Blog: Adventures in Fashion
Who: Vickie Laliotis
Where: Canada
Blogging Since: 2009
What inspired you to start your own blog?
When I started Adventures in Fashion, I was working in a non-creative field that I no longer found myself identifying with. I knew I needed a creative outlet to give me something to get excited about, and at the time, blogs were just starting to gain traction. Because fashion and writing have both been life-long interests of mine, blogging just felt like a natural next step for me – and I haven’t looked back since.
How important is the name of the blog?
Really important! Your blog’s name will become your brand, and it’s just easier if that name can grow alongside you as your brand evolves. I settled on “Adventures in Fashion” in a matter of minutes with little thought to the longevity of the name – after all, I didn’t expect anyone to read AiF let alone for it to turn into my full-time job. That’s why my biggest advice to new bloggers is to take the time to think of a name that feels true to you now, as well as to what you hope to build in the future… as hard as that may initially seem, it’s actually much easier than rebranding down the road.
How difficult is it to find a blog niche?
I know it can seem a little disparaging to carve out a niche for yourself now that so many blogs exist, but that doesn’t mean you can’t produce incredible work that will get you noticed. Just pick a topic that you love and feel passionate enough about to sustain you content-wise, then look at how you can narrow that focus down further. For example, you might be crazy about all things beauty, so your focus could narrow down on natural beauty products, high-end products, skincare, or heck, just beauty in general. Just look at what you’re truly interested in, and the rest will fall into place.
What is the best way to promote and grow your blog?
It sounds cliché, but I honestly believe that the best way to grow a blog is by interacting with the community around you. Comment on other sites you admire, interact with readers and get active across all social media platforms. When you have a new post, share it anywhere that’s applicable, just don’t get overzealous about promoting yourself – as important as it is to put your work out there, you don’t want to shove your blog down people’s throats either; it’s a delicate balance.
What is your main audience and how did you reach out to them?
My main audience is women aged 18-36 who love fashion, beauty and lifestyle content in general – that grew and evolved over time, but it was only through networking and interacting within the community around me that I was able to develop a loyal following.
How important is it for your business to attend fashion week?
For me personally, it hasn’t impacted my business at all. I’ve attended local fashion weeks in Canada where I’ve met some amazing people, and I would love to increase that network at New York Fashion Week as well, but not attending hasn’t hindered my ability to secure brand work in the least. I think it can be an amazing experience for bloggers, but definitely not mandatory!
What are the best tips for building long-term relationships and partnerships with brands?
I think it boils down to professionalism. Brands want to work with bloggers that take what they do seriously, so be sure to respond to all your emails promptly, respect deadlines for deliverables, enforce quality control (aka spell check all your work, including your emails!), and always be polite and courteous… Basically, be someone you would want to work with yourself.
What is the biggest challenge about running a blog?
When you run a site full-time, you have to wear many different hats in a given day – we’re talking stylist, model, photographer, creative director, location scout, copywriter, fact checker, accountant, bookkeeper, social media strategist, clean up crew, you name it. For me, the hardest part is being able to juggle all these different roles while finding time to think about the big picture – as they say, you have to work on your business and not just in your business in order to get ahead, which can be super challenging for bloggers!
What advice would you give to anyone looking to start a blog today?
Make sure you’re getting into blogging for the right reasons. Many people who start out now seem to be after “Internet fame” or just want to blog for the sake of blogging, but you have to really love it, otherwise readers will be able to sense your insincerity. Be true to yourself, don’t compare yourself to others, and be friendly to everyone you encounter along the way.
What are your ultimate plans for your blog/blogging career?
I have a couple exciting projects in the works, but you’ll have to wait and see!
Images © Adventures in Fashion
