Hi All,
As you may, or may not know, Cleverlittlebuttons in now officially 2 years old and what better way to celebrate than a look back at all the reasons that have kept the site going and what I have learned about the world of fashion, blogging and my life in general.
Clever Little Buttons was born out of a sheer need to keep active after being made redundant. It’s as simple as that! I had so much to say about the world, my passions and my desire to break into the world of fashion blogging, that creating my own platform seemed like the best way to do this. I didn’t know, back then, that my little blog would become my lifeline in some low times and a place to share the good times. I also didn’t have a clue about blog design and all the intricacies such as SEO, Analytics etc. So I headed to Google, our faithful friend, and searched for platforms that help you to build a website and are easy to use. I had a choice between wordpress and Bloggers – I chose wordpress as I like the CMS system and the retro styling that some of the themes, widgets and plugins gave me.
I think my first few posts were fairly basic and probably horrendous reads – I could look back at them but I choose not to as I prefer where my writing is at now. The world of fashion blogging is so vast that it definitely took me a long time to find my niche – the biggest tip I can give to anyone! My niche definitely lay in plus size clothing and shopping on a budget – being unemployed opened my eyes to new ways to shop. Knowing your niche and keeping your writing honest is the key to successful fashion blogging; in my eyes anyway.
I learnt about blog communities mainly as a need to get people viewing my site, I was and still am proud that I have kept it going and fallen in love with my outlet. Blog communities are a great tool for learning from others and being part of fashion conversations – great for getting tips on your work and ideas for new posts. I am still active in communities such as IFB.com. mainly to just catch up with other bloggers. I think once you learn your style of writing, you learn what posts work for you and what are truly hilarious (I have had many a flop in the 2 years).
The most important thing about your first blog is to be passionate. I know it sounds obvious, but without passion your readers will see through your writing. Also remember that comments are important to help you to see what is working for you and where you can expand. So here are my top tips for starting your fashion blog and why you will end up as happy as I am!
1. There’s no rush – never rush inspiration. I can go days without posting but there is no point in doing it for the sake of it!
2. Get yourself some analytics (google and hittail are great)
3. Get involved in the conversations at community sites
4. Read, read and read some more – the more you read the better your content will be and the more ideas you will gain
5. Be true to yourself – I will rarely write about the high end designers as I don’t wear their outfits, I tend to stuck to small designers, boutiques and the high street.
Have a look at this competition from 123 Reg where you can win a MacBook Pro for writing about your blogging experiences