Official AW15 Blogger - 5 Top Blogging Tips

How do I start my own blog? Do I need to work full time on my blog? How do bloggers make money? To answer to these and other pressing questions, top blogger Alex Stedman from The Frugality hosted a panel with The Lifestyle Edit’s Naomi Mdudu and Erica Davies from The Edited. With a wealth of fashion and blogging experience between them, I’ve condensed down for you their top tips:

1. Find Your Voice
In order to have a blog that stands out from the crowd you need to have determination and a clear vision. Erica suggested thinking about, “What do you want to say?” and “Who do you want to say it to?”

2. It’s Not All About Money
A common question is, “How do you make money blogging?” Alex’s reply? Through affiliate links, brand partnerships and spin offs; Alex has been asked to style some events and Erica has been asked to do copywriting.

However, Naomi was quick to point out that when she started blogging it was never intended to be a moneymaking opportunity.  As a result she hasn’t been tempted to take money for a post featuring an item she would never wear or use. Erica said, “Don’t do it if it doesn’t feel right.” Naomi’s advice was, “The more you say no to the wrong opportunities the more the right brands come along.” Alex always uses the test “Would I do this for free?” If the answer is yes then she is more than happy to work with the brand.

3. Be Clear
Naomi stressed how important it is to be clear with your readers. “If you are being paid for a post, it’s really important that you open about it. Explain to your readers why.” For example, you need to make money to run the website, or pay a photographer.

4. How to Take Selfies
The eternal problem for bloggers is finding the right person to take photos of their outfits. Erica had a great solution, as she uses an Olympus camera which she can activate from her phone. So she sets up her camera on a tripod and then just has to press a button on her mobile. Genius. In addition her 5 year old son has been known to take the odd photo. Alex says she often uses other bloggers. If they are all going to an event she’ll just “message someone to ask whether they could do a shoot afterwards.” It’s a great way to support one another.

5. The Importance of Instagram
Erica highlighted the definite move towards Instagram, and recognised that there are new sea of bloggers who don’t actually blog, they just have Instagram accounts. She also said how obsessed she’s become with her Instagram grids, i.e. the first 9 pictures you see when you look at someone’s account. It’s this first impression that makes someone chose whether or not to follow you. Alex pointed out that some of the best instagramers have a very distinct style, so they might always do the same pose, or photograph their outfits in the same location. It’s all about developing your “personal brand, honing in on your own style so people know what to expect from you.” Personally she’s had to accept that her Instagram audience is different from her blog audience and different things work on Instagram. As Naomi wisely pointed out, “You can’t just duplicate content across your social media channels.”

Post by Karen Maurice, www.n4mummy.com