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

[ched]

It's been done before though. I mean, unless you are adding something to the "this is what I'm wearing today" blog formula, why do that? You'll never top the people who have been doing it for 4+ years already. Do your own thing. If you can't be creative, you don't belong in fashion.

 

[BetteT]

Ched,

I think it is intended to be more than a "What I Am Wearing Today" theme ... and done right it might work.

It would have to have much more drama and humor than just pictures. She'd have to provide some personal insight via a narrative to show her feelings about her experience as she wades through her wardrobe.

I would suggest that it be about about wearing everything in her closet without editing it at all (no buying anything to make it better ... just work with what you have when you start) ...and wear all of it, the good, the bad and the ugly. It could also be about taking all of that and trying to making it work by changing it all up, layering in unusual ways, edgy combinations making something old and boring look interesting. It should include the failures too and should give accounts of comments and reactions to what she wore ...people she was actually face to face with. Everything should be worn for the entire day in order to provide some serious and funny stories to tell about each day's experiences in those looks.

That is how it can be done ... which would be different. And that is the sort of thing that would probably interest readers ... a real story about the day to day issues she encounters as she wades through her wardrobe ... a story to which most people can relate ... one with humor and with pathos.

 

[quink]

Thanks Bette to respond to Ched because that is exactly what I'm going to try to do.
I wanna tell my readers something about the clothes I wear and how the day was etc.
And I have a lot of clothes that I hate and have been out of style for 2 years (or never were in style) and I think it is a real challenge to do something with that.

And I don't really like the comment "if you can't be creative, you don't belong in fashion" maybe it wasn't directed at me but it kind of felt like it was.

 

[ched]

It was not directed at you, it was a general comment about how so many fashion bloggers just try to replicate what has been done before without pushing the envelope.

 

[ZFashionBlog]

Hi,

I've been blogging as a hobby for a bit over a year now and I'm really enjoying it.
It's much more addictive and time consuming than what I was expecting though...

My blog gets a decent number of hits that's growing, and I'm also begining to get contacted by online stores and fashion brands for collaboration opportunities...

I was thinking about moving it from the wordpress.com server to become a self hosted blog and start running ads..etc, but I think it's just too complicated and even more time consuming for nothing..

Unless you're a huge blog/site you don't make any serious money of ads...

What do you think?
Also what do you think of my blog? :-)

 

[kikiss]

Well it's a big choice, blogging is the fun part...

But if you want to make serious money, you will need strong sense of business, use lot of socia media, develop a wordpress.com, keep your blog update every day, invest money in camera and other stuff....

Still the same question, "which advertising model should use Fashion bloggers ?"

Zfashionblog, You should be careful with Women's fashion and Men's fashion link...
You use those signs ♀- and ♂-, it's nice in visual way but might be not difficult to link back... (I hope you will understand my point)

Nice blog, easy & funny to read... Keep up with the good job !

 

[AD080119]

Hey everyone! I just started a new blog after a year hiatus from blogging. I just switched from blogger to wordpress so I am still getting used to it. Let me know what you all think and what I could do better. Thanks! Link's in my sig.

 

[Petit Lucille]

I am having a problem with blog, it's wordpress. The thing is, I've been accepted to Teen Vogue's Fashion Click, but they won't put me up there, because there's this glitch that happens with wordpress. I've set my feeds to full text in every feed, and they read is as summaries. Wordpress response isn't decen either- they told me that some browsers will always see it as summaries even if I have them checked in full texts. I've told Teen Vogue this, but they haven't replied me since march (obviously they won't).
Is there anything I could do to solve this?

 

[ched]

Have you tried using the Feedburner plugin?

 

[Petit Lucille]

Wordpress only allow plugins if you pay. I wanted to know if there is any other way, keeping it free, because I am independent.

 

[ched]

Oh, we use WordPress.org and host on our own site. All the plugins are free except a very small number. I didn't realize you had to pay to use them on WordPress.com. Is that new?

 

[AD080119]

^ I just switched back to blogger because of that. Blogger allows me to customize a little more easier than wordpress.com did. Or maybe I am just more comfortable with blogger since I have been using it longer. Either way, I am back to blogger! Let me know what you guys think. I am not sure exactly what direction I still want to go so any tips would be great.

 

[F0F0]

^ I just switched back to blogger because of that. Blogger allows me to customize a little more easier than wordpress.com did. Or maybe I am just more comfortable with blogger since I have been using it longer. Either way, I am back to blogger! Let me know what you guys think. I am not sure exactly what direction I still want to go so any tips would be great.

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?", asked Alice to the Cheshire Cat in Wonderland.
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to", said the Cat.
"I don't much care where", said Alice.
`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.


Hi, Kristiina!

