerfield.blogspot.com

Don't be scared to be a copy cat, just have fun with it.. I love to read others and it's cool for myself to read back at times.. furthermore, it's just about having fun, so just be yourself, blog whatever you want and have fun.

Don't try to be the next Susie or whomever.. I do think with your work and more, it can be interesting, but still.. even if you're just loving fashion and working at some crappyplace, and you want to blog, blog!

Do link me your url when started! Goodluck, x