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

[Capn_Birdseye]

Can anyone recommend a good hosting site besides typepad/wordpress?

 

[Marnii]

^^^ blogger.com is good. It's the most widely used and its easy to network (by commenting on other blogspots) if you're part of blogger.com

 

[FASHIONLOVA]

anybody has a good freewebsite adress???
i wanna have a nice website but have no clue where to get one.
wordpress is good but only for blogs so...

thanx

 

[dreamecho]

^ Lots of up and coming people (and even more established businesses) in fashion have a MySpace page.

MySpace gets a bad rap, but it's free, you can network and you have a lot of flexibility with layout, fonts, colors, images, etc. Used properly, it can do a lot for you.

 

[Capn_Birdseye]

Anything besides blogger or myspace?

 

[kimair]

you can make a website through geocities if you have a yahoo email address...
your website address would be www.geocities.com/yahoousername...

 

[diorable]

Just wondering -- since I'm a teenager myself (17), I get lots of comments/emails from really young girls (12, 13) who want to link with me. It's nice but the links keep building up, and now half of the blogs on my blogroll -- well, some aren't very well-written and not even I read them (and I read almost everything). What can I do? Set up a selective linking policy? I'm not elitist but...I'd like my blogroll to be about what I read, but I don't want to hurt any feelings...

 

[StellaMare]

^^ I don't think you should worry about hurting people. Those girls will probably find others that'll link to them. There's thousands of blogs out there and not everyone can be your favorite, right? It's better to link to those that you think are worth people's time.

 

[Lillianne]

Suzanna, thanks for this structured an informative response. I would like to replenish it with the following link from the Independent Fashion Bloggers who did an interview with Susie Bubble http://ifbu.blogspot.com/2008/02/interview-with-susie-bubble.html. It is quite useful to read if you want to start your own blog. She was the one who inspired me to create mine (http://katwalkkat.blogspot.com/). Since end of 2006 I am blogging regularly and it became really important to me.

I'm a new member (friend of Liberty Girl) and just wanted to say that Dreamecho's codes worked perfectly on my blogspot blog. Thanks, DE, for posting! Once I had the Digg code in, I just altered it for Stumbleupon and del.icio.us.

I'd like to add to the earlier discussion about starting up a new blog. There are many different ways to find an angle, depending upon subjective factors relating to the blogger. My blog is three months old--an infant in the blogosphere--and my observations are based upon my own experience.

1. Finding a voice, as mentioned upthread, is crucial. Even more than this, finding angle is critical. My blog started as an emergency CV for a social shopping network that wanted short, witty posts about sponsored products. When I didn't land that gig I continued the blog, writing about what I wanted.
2. Showing interest in other people's blogs is paramount; I was reading them well before starting my own and joining the community. If you enjoy someone's blog, let them know. Don't be a passive reader!
3. Decide how much content you want; I do a lot of editorial because I am a writer, but others may find that image outweighs editorial. Blogs can be broken down into two broad categories: commercial and independent. Within those categories there is a lot of diversification. People tend to read commercial blogs for information rather than for elucidation. An independent blog attracts readers by virtue of the writer and then the content. Relatability is a key factor for an independent blog. Is your blog welcoming? Does your tone match that of your readers?
4. Humor is important. Try to write with wit--Wendy Brandes is a great example of this.
5. Build a community of friends. Reach out to other bloggers who have more experience and knowledge than you. Offer to help others where you can. Be invested in the whole, rather than just your part of it!

 

[Capn_Birdseye]

StellaMare, I hope you don't mind me asking what web hosting you use and how you developed the site. I'm looking to build my own site, for non-fashion related purposes actually.

 

[rangerrick14]

I'm new to all this and I want to know how do I link with other blogs or networks. Do I just email them or what?

 

[1karina1]

I've finally sucummbed to blogger's world (and although my blog is film based rather than fashion based) I have found this thread so useful! Thanks to everyone who has contributed! Your advice has been invaluable especially when it comes to networking to exchange links. My blog is for myself really and I don't expect to get a wide readership but this thread has made me more determined to only exhange links with blogs that are genuinely of interest to me or that have an incredible quality. I must say I am tiring of trawling through blogs that are basically pics from style.com with one sentence below that says nothing new about the item/look in the picture or the blogger's personality...

The thread has also converted me to no longer be a passive reader. If I see a blog/post I like I will comment, now that I realise how long the person has agonised over and re-written it, I think it's only fair to let them know that it wasn't for nothing and the effort is much appreciated!

 

[dentrobatidae]

A non-fashion blog, but I thought this post from Ideas in Food had some great general blog advice:
http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/ideas_in_food/2008/03/thoughts-on-blo.html

A big part of being a blogger is a need to be heard. You know that you’ve got something to share and blogging is your venue of choice for communicating that information . . . You’re going to learn where those lines underneath the shifting sands are actually etched in the stone beneath. Your website will be a tool for self-discovery if you’re open to the process. As we say in the kitchen, it’s all about execution. If you’re going to blog, do it wholeheartedly and make it your own. Authenticity is more important than polish.

 

[kori]

As a fashion blogger, I've basically figured most of what's been discussed here on my own. It would have been a lot easier if I had thought to ask on TFS! For me, I think the two most important things to do are:

a) Write about what you're passionate about. Don't feel like your blog has to be like everyone else's - it's the most unique blogs that are usually the most fun to read.

b) Befriend other bloggers. Comment on their blogs, ask them questions if you need to, link to them, etc. I find that building relationships with other bloggers has not only increased my traffic/comments, but also given me a place to turn to if I need help and a friendly face.

If you do those things, everything pretty much falls into place, I think.

I'm new to this forum - it's my first post - so I hope I did everything correctly... I'd like to make some new friends...!

 

[BetteT]

Welcome, kori! Thanks for contributing.

And you did everything correctly! If unsure, check the Community Rules at the bottom of every page and if still in doubt, ask a moderaor ... we are the one's with purple names. We'll be happy to help and direct you.

 

[StellaMare]

Capn_Birdseye: I got my domain and hosting from http://www.actnowdomains.com/, it's fairly cheap and very reliable.
The actual website building is a bit more complicated, send me a PM if you want more information about it.

 

[ApertureRomance]

Honestly I read so many new blogs that are popping up now and I can't help but think they've started them just to get freebies and invites.

 

[chessmess]

it seems liek the ammount of blogs these days makes it hard for people to gain visitors
im not looking for popularity or status with ym blog, i just want comments! some ads in the future would be nice so i can make some money
but my friend and me's blog was started about 5 motnhs ago
we only just received or first comment that wasnt by us
i was hesistationg to publicize it too early because of the lack of content
i dont even know if its a good one.
http://pradapeople.blogspot.com

 

[verymoni]

does anyone use Movable Type?

 

[gruhche]

Hi, everyone!

I checked out most of your blogs and they're fantastic, I've even contacted some of you requesting a link swap!

I've had a blog for a couple of months now, but I started seriously with it just recently.

I'd appreciate some feedback, and of course, please send me a link to your blog!

deepinvogue.blogspot.com

Thanks!