Lessons I learned from the "Power of Fashion Blogging"

Hello there lovelies!

Following my attendance of the “Power of Fashion Blogging” workshop at the Cape Town Fashion Council. I thought I could share some pointers, tips and lessons of what I gathered at the workshop. 

1. Presentation

As a fashion or lifestyle blogger, the gold is in your presentation. To cut it short the ‘VISUALS’.

One thing that was emphasized at the workshop is the blog's presentation. Obviously, as creatives we all have our own way to present our blogs, depending on one’s preferences, artistic expression and other things. However, a minimalist, clean template is always a good thing to have; as you would not want the template to be too busy, distractive or potentially eclipsing your content and pictures.

Secondly, it was highly advised to have clear pictures. Too pixelated does not make your pictures exactly appealing, visually. Let’s not lose ourselves calling it a new form of art; because really it is not one. A picture is great when it tells a story, but a good story is best told when it is relatable and reflecting the reality. A tip: remind your photographer to wipe their lenses for better visibility and clearer pictures and shooting between 5-6PM get you the best lighting.

Thirdly, uniformity when using filters. Obviously, it is no secret by now; all bloggers or most use filters or some other sorts of app to edit their pictures. I have also made some mistakes before when editing and the pictures did not really look the same at the end. Well it’s a big no-no; it doesn’t look tidy or professional. Ideally when using filters or editing, using the same filter is better than using a different filter per picture. 

2.       Content

Keep it Current and Topical. The content of a blog differs depending on the type of blog one has. However certain things are obvious, you cannot call yourself a fashion blogger if you are going to blog about pets most of the time and post your Christmas outfit every other year. When it comes to timing, for example: if it’s close to Valentine’s Day, an ‘outfit inspo’ post has to be published a few days before the D-day, not on Easter. The same thing applies to your purchases. If you buy something that is currently in store, do not make a post about it 6 months later. It does not work in your favour. Another little tip is to use holidays for content inspiration.

God is in the detail. No matter what type of blogger you are, ensuring that there isn’t spelling mistakes is very important. Obviously no one is perfect, and sometimes some silly spelling mistakes slip through our fingers. But double checking those little details will always come in handy. TAKE YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK SERIOUSLY, before everyone else takes you for a joke.

 3.       Collaborations and how to make your blog lucrative

Do not lose yourself-stay hungry, honest and humble (3H).

One fact is that building an audience takes time and patience. Do not lose patience or yourself in the process.  In order to ensure that your audience grows is to remain consistent in terms of the post frequency. Obviously, the more you post the better. However it should never be at the expense of the quality of your pictures and content. It’s important to create ‘your own signature’, something that sets you apart from other bloggers, do not jump on the wagon of following and replicating whatever else is done by every other blogger. STAND OUT!

When your following is still low, it is okay to do product reviews or other collaborations for free. It’s humbling to do something for free while you could get paid; but exposure serves when your following is still relative low. This really applies when the brand’s following is 10,000 times higher than yours. In order to get paid, you need to be bringing something to the table too. Once you get paid and start  receiving free things , do not take anything for granted or grow an ol' big head. A nasty attitude is never pleasant or helpful. 

It’s important to stay honest to yourself, brands and the audience. Your audience has to coincide with your lifestyle and your visuals. For example if you always shop at the lower end of the retail chain, do not expect the high end brands or boutiques to jump at your proposal or e-mail. Simply put, dissonance was never cute. If your audience does not relate to the brand, their customers or their mission statement, it should not shock you if you do not get more than a tap on your Instagram picture (from the brand).

Stay hungry and passionate. Keep on telling your story, keep on doing your research, keep on being YOU most importantly. Do not compare yourself to other bloggers (yes am also speaking to myself here). Do not compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20. Some of the reasons why you should not compare your blog are: people blog for different audiences and for different reasons, resources vary and it is the quickest way to kill your creative self. So keep on keeping on, no matter how slow the growth of your audience is. Keep your work excellent, authentic and timely.

Lastly, if you have established a substantial following and you post frequently (as in not on a quarterly basis); do not be afraid to approach brands. Approach them with a precise, concise and innovative proposal. In terms of billing, it differs according to the type of blog one has. For example, if you are promoting a clothing brand. You calculate the total cost of taking pictures (how much you paid the photographer), the outfit (if you were not sent the merchandise), and transportation if you had to go to a far off location and labour (the time taken to write the post or shoot the video). This is applicable to brands which have marketing departments and promotion budgets, of course. 

Style Section: I wore this mosaic print-burgundy- wrap dress to a wedding. I was channeling the 'Bay Area Bohemian' to spice things up. What I love about wrap dresses, they are the best silhouette for an hour-glass shape. A wrap dress holds what needs to be held and accentuate traits I want accentuated like the waist. A maxi dress is obviously the warmer option for a wedding in the fall, paired with ankle boots to  compliment the front slit. In order to integrate the 