I’ve been thinking about writing a blog post on the craziness that is starting a fashion or lifestyle blog for awhile. So many girls want to start a blog or have started one and become discouraged with it after a few weeks or months. When I started Witty n Pretty, I thought fashion blogging was going to be glamorous and dare I say it- easy! Oh, how wrong I was. Today, I’m sharing with perspective bloggers and new bloggers wondering what in the heck they’re doing, 5 things to know about starting a blog
Blogging is Hard
Duh! Nothing worth doing is ever easy, right? I found that out quickly and if you haven’t already, you will soon. Fashion blogging is a saturated market with tons of competition from girls (and a few guys) that have more money than you, better photography skills, and just seem to have it all together. You’ll think you have it all together one minute and the next, you’ll want to give up. Don’t. Keep going!
There are No Rewards… at First
Contrary to popular belief, fashion blogging is not a “get rich quick” scheme. It simply doesn’t work like that. Fashion, lifestyle, and beauty blogging involves tons of work with little reward at first. Personally, I didn’t reap any rewards in terms of free product until about a year and a half of blogging consistently. After that, I started getting things here and there, which let me tell you, was a HUGE deal for me.
Fashion Blogging Takes Commitment
The number one reason why most blogs fail is because the blogger gives up after 3 months. Seriously, 3 months! People want things to happen quickly and let’s be real, the things we want the most God usually makes us wait for. To have a chance at success, you must blog consistently, provide information or inspiration, and know who you’re writing to. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve scrolled through my WordPress Reader and seen posts titled something like “Sorry I’ve Been Gone” followed by an entire paragraph about their absence. Readers don’t want excuses; they want good content.
A Blogger Wears Many Hats
When I started blogging, I thought I would be a writer not a photographer, social media guru, SEO expert, website coder, public relations girl, and a marketer. I was wrong. Because it’s just me running my Dallas-based fashion blog, I have to do it all myself (with a little help from my boyfriend, David.) You will have to learn things that make no sense to you and you have no interest in. But guess what? It makes your knowledge of the industry incredibly robust so that when you do become a famous fashion blogger, you know everything there is to know about blogging.
The Comparison Game is Toxic
I think girls compare themselves more to each other than guys ever will. If you don’t agree with me, you will after becoming a fashion blogger. When you start paying attention to what other bloggers are doing and who they are, you’ll begin comparing yourself to everyone else. You’ll begin to wonder why everyone else has bigger and better followings, wardrobes, photos, brand connections, and even longer eye lashes than you. Let me tell you, this comparison game is so dangerous to your self-esteem. I’ve gotten sucked into so many times and it takes a whole lot of effort to get out. Compare yourself to no one except the person you were the day before. That’s who you’re trying to beat.
Stay tuned next week for an exciting announcement on something I’m launching for girls new to blogging or who’d like to start! You’re going to love this!