Earning Stripes

I’ve been blogging now for 2 1/2 years, and let me tell you…it’s been a grind! No one should get into blogging for anything but the love of it. Bottom line, if you don’t love what you do on a daily basis and feel willing to put the work in over the years for little to no initial reward, you will never reach the kind of success you had envisioned for yourself.

Blog life is one of incredible self discipline. It may seem glamorous and full of leisure, but it takes a lot of hard work, scheduling, meticulous editing, a sharp eye, and honesty with yourself and your audience to make it look that way. Don’t get me wrong… there’s nothing I’d rather be doing in the world, but non-bloggers beware..if you’re trying to find a fast past to quick success, this is not the road for you.

Here are a few quick tips I have if trying to break into blogging and wondering where to begin:

1. Regular Posting Schedule: Start accounts on all of the main social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) and begin posting regularly. I would start by posting at least 2-3 times a day and if you can establish regular posting times, even better! I like to post first between 9am-10am, then again around lunchtime, then around 5pm, and sometimes also between 8pm – midnight. These are my high traffic times, but they vary for everyone, so experiment a little and figure out when you tend to see the most engagement.

2. Get Social: Relationships are important in this world. I come from the music business, a very male dominated space where I felt that there were always gate keepers that I had to constantly please and impress to get anywhere in that industry. What I love so much about the world of fashion blogging is, it’s a completely female driven space, a business of girlfriends, women helping one another, and supporting each other to rise together. Now don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some Mean Girls moments, and it is incredibly competitive, but if you are confident that you bring something unique to the table, you’ll get along just fine. Good news is, there’s room for everyone, and it will do you a lot more good to be nice and make friends, than try to play this game on your own. I’ve made some of my best friends through blogging and it’s so incredible to watch them grow and accomplish amazing things by my side.

3. Brand Relationships: Now, unless you’re one of the Kardashians or Jenners, you’re probably not going to start off by collaborating with Chanel, but there are so many amazing new brands that launch every day, and if you get in at the ground level, you can grow together and be partially responsible for their success. Do your research. Scour IG and the internet for new brands that catch your eye and that you can identify with, and reach out directly. Many of them will not have budgets to collaborate, but they can provide you with pieces to shoot and create higher quality content.