What would you like to achieve with your blog in 5-10 years? And what about you, what would YOU like to achieve in 5-10 years?

Perhaps those aren't easy to answer, are they? So why not stop for a moment and think about the basics before heading towards a direction?

What are you very good at? What are those skills that made you excel?

What kind of person you are? What are the traits that define your personality?

What are the things you most value? Is writing a fashion blog an opportunity to get yourself fame and glory? Or is it to network with other fashion professionals? Or to support indie brands? Or to develop your writing/creative skills? Or just to share your opinions or your artistic taste?

What are you really passionate about (beyond fashion)?

What are all those experiences that every time you recall them make you feel so proud of your fine self?



Don't you think if you were investing your time and effort to build something to reach your goals based on what are you very good at, your personality traits, skills and abilities, interests, the things you care and make you proud of, you'd be a happier person? Wouldn't be that an enjoyable direction to follow?


I just noticed I replied your answer with more answers!! Isn't that great???

 

[F0F0]

Thanks Bette to respond to Ched because that is exactly what I'm going to try to do.
I wanna tell my readers something about the clothes I wear and how the day was etc.
And I have a lot of clothes that I hate and have been out of style for 2 years (or never were in style) and I think it is a real challenge to do something with that.

And I don't really like the comment "if you can't be creative, you don't belong in fashion" maybe it wasn't directed at me but it kind of felt like it was.

Hi, quink!

How's your project going?

I agree with ched in some sense: I think he was just expressing a valid and general sense or perception loads of folks have towards the lack of innovation or creativity in the fashion industry (myself included).

But I disagree with that opinion too because if you were the most "uncreative person" in the world, then the industry will WELCOME YOU SO HAPPY! Yeah, fashion is business too! And this is a very rational thing! No right brain in use here! And everyone here and beyond falls in the realms of the Fashion Industry (it's called INDUSTRY for a reason!). There's few space really for creative mind work in the sector, and that explains why fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months! So I think in this sense fashion is 1% creativity, 99% industry.

But I'd also challenge this perception about what's creative in fashion. Being creative is not only about being artistic, is also about finding imaginative solutions to everyday problems people in the industry face from weaver to wearer. I bet there's more creativity in manufacture and distribution processes than design styles and ideas.

 

[F0F0]

Hi,
My blog gets a decent number of hits that's growing, and I'm also begining to get contacted by online stores and fashion brands for collaboration opportunities...

I was thinking about moving it from the wordpress.com server to become a self hosted blog and start running ads..etc, but I think it's just too complicated and even more time consuming for nothing..

Unless you're a huge blog/site you don't make any serious money of ads...

What do you think?
:-)

Ciao, ZFashionBlog!

What don't you focus on growing your blog and audience base so you can have more and better offers coming from brands and online stores? Unless you're a huge blog/site you won't make any serious money of ads. Hey, I've just quoted you! A presto!

 

[AD080119]

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?", asked Alice to the Cheshire Cat in Wonderland.
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to", said the Cat.
"I don't much care where", said Alice.
`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.


Hi, Kristiina!

What would you like to achieve with your blog in 5-10 years? And what about you, what would YOU like to achieve in 5-10 years?

Perhaps those aren't easy to answer, are they? So why not stop for a moment and think about the basics before heading towards a direction?

What are you very good at? What are those skills that made you excel?

What kind of person you are? What are the traits that define your personality?

What are the things you most value? Is writing a fashion blog an opportunity to get yourself fame and glory? Or is it to network with other fashion professionals? Or to support indie brands? Or to develop your writing/creative skills? Or just to share your opinions or your artistic taste?

What are you really passionate about (beyond fashion)?

What are all those experiences that every time you recall them make you feel so proud of your fine self?



Don't you think if you were investing your time and effort to build something to reach your goals based on what are you very good at, your personality traits, skills and abilities, interests, the things you care and make you proud of, you'd be a happier person? Wouldn't be that an enjoyable direction to follow?


I just noticed I replied your answer with more answers!! Isn't that great???

Gosh these are such great questions! Sorry it took me a while to respond. But you are so right about investing my time into something that would reach my goals. Honestly, I really have no idea. I think I would like to use my blog as a platform or doorway into the fashion industry since that is ultimately where I want to be n 5-10 years. I don't much care about fame, since I would never do this to become "famous". I think more to just work with professionals in the field. Some of your other questions I really need to think about some more. (I'm going to screenshot your response haha)

I am still getting a feel for my blog and playing around with it some more, so hopefully it will continue to evolve and grow for the better.

Thank you so much for your reply

 

[Olanb]

I've just started my first blog! I'm really looking forward to it so far - how do you all stay motivated, especially in the beginning when you are likely talking to yourself?

