Being a professional blogger sounds pretty easy on the surface.
- You sit down at your computer
- You open up WordPress (or your other blogging software of choice)
- You write a post and press publish
- You wait for the money to roll in
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.
Become a super fashion blogger
Photo by Sandra Semburg Vogue
Becoming a super fashion blogger takes a lot of hard work. One of the first pieces of advice that any pro blogger will give you is that you need to choose a niche for your blog. They don’t tell you this to trap you in a corner. They tell you this because one of the best ways to guarantee success for your blog is by reaching a specific audience.
If Erica’s blog was fashion, sports, movies, and dog training then her audience would be all over the place and her blog probably wouldn’t work out. You want to pick a niche so that when you sit down to write a post, you are writing to a specific audience.
You want that audience to understand right away that you are talking to them.
With that being said…
If you decide that you want to be a fashion blogger then you have a harder journey than most bloggers. Being a fashion blogger looks really fun (and it is), but it’s a whole different level of blogging.
Why?
Because fashion is extremely opinionated
For my blogs, I like to talk about things that are factual. I can show you how to write a proper blog post title or show you 7 cool ways to make money on the side. Not many people would argue with those things.
But if I decided to put on an outfit and say that this is going to be the hot new fashion next Spring I could very easily have more people disagree with me than agree with me.
Fashion blogging is also very personal. While all blogging requires that you build a connection with your audience, fashion blogging forces you to build that a personal connection. Your audience gets to see your inner workings and how you think. You don’t have a stylist choosing your outfits for you. It’s you, your closest, and your fashion sense.
I can read this awesome blog to get a sense of what Erica is all about without even talking to her. That’s how fashion blogging lets people in behind the scenes.
That can be pretty scary for some people.
In this post, I want to share with you 7 tips that I think you should follow if you want to create a successful fashion blog.
1. Dive Deeper and Choose a Sub-Niche
I know I already told you that you need to choose a niche and you’re probably thinking that fashion is your niche, but you need to go another level deeper. As you know, everyone has their favorite styles. It’s hard to appeal to a group of people if you cover all types of fashion.
Erica has decided to dive into the budget fashion niche and she makes that clear. Of course, the style of her outfits also puts her in a niche but right from the get go she knows that she is trying to reach out to people that want to look good while staying on a budget.
I know it can be hard sticking to a single niche because you have so many different interests, but keep it simple when you start off. As you grow you can begin to expand your niche a bit if you still want to, but you want to secure your base audience before running wild.
2. Great Pictures Are a Necessity
Food and fashion.
These are the two blog niches that absolutely require stunning photography.
Words are important for search engine optimization, but your audience doesn’t want to read about your choice of clothing unless they like what they see.
It doesn’t matter if you’re the greatest writer on the planet if you don’t have photos your fashion blog isn’t going to go anywhere.
That means you need to understand the basics of taking a good photo. It wouldn’t hurt if you learned Photoshop to edit your photos some as well.
Take the time to find a list of locations that can serve as your go-to spots for taking pictures in your outfits. If you live in the city then you are in luck because there should be hundreds of great places for you to take photos.
If you hate writing then fashion blogging might be for you because your audience really just cares about the pictures. Sure you want to add some words in there to help add to the experience but it really begins and ends with the photos on your site.
If all you have is your phone to take pictures with that is okay. Camera technology in phones is almost just as good as what you can get with a DSLR. If you have an iPhone here is a great article on iPhone photography tips.
3. Make It About Them
This one is kind of hard to grasp because you only decide to start a blog for yourself. However, if you want your blog to be successful then you need to make it about your audience. You are helping them pick awesome outfits. You are helping them make good decisions.
This is also why it is important to pick a niche because it allows you to more easily find the topics that are meant for your audience. The more you write for them, the more successful you will be.
When you go searching for something online what do you think about? For example, if you want to start wearing leather jackets but aren’t sure you can pull it off, you are going to see how to wear leather jackets without looking like everybody else.
