Top 10 Blogging Tips
Here are 10 tips to help your blog become successful:
Set your own deadlines
It’s easy to fall behind with blogging, for there are no deadlines unless you create them yourself. Often starting a blog will come with a sense of momentum and excitement, meaning that during the initial stages writing can often flow both easily and readily. However, it’s a few months down the line that it becomes difficult to keep up, so whilst content may not come quite as organically, if you work to some sort of schedule you'll be able manipulate it and manage it better. Be sure to set your own goals, such as writing one post a week, or remembering to tweet a link to your blog every few days. Speaking of which…
Tweet
This may seem simple, but being on Twitter doesn’t necessarily mean you’re Tweeting. Make sure you’re posting regularly, and also ensure your followers are getting a range of things to engage with – this probably doesn’t mean sharing what you had for breakfast each day, but more so commenting on activity within the wider industry and live-Tweeting at events alongside sharing work from your blog.
Network, network, network!
It’s not just the fashionistas you need to be in with: you’ll always benefit from knowing people in as many industries as possible. Initially they may not seem relevant to your field, but you never know what hobbies, interests and backgrounds lurk behind somebody's job title. It may surprise you – and it could in fact work to your advantage later down the line.
Photograph everything
Blog posts always read better when there are photos to break up the text, and it’s frustrating when you have nothing at hand to do so. Invest in a good, simple camera (it doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive) to provide an alternative to iPhone snaps, and take it with you wherever you go – you never know when inspiration might strike.
Read other blogs
Look at what types of blog posts are working well on other sites. Obviously you can’t rip off anyone’s ideas, but it’s good to keep up with the content they’re creating, the tone of voice they’re using and how their Twitter feeds are shaping up.
Read other publications
Similarly, don’t forget to look towards established journalism as a source of inspiration. It’s important to see what stories the papers and magazines are covering and, crucially, how they’re telling them.
Mix it up
Embarking on a lengthy 1000 word blog post can seem daunting. So daunting, in fact, that it simply won’t get done. Sometimes it’s instead better to post smaller pieces – easy to digest both as a writer and a reader – than embarking on longer equivalents that may mean you only update your blog every few months.
Get on Instagram
Nowadays fashion bloggers and Instagram go hand in hand. It’s an easy way to keep content flowing without having to actually write a post, either through an ‘outfit of the day’ post or simply Instagramming a photo of your brand new shoes.
Understand the commitment
It’s important to enjoy your blogging, but it’s also vital that you understand how much of a commitment it can be. Whilst some bloggers take on more responsibility than others – some even running a blog as their main profession – even the simplest of projects can take up a lot of your time.
Go to ALL the events
It’s one thing firing out cracking content, but there’s no greater way of getting your name out there than meeting people face-to-face. Whether it’s a restaurant launch, a fashion show or an industry night, if you’re invited then try to make an appearance.