 

[FrenchCactus]

^ Congratulations on your new blog! I found that networking and leaving comments on other blogs helped bring traffic to mine at the beginning. And it the long term, it can also build up friendships, both virtual and "real"!

 

[FrenchCactus]

There has been questions about how regularly one should post in this thread so I though this article from Daily Blog Tips might interest you.

“Blog every day.”
That’s what I was told, when I started out three years. It’s probably what you’ve heard too.
And now, I think it’s massively overrated advice.
Why?
#1: You’re Wasting Your Time

When you start out as a blogger, you have very little traffic. Virtually no-one is reading your posts.
Of course, you need to get some content in place before you start promoting your blog – but this really isn’t a case of “build it and they will come”. Your blog is all but invisible. Instead of pouring hours into writing daily posts, write two posts a week and spend the rest of your time promoting them.
Do It:
For every hour you spend writing for your blog, spend an hour on promoting your work (e.g. guest posting, commenting, interacting in forums, using Twitter and Facebook).
#2: Your Posts Are Poor Quality

Some bloggers can turn out a great, content-rich post every day.
Most can’t.
If you find yourself writing something – anything – just so that you can hit “publish” before midnight, then you’re doing it wrong. Why would anyone want to read a post that you threw together just to meet your own arbitrary targets?
Do It:
Spend longer on each post – and look out for common blogging mistakes. Draft your post, then wait until the next day to edit it: your subconscious mind will keep working on it in the meantime.
#3: Readers Don’t Necessarily Like It

Have you ever unsubscribed from a blog because it posted too much?
I have. In fact, I’m much more likely to unsubscribe because a blogger posts too often than because they post too infrequently. I’ve stayed subscribed to Skelliewag because Skellie’s posts are so insightful – even though she often goes months without posting.
Daily posts could be overwhelming your readers – especially if you’re trying to write in-depth posts that deliver huge value.
Do It:
Ask your readers – do they read every post? Would they prefer fewer posts?
#4: You’ll Burn Yourself Out

You probably have a day job, or a family, or school work … maybe all three! If you’re trying to maintain a daily blogging routine, you may well find that you last for a month or two before simply giving up.
It takes time (often years) for a blog to gain traction, and you want a posting rhythm that will work month after month.
Do It:
If you’re starting to feel burnt out and jaded, then take a break. Tell your readers that your blog is on hiatus for two weeks – and give them some links to old posts so that they’ve got something to read in the meantime.
Now, you can probably name plenty of very successful blogs that post daily, or even more frequently than that. (Daily Blog Tips might come to mind …

) So why’s it working for them?
Well, daily posting can be a perfectly good strategy – if you have the right sort of blog.
When Daily Posting Does Work

Successful blogs with 5-7 posts a week typically have one or more of the following:
#1: Guest Posters
Although Daniel does most of the writing here on Daily Blog Tips, you’ll also notice frequent guest posters (like me!) popping up. The same goes for almost every big blog with daily (or more) posts.
ProBlogger typically posts twice daily now, but more and more of those posts are coming from guests. Copyblogger has a new post every weekday – but they not only have guest posters, they also have several staff members (Brian, Sonia and Robert).
(Of course, taking guest posts can actually end up costing you more time because of the admin and editing involved: I recommend reading Managing Guest Post Submissions Efficiently so you can keep things simple and streamlined.)
#2: News-style Content
Big tech-related blogs have to keep their finger on the pulse – which means that they need to have at least one post per day. Often, though, news posts are short and succinct: they’re not evergreen content that’s intended to stay relevant for months or years.
#3: Short, Focused Posts
It’s easier to keep up a daily posting rhythm if your readers are used to short posts that deal with a single topic or idea. Think of Seth Godin, for instance. Bite-sized chunks of information can be popular … if you have the knack of being concise and avoiding waffle in your writing.
#4: Blogging for SEO Purposes Only
If your blog’s main purpose is to get traffic (perhaps so readers will click on ads, or so you can promote your product) then daily posting could be a good strategy. You might simply be trying to build up a lot of content on your site – and you don’t care if you lose readers’ attention.
So … should you be posting daily? Unless you’ve got a team of guest-posters, or a real need to stay up-to-the-minute, or an audience that demands short, snappy content … then I’d say no.
I’ve seen so many bloggers end up disillusioned and burnt out because they followed the advice to post daily, and it got them absolutely nowhere.
For most bloggers, one to three posts per week works well. Even one post every other week can be enough to keep up the momentum for you and for your readers.
I’m sure this is a topic that’ll stir up some strong opinions … and I’d love to hear your point of view in the comments! Have you tried daily posting? Did it work for you – or did it lead to burn out?

 

[AD080119]

Thank you FrenchCactus! that's good advice