It is an inevitable part of modern life and a vital stepping stone in any blogging career: mastering the art of self-promotion. Although it is often viewed as a vain characteristic of the 21st century, an example of the egocentricity of our time, if you want to become a successful fashion blogger, it is a skill you must master. It is vital you know how to present yourself and how to make the most out of the opportunities offered by social media. The aim is to build a strong personal brand that will help you to stand out from the sea of bloggers. Especially in an image driven industry, branding yourself is a driving force of success. Think of all the big names in fashion like Rick Owens, Anna Wintour or Karl Lagerfeld, every single one of them has a well-defined and distinguished brand: and you buy into their personal brand just as much as you buy into the companies they stand for. A blog is no different. If your readers can identify with what you stand for, they will buy into your unique brand.
Be Unique
Blogging may seem like an easy, accessible way to find a way into the fashion industry. But do not be mistaken, fashion remains a highly competitive industry and with thousands of bloggers trying to “make it”, blogging is as competitive as any other area of the industry. For people to take notice, especially designers and PR professionals, you must find a way to brand yourself that makes you unique. What do you offer that others don’t? What does your perspective offer that makes it worth listening to? Developing your brand goes hand in hand with developing your voice as a blogger and your point of view. It will also help you to determine the long term direction of your blog, key to building a sustainable business model.
Before you jump head first into the pool of bloggers scrambling for attention, be honest with yourself. Do you have the passion, dedication and discipline necessary to run a blog? If you want your blog to become your career, it is important to first recognize the hard work that goes into running it, especially the amount of time it takes to build a loyal following—that it will be a while before you are really able to monetize it. Be honest with yourself about whether or not you have what it takes.
Next, you will have to define your overall aesthetic and find a personal style for yourself. That is not to say that both of these things can’t evolve over time, they can and they will, but you should try to find an overarching theme as a starting point. This will allow your readership to identify with you and also to identify what it is that you stand for.
Find your Audience
An important realization that goes hand in hand with defining what it is you represent, is that you cannot appeal to everyone. As much as you must define yourself as a blogger, you should also define your target audience and understand that your blog will only speak to a certain group of people. Understanding who this group of people is and what motivates them will enable you to tailor your blog to their specific interests.
Lastly you must understand the importance of expanding your blog across all platforms. Social media and fashion are intrinsically linked, driving each and supporting each other. An interesting Instagram page with regular, high-quality posts will attract traffic to your blog. Build your presence across social media taking your overarching aesthetic into account.
Now, all that is left to do is to sign up and get blogging!
