What I've Learnt About Fashion Blogging

I first discovered fashion blogging when I was 12. I've had a few different blogs (Most of them pretty terrible) and thankfully long deleted. At 22, although I still have a lot to learn, I think I have picked up some knowledge of blogging along the way.

DON'T JUST WRITE ABOUT FASHION

Fashion doesn't exist in a vacuum. People reading fashion blogs these days want to see more than just clothes, write about lifestyle, culture, travel, beauty and anything that inspires you. However, try and stick to a niche.

PINTEREST IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

This website is amazing, I can't rave about it enough. Not only is it a great place to gather visual inspiration (and save recipes that you'll never make.) It is one of the most effective websites for promoting your blog. Some of the best blog posts to promote are blogging advice, recipes, DIY's and how to's and list posts. I think in the future I will do a post on how to increase your blog views with Pinterest.

INVEST IN A GOOD THEME

If your design is messy or you are using a free layout from blogger or WordPress, this can put people off, and they may not want to click on your blog again. It's definitely worth spending a bit on a good theme. 

CREATE A VISION BOARD

It may sound a little cheesy but this can help get you focused and give you a visual idea of the direction you want your blog to go in. I use Adobe illustrator for  mood boards but free websites like Canva and Adobe Spark are great too.

WORK ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

All bloggers these days have Instagram, twitter and Pinterest. With Instagram and Twitter, people want to see the interesting parts of your life and personality. Try and stick to the same theme and branding of your blog, for example, I try to post mostly pink and quirky images with the occasional snapshot of my daily life. Create separate accounts from your personal accounts. Don't aggressively promote your blog, talk about your interests and life and support other bloggers.

HAVE A LIST OF BLOG POST IDEAS FOR WHEN YOUR FEELING UNINSPIRED 

There are always times where we struggle for ideas but still want to try and write something. Keeping a list can help you get 

DON'T WORRY ABOUT PAGEVIEWS

When I first started blogging I used to worry that no one was reading my blog. I think that all bloggers can get this feeling from time to time, however you need to push past it. Very few bloggers are overnight successes, it takes years to build a following.

DON'T GIVE UP

Remind yourself why you started in the first place, and why you've kept going for this long. You need to have patience. I believe that if you work hard, your time will come.

What other advice would you add to the list?

2020 Blogging Bucket List

Recently I have fallen back in love with blogging. As we start a new year, and a whole new decade, there a few things I would really like to achieve.

REACH 1,000+ FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM
This is quite an ambitious goal, considering I've got a very long way to go (972, to be exact) but you've got to start start somewhere!

GET A DECENT CAMERA (+ LIGHT)
Although I believe writing is everything when it comes to blogging, you can't have an amazing, successful blog without decent photography. I'm also hoping to get a soft box, an affordable one of course.

BECOME SELF HOSTED
I'm planning to make the jump from blogger to wordpress (Sorry blogger, it's not you, it's me, it's time to move on) It makes me so happy to be the owner of thefashionfemmeblog.com, so becoming self hosted is something I am working on, it will defintely be worth it! Also if anyone has any advice for doing this it would be very appreciated.

SHOW OTHER BLOGGERS SOME MORE LOVE
I read a LOT of blog posts, however, remembering to leave a comment is something that I find quite hard. Plus when you show other bloggers some love, they are way more likely to return the favour, which is lovely for everyone!

GROW MY FOLLOWING ON PINTEREST
I LOVE pinterest. I spend wayy too much of my free time on there. It's great- you can find anything on there. But in 2020 I'm planning to spend a little less time pinning ideas for my dream home and a little more time promoting my little blog.

POST EVERY WEEK
Ok, I know I did say that I wasn't going to promise weekly blog posts, as I don't want to make promises I can't keep. However, I've had a change of heart. When I think about it at the end of 2020 if I've written and published 52 high quality blog posts (or even more) I'd be hugely proud of myself.

WORK WITH A BRAND I LOVE
Working with brands is a huge dream of mine, studying fashion business at university has given me an interest in doing this.

HAVE MORE CONSISTENT BRANDING
As I've mentioned before, I study fashion, this has made me realise the importance of having good branding. Having a consistent colour palette, using the same fonts and having a clear aesthetic is crucial for businesses, so this is something that I want to work towards.