Global Garbs has only been around for a little over a year, and within that short amount of time, we have definitely learned a lot. Not just from doing our own research and taking on a "learn-by-doing" approach, but also from many bloggers who are absolutely killing it in the fashion blogging game.
After taking a peek into the routines of both full-time and part-time bloggers we definitely see some similarities that bloggers go through regardless of how far they are in their blogging journey.
Whether they just starting out or are more seasoned bloggers making a full-time income, it's apparent that some of these tips are truly something they themselves have learned along the way.
Read on to discover the Top Ten Tips for Fashion Bloggers that we've discovered in our own blogging journey thus far.
Tip #1:
Always batch your content.
Do you ever wonder how fashion bloggers always seem to come up with the most amazing outfits that seemingly appears that every single day they look like they just stepped off the runway?
Well, chances are they are not wearing that exact outfit on the day they posted.
In fact, most bloggers when first starting out are actually borrowing clothes from local boutiques or designers. So the clothing isn't even their own! What they do actually do is batch their content. Meaning, they take multiple outfit photos - say two weeks worth of content and then schedule these out over time.
Makes sense right? This saves time and can even be applied to any part of your life (not just outfit photos). ;)
Tip #2
Hire a photographer or get a fellow friend/blogger or (most popular) your boyfriend to take your photos.
There's nothing worse than a selfie in the mirror image of a newbie blogger. Even if you've set up your camera on a tripod in your bedroom is a better option (hey, that's how Chiara got her start).
But the truth of the matter is that the fashion blogging world is SO oversaturated these days that you must stand out in the crowd. And this is extremely difficult to accomplish if you have low-quality photos.
Yes many people say that you should just START and you'll grow as you learn, but that's definitely one of the main tips bloggers have shared. As their image quality grew so did their audience...
Tip #3
Don't forget about SEO on your images.
This topic is always a little daunting for newbie bloggers. Wtf is SEO? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. If you aren't using basic SEO strategies in your daily content, how are people supposed to find you on Google? This is essentially what SEO is all about. You need to remember to tag all of your photos with keywords, as well as actually naming the file image what people are searching for.
For example, if you're wearing a little black dress, you should name the image "how to wear a little black dress", or "ways to style a black dress", as opposed to Image6-18-16 which is a super common mistake.
Tip #4
Focus more time on marketing your content than creating it.
This tip seems a bit counterintuitive because back in the early days of blogging the best way to quickly grow your following was through posting every single day. The rules and trends of the blogging world have drastically changed over the years.
Now it's more appropriate to have quality vs quantity. It's important to understand that if no one is reading your content what's the point of you creating five blog posts a week? You should probably be creating 2-3 posts a week and focus your attention on actually promoting the post rather than creating more and more content that no one sees.
Tip #5
Utilize Social Media
Not being on social media is as if you're treating your blog like a secret diary. How are you supposed to grow your audience if the only way people can find you is on your actual blog.
Unless you're an SEO expert (which I highly doubt), it's essential that you're on social media. Social media is the cheapest and easiest way to get the word out about your blog and share your amazing outfits. Instagram by far has the most engagement in terms of fashion blogging because it's a highly visual platform.
The main thing to remember is to not get into social media overwhelm. It's easy to get caught up in being active on every single platform. Our advice? Pick a platform, learn what it has to offer and see which one you think will work best for you. It's better to stand out and have high engagement on one platform rather than low engagement on multiple platforms.
Tip #6
Make sure you are growing your e-mail list.
This is often one of the most overlooked pieces of advice and a mistake that many bloggers make. It doesn't matter if you're a seasoned blogger or just starting out, growing your list should be one of your top priorities.
Many fashion bloggers, in particular, think that as long as they are posting on social media and being consistent they'll grow their traffic and following. The issue is that your social media platform is still just that...a social media platform. You don't own it and if something were to change - let's say an algorithm for example - you essentially would be screwed.
Your e-mail list is the best way to communicate with your audience and reach out to your most engaged readers. Remember, if they joined your list, they are probably a fan, so speak to them first!
Tip #7
Niche down as much as possible.
This piece of advice gets brought up over and over again, it's like a broken record for the world of fashion blogging advice.
What exactly is niche-ing down? You essentially want to distinguish yourself as an expert in whatever category or market you are targeting.
For example, if you're a plus size fashion blogger, perhaps your focus is on creating outfits that help build confidence or if you're into minimalist fashion, perhaps you focus on creating capsule collections.
The worst thing you can do in fashion blogging is being too broad and selecting a differentiating factor that makes your blog stand out among the millions of other bloggers around the world.
Tip #8
Treat your blog like a business.
Unless you are one of the rare people that only wants to blog as a hobby, you need to start treating your blog more like a business.
Whether you are trying to work with brands, create relationships that turn into sponsorships or just receive some free swag, you have to take your blog seriously in order to gain any traction.
Treating your blog like a business involves maintaining consistency and keeping on top of a blogging schedule. Create an editorial calendar to stay on track, and really take the time to schedule everything that you need to do in order to stay as organized as possible.
Make a list of your top ten to-dos, and a weekly action plan to spread these tasks out over the week. Make a list of all of your goals and the steps you are taking each week to get closer to each goal.
Even if you're not monetizing yet, it's great to set small goals and the intention for your week in order to stay focused and on target with your ultimate goals.
Tip #9
Create some evergreen content
Obviously in the world of fashion blogging, trends are always fluctuating. The great thing about this is that there is ALWAYS something new to write about. Each season there is bound to be some new 'It-girl" trend, or something that every single blogger seems to be wearing.
But the truth of the matter is that in order to not get too burnt out, you should also create evergreen content that you can continue to share and doesn't have an expiration date.
For example, our post on How to Spring Clean your Closet. This can be applied to anyone that's looking to get organized and doesn't necessarily need to be something that you read in the spring. This is also why we have started doing posts such as fashion blogging tips - because who doesn't love to learn more about fashion blogging? ;)
Tip #10
Stay confident and forget about Imposter Syndrome.
This is the final tip and probably the most important. The thing about fashion blogging and is that you're truly putting yourself out there more than regular bloggers. You're visually out there in the world of blogging, taking photos, and really going for what you love to do. It's inspiring.
Regardless of whether your blog is a personal fashion blog or more curated content like Global Garbs, it's difficult at times to stay confident in what you are doing and if it's making a difference. You can easily get caught up in Imposter Syndrome, which is basically the idea that you can easily get deterred or feeling inadequate that you aren't an 'expert' in the field. Which is so true specifically within fashion.
It used to be that only people who were stylists or fashion editors were viewed as people who were experts in the fashion industry, but as the fashion industry and media evolves and changes, bloggers are quickly gaining so much more respect than they did a mere ten years ago.
As tough as it is sometimes to push forward and believe in yourself, you have to ask yourself why you're doing what you're doing and if you truly love it, then continue to pursue your dreams. It's not going to be easy but as cheesy as it may sound if you believe in yourself and that you can set out achieve anything, you absolutely will.
