At first glance, it may seem like the fashion industry already has its fair share of bloggers. Don't be fooled, however. There are still plenty of opportunities to get your foot in the door if you are interested in starting your own fashion blog. Blogging is a great way to establish yourself in the fashion world, providing a way to show off your own personal style while at the same time sharing your opinions and expertise.
If you are getting ready to launch a new fashion blog, it is important to find a way to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Below, I have compiled some of the most useful tips for successfully starting a blog in the fashion industry. If you follow these tips closely, you should quickly find yourself on the path to success.
1. Self-promotion is the name of the game
If you want to be successful with blogging, you can't be shy about sharing your content. From the time you start posting, you should be promoting your blog to everyone that you know. Just do your best not to overwhelm people or to be too annoying. The first few posts that you make to your blog most likely will only be read by people that you share them with. This is the perfect time to solicit constructive criticism and to get feedback from people that you trust.
As you continue to add new content to your blog, you can then expand your promotional efforts. Set up social media channels on the major social networks. Twitter is particularly useful for sharing blog posts. Not only can tweeting draw attention to your posts but it can also help you meet other bloggers in the fashion industry, allowing you to build your network. If there are any bloggers that you look up to, you may want to ask them if they would be willing to let you interview them for your blog. This is a great way to establish relationships with people who already have experience in the industry.
2. Combine a consistent schedule with one-off posts to maximize traffic
When you are building a following for your blog, you need to post regularly, following a schedule that people can count on. Once your readers learn your posting schedule, they will frequently check back to read your new content. Decide on a schedule and stick with it, making sure that you are as consistent as possible.
While consistency is important, it is always worth looking for other ways to maximize your blog traffic. One excellent option is to write posts that are related to trending events. For instance, if a celebrity style icon is spotted wearing a unique piece of clothing, you could write a post for your blog about whether or not you like that particular style choice. This is a great way to tap into current trends and can result in a significant boost in traffic for your blog.
Anytime you use a one-off strategy like this, you should focus on your ultimate objective, which is to attract more people to your blog. Once you use a trending article to draw them in, you will hopefully be able to turn them into longtime readers by catching their attention with your high-quality content.
3. Start reaching out to brands
Once your blog is well-established and you have a loyal group of readers, it is the perfect time to start contacting brands in the fashion industry. Do some online research to find marketing agencies that work with your favorite fashion brands. Contact them to have your name added to their media list. An easy way to do this is by searching for the fashion brand along with the term "PR firm" in your favorite search engine. This should bring up contact information for the marketing firm that the company is working with.
A good place to start is by reaching out to brands that you already wear and promote them through your blog. When you contact a PR agency, you can provide them with links to posts where you have showcased that brand in the past. This will help them understand why your blog is a good choice to work with. Another excellent approach is to contact brands that are relatively new to see if they want to work with you. In most cases, they will be excited about the opportunity to connect with your readers.
Ultimately, it is important to understand what brands are looking for when they work with bloggers. They want to find bloggers who are actively engaged with their readers. If you have a good relationship with your readers, they are more likely to trust your recommendations. This is where all of the relationship building that you have been doing with your subscribers comes into play. Brands will be a lot more likely to partner with you when they see that you are really connected with your readers.
4. Consider taking money for promoting products
A lot of times, brands will offer free clothing or other small perks for promoting their products. Although this can be fun, you may want to think about asking for money instead. When you write a promotional post for a brand, you are advertising their products. It makes sense, then, that they would pay you for the ad space. Free clothing can only go so far when it comes to supporting your business. At some point, you need to make money, too. One of the best ways to do that is through promotional posts and sponsorships.
Keep in mind that your reputation is on the line any time you promote a product. Always choose your partners carefully. Never promote products that you don't like or that you wouldn't personally choose, no matter what incentives a company offers you in exchange for your services. People are quick to spot fake reviews. Don't risk losing your readers by promoting products that aren't a good fit for your blog. Honesty is always the best policy.
5. Consider writing guest posts
If you want to make a name for yourself in the world of fashion blogging, you will eventually need to expand beyond your own blog. Writing guest posts for other leading blogs in the industry is a great way to introduce yourself to a new audience. Ideally, you should try to write as many guest posts as you can if you are really serious about growing your following.
Your posts should showcase your knowledge and expertise in a way that is relevant for the blog where they will be published. For instance, if you focus on affordable fashion and are writing a guest post for a blog that centers around professional style for the workplace, you could come up with a post on putting together inexpensive outfits for work.
These guest posts can also help your SEO and your ranking inside Google - the higher you rank, the more people will come to see your blog. SEO is quite a rabbit hole but if you're interested, check out some of Matthew Woodward's SEO tutorials.
Another easy way to generate content is by conducting interviews with bloggers that you look up to. After you are done with the interview, post a transcript on your website. If the person you interviewed shares it with their following, it can result in a huge spike in traffic for your blog.
6. Set yourself up as a fashion expert
If you are able to build a highly successful fashion blog, it positions you as an expert in the world of fashion. You can take advantage of this by writing articles for local newspapers or magazines. These types of publications are usually open to publishing content that is written by experts.
To improve the chances of having your story picked up, make sure that you choose a topic that is relevant. For instance, if fall is just around the corner, you could pitch a story idea that centers around fall fashion for your part of the world. Don't forget to include your credentials when approaching media outlets. Along with providing a link to your blog, be sure to mention any awards you have received or any times you have been mentioned in the media. Don't forget to let them know why you are qualified to write the story. It isn't always easy to promote your skills without feeling like you are bragging. However, learning how to successfully pitch your abilities is an important part of success.
The world of fashion blogging has come a long way over the past few years. Today, the most successful people are the ones who treat it like a business. If you really want your blog to stand out, you need to put a lot of time and effort into not only creating excellent content but also promoting that content. As long as you follow the tips in this article, you should be well on your way to success.
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