Read that post from Erica. Notice that it is all about the reader. It isn’t how about how she can pull of wearing a leather jacket, it’s about how YOU can pull it off.
Everything you do is for the audience and in return, you will be rewarded.
4. Build Relationships
The world of fashion blogging isn’t a cutthroat world. You can live in the same realm as the big players without making them disappear.
One of the best ways to grow a blog is by building relationships with other bloggers. It’s amazing what a shoutout from another blogger can do for you. It’s like if a big store tells all of their customers about how awesome you are and then you get a chance to show those customers what you are all about.
How do you build these relationships?
You help people.
Find all of the fashion bloggers that you love and respect and stalk them. That sounds pretty creepy but follow everything they do online to find moments when you can help them out.
- When they write a new blog post be one of the first people to comment and make sure that comment is worth reading. “I love those shoes” just isn’t going to cut it.
- Like and share things that they do on social media.
- If you have some skill that they don’t (web design/dev, photography) offer them advice or maybe even your services.
- If there are in a conversation on Twitter take the time join in.
You want to get on their radar so when the time comes they will want to repay the favor and help you out.
Never cold email a fashion blogger asking for a handout. You need to take the time and earn your respect.
Nobody wants to hang out with the person that only shows up when they need money.
5. Be Smart With Your Social Media
When you get ready to start a blog it’s easy to think that you need to be everywhere. However, fashion lends itself to visual mediums more than anything else so Twitter probably isn’t going to be a good use of your time.
Instead, put your focus on Instagram and Pinterest.
As you can see, Erica is absolutely killing it on Pinterest because she does an awesome job of letting her audience in behind the curtain. Instagram is a great chance to be more personable and let your audience get to know the real you.
Pinterest, on the other hand, is a great chance to showcase your blog. Pinterest is great for bloggers because it sends people directly to whatever post you want. And because it is a visual network it is awesome for fashion bloggers.
6. Be Quality
Before when I said all fashion bloggers can co-exist together I wasn’t lying, but that doesn’t mean that you deserve the attention of your audience. There are a ton of great fashion blogs out there so for much of your audience, there is a certain baseline of quality that they expect.
This goes for your site’s design, fashion photos, and overall experience.
People don’t want to visit a site that makes them feel like they are buying clothes at a garage sale.
Because fashion is visual, your presentation is everything. One of the best ways to make money with fashion blogging is through brand partnerships and brands don’t want to mess with sites that can tarnish their brand.
Everything that you do should be of the highest quality that you can attain.
7. Be You and Love It
Great bloggers are great because they stay true to themselves and they enjoy what they are doing.
You can feel both the authenticity and passion come through in everything that they do.
It’s easy to tell when a blogger isn’t enjoying the act of blogging. There are huge gaps between posts. Quality gets compromised.
Overall, it just makes for a poor experience.
At the end of the day if you love fashion then being a fashion blogger is a great chance to make a living out of it. However, you’ll want to make sure this is something you are willing to commit to even during the times when it isn’t as enjoyable. You might not always love it, but if you can’t find yourself loving what you do most of the time then you are better off thinking about something else.
Bonus Tip 8. Treat It Like a Business
Your blog is your business and you need to treat it as such. You need to show up every day, be consistent, and continuously promote what you are doing.
If you treat it like a hobby or side project it will stay a hobby and side project.
How can you treat it like a business?
- Come up with a plan. What is your niche? How often are you going to post? What will your posts be like?
- Create a content schedule. Nobody will follow you if you post 4 times in one week and then don’t post again for another 2 months. It is important that you show up every single day to work on your blog. It can be too easy to think that you can take a break at the beginning.
- Promote your site until people are sick of hearing about it. Businesses don’t succeed without promotion. Promotion can feel kind of icky to some people but the ones that promote the best are usually the ones that succeed.
The Ultimate Guide on How to Start a Fashion BlogRelated Post:
You Can become a super fashion blogger
The top fashion bloggers make millions of dollars a year. That seems a bit insane but it happens because blogging is one of the best ways to connect to an audience.
Brands always want an opportunity to get their stuff in the hands of influencers and are willing to pay good money to make it happen.
While being a fashion blogger looks like the only thing you do is go outside and take pictures of yourself in different outfits, there is definitely a lot more going on behind the scenes.
You won’t find success overnight, but if you stick with it you can definitely become a super fashion blogger
PHOTOS CREDIT:
Christian Vierig/Getty Images
weworewhat.com
This is a great and informational post! You should submit it to the IFB and see if you can get it featured!
Hy Dymond,
Glad you found the post useful. Really love what you are doing with your site!
These are great for any blog!
Such a useful post! All of these will help me tremendously!
Hi Liv,
Glad these tips are of some use. There are always more to add as I continue to blog and find what is successful so I’ll be sure to come back and add them when I find them.
These are great tips! I will be saving this and coming back for reference. I’m trying to grow my brand and sometimes I forget all the things that I read!
Hi Kirsten,
It can be crazy the amount of information we read and research that we do! I always find myself coming back to something months later and realizing I already read it but forgot to implement anything that I learned. Doh!
Thanks for these tips! It’s so frustrating when people don’t realize all of the hard work that we put into it!
Hi Lauren,
Totally agree with you. On the surface blogging looks pretty easy. Install WordPress, take some pics, publish them, and eat brunch for the rest of the day. People don’t realize all of the little things that add up to success.
This post has some great insight to the ins and outs of being a popular blogger! Thanks for all the tips and tricks!
Great post. I totally agree that the photo quality will make or break the pose!
Hi Jessica,
I’m fortunate enough to have a face for radio so I don’t have to worry about the poses, but it’s amazing how a crappy photo can ruin a perfect outfit and pose. All you can really do is take as many as you can with the best camera possible and hope for the best.
Thank goodness phone cameras are getting more and more awesome every year.
I totally agree with building relationships and empowering other women.
ClassToCloset
Absolutely LOVE this post! Sooo informative 🙂 I definitely agree with all of your tips!
xo, Chloe // http://funinthecloset.com/what-to-wear-this-fall/
these are such great tips that can even be applied outside of fashion blogs as well! great post
Hi Deborah,
You are indeed correct. Many tips for a successful blog are universal and that’s why there are so many great blogs out there. The formula for success has already been discovered and it’s up to us to implement and follow it.
Great tips!
Love this post hunn. Great tips!
xo.
http://www.fromhatstoheels.com/
Great tips! Such a good read. Thanks for sharing 🙂
-Rachel
http://thetrendytomboy.com/velvet-floral-holiday-makeup/
Thank you so much for these tips! I really feel like they will do a lot for someone like me who is just starting out with blogging!
amazing tips and really helpfull. Thanks
xo| Cindy
http://www.boringclothes.com
Interesting post! 🙂
xxBasia
Fantastic post and advice, thanks for sharing!
We have a new post on the blog today, would love to know your thoughts:
https://thefashionplaceblog.com/
x
Thank you for the wonderful informative blogpost. I am a newcomer in blogging and its helpful to get tips and also the motivation to stick with it!
Very informative article, you can’t stress enough about the relationships importance. Blogging is definitely not a one man show like many seems to think <3
What a quality posting! Having a sub niche is a really good tip. I’m bookmarking this and subscribing to your blog!
Lauren
http://WWW.TheZenFashionista.Com
Thank you so much! I’m glad that you like it!
Totally agree with you when you say you need great photography! Without it, it’s hard to be drawn to the actual clothing! Thanks for the tips!
XO from Austin,
Sarah | The Bella Insider | @sarah_thebella
Fantastic advice! Fashion blogging is not easy but if you follow good tips like yours and work hard I believe it’s possible to live from it.
Thanks for sharing.
Aurelie | http://www.surface85.com
Great tips
Tiana=http://www.fire-workblog.blogspot.com
All great tips!
XO,
Allie
https://alliesfashionalley.com
wise words! so agree to all of that!!
xx
bianca
http://www.worryaboutitlater.com
Such great tips! I totally agree about finding a niche for yourself! It’s so important to have something different that people can come to you for!! xx
This is a very informative post Erica! And I agree with you – in order for our blogs to be successful, we need to make our content to be customised to our target readers which I’m struggling to do so as a blogger. Wishing you much success in your blogging career 🙂
xx Aldora
http://www.AldoraMuses.com
Thanks for sharing,it`s hard getting started and any tips and pointers really welcome
WOW, great TIPS
What a great read. I am not a fashion blogger however I think this advice could help anyone in and niche. My favourite tip was the building of relationship and making the experience all for your readers. I will defiantly remember these things while writing future posts. Thank you 🙂
Great post! Some very useful tips here. Well done 🙂 x
urbanblond.com
One of the best articles on blogging I have read. Such good points! Amazing!
This is very helpful and a lot of the tips can be applied to other niches as well. Thank you! Aurora x
Thank you for this post! All the information is so helpful and I have booked marked this post. I start my blog almost a year ago, its so much hard work, but I am determined to make it. Thank you again!
Style & Life by Susana – http://www.susanalopessnarey.com/forever-new-sale-time/
So gorgeous! what an amazing post, Erica! Thanks for the tops. Very helpful!
happy holidays!
much love, Len
http://www.lenparent.com
Love this post. I’m a makeup blogger and I do reviews on beauty stuff. Blogging is hard ! I know some ppl think its easy but its not. Wish I could get paid for what I do lol.
I am a Fashion Blogger but I concentrate more on the Season’s collections brought forth by Fashion Luxury Brands. I started my blog only recently. I often pair it with my own writing. However, it is more information and less opinion. Do you think it good enough? Please go through my blog and give your review.
http://www.therinkcom.wordpress.com
I think is a good niche, you can think in the future to create a magazine. I will try to improve the design of your site and change the platform from wordpress.com to wordpress.org.
This post may help you https://www.ericavoyage.com/blogger-vs-wordpress/
Thanks a lot Erica!! This article has made me think more towards different aspects of blogging that I didn’t think was important before.
My pleasure:) I’m glad I could help
Love this post, gf! All of these tips are so amazing and do help when becoming a fashion blogger!
Rachel / http://www.seashellsandsparkles.com
I want to post more fashion posts! I just need to have a camera-person because I hate having to take outfit photos solely on a tripod!
http://www.repressingthecrazy.com
I loved the article , and it’s helpful too , i’m using these tips soon
Thanks a lot for sharing your tips. It´s such an amazing and helpful post, i love it!
http://www.ohwyouknow.com/
Such a great post and extremely informative! People think it’s so easy, and its not.
All of these tips are awesome! Great photography is what I think is the most important for so many reasons! That might be the most important tip because I think it carries over into your social media and so much more!
http://www.girlnextscore.com
Wow. I’m so glad I read this post. I just started my blog on the 5th of January and I didn’t think about approaching my favorite fashion bloggers like that! I’m going to get to work networking and helping others! I can’t thank you enough for this information!
My pleasure I’m glad I was able to help you 🙂
Great tips! It’s easy to forget that fashion blogging is so much like blogging of any kind, and a lot of the same tips apply. Shared on Pinterest!
These are all certainly great tips for fashion bloggers and would probably apply to many other types of blogs as well! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the eye opener tips. I didn’t know Pinterest is actually best for social media for blog. I better learn this. You do write very well and have gorgeous pictures as well. Hope to learn more from you.
Thank you so much! I’m glad this helped you!
I agree with absolutely EVERYTHING you say, especially the bit about being yourself and letting people get to know ‘you’. This for me, is one of the most important things if I am going to follow anyone. It’s like choosing your friends xx
Yes is so important!
i just found your blog and its amazing! so much insight ! come check out mine at http://www.poshandspicy.com i would love to hear your imput. xx toby
Thank you! Yea sure ?
Thank you for these tips! I especially needed the one about building relationships with other bloggers. That’s definitely an area I need to work on.
Yes is very important to connect with other blogger ?
These are some great tips! I just started a fashion for traveling blog and I definitely need to implement some of these strategies!
-Michelle
http://www.mapsandmuses.com
Thank you!
Wow ..as a blogger very relatable. Especially the part about how blogging is so very personal! But I totally agree in being yourself, being unique is way better that perfect! Very useful tips as well.
Very useful information! Thank you for the tips, in my case is kinda hard because I am creating a new niche and I get discouraged, but your tips lift my spirit again!
Thank you I’m glad it helped
These are such great tips for someone like me. I still am in between niche (fashion and beauty) and can’t seem to pick one that I wanted to solely concentrate on. Thanks for sharing this post!XOXO <3
Thank you so much! I’m glad that it helped!
Great blog and very informative, could you please help me with an advice what i can improve in my blog to get more reader?
Meriem
Yes you should focus on seo and some pinterest strategies. I joined different facebook groups where I share my posts!
Great advice! Definitely subscribing! 🙂
Thank you!
I agree with all of them! And there’s not one that is less important than the other, you have to keep them all at the same high level and only like that you will have a chance to succeed. Some people might think blogging is easy, but oh no it’s not! Great post!
D from TSD
http://thesmokedetector.net/
Thank you for your helpful tips! I started blogging and I’m really upset sometimes, because it’s hard! Harder than i thought it would be. :(I’m just trying to do the best i can, but now I’m looking for my niche. I hope I will find it soon. 🙂
http://www.frogoncatwalk.com
Great post and great tips! I totally agree with everything that you said. Until a few months ago I wasn’t sure what my niche was but now I’m more concentrated on promoting myself as a petite fashion blogger. I finally found it after 2 years of blogging! Better late than never though!
Lot’s of love,
Ioanna
http://thecolourfulbouquet.com
Great post! How do you find that you afford the cost of being a fashion blogger?!
interesting. I just can’t get myself to write about one thing only. besides, running two blogs will be too hectic, thats why i transitioned to lifestyle blogging which encompassing.
Thank you for sharing all these tips! Finally passion, hard work, patience and implication are key. kisses, Melissa
http://melissaslittlesecrets.com
This is a fantastic post, filled with many tips and motivating ideas for any blogger, whether it’s fashion, food, etc., or a humour blog like mine. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us.
https://talesfromthecabbagepatch.wordpress.com/2017/02/03/patients-say-the-darnedest-things/
Absolutely love these tips! I love how opinionated fashion is. it really gives all of us a chance to stand out and speak our mind about literally anything! This is a spectacular list.
xoxo,
Dannie
http://www.stilefotocibo.com
Amazing tips! I totally agree that great photos are essential. I need to get more into Pinterest!
XO,
Allie
https://alliesfashionalley.com/2017/02/spring-refresh-under-100-new-arrivals-in-my-cart/
Great post!
Great post, I’m not even a fashion blogger, but loved it <3
Thank's for sharing x
Some very good tips, thank you! Especially the one about social media, right now I am trying to learn and use Pinterest to promote my blog. Seeing your succes really inspires me x
http://urbancrease.com
Thank you so much for this!! I recently started a lifestyle blog, but realized I had bitten off a bit more than I could chew content-wise. I was focusing on too wide an array of subjects, but was getting nervous about focusing more solely on style and fashion. These tips helped me to realize that shrinking my focus is the right decision! I can’t wait to get my “new” blog all ready and relaunch!
hey, do you think i can make money if i blog about my own designs and works. I’m a fashion designer/stylist
Great post and very inspiring.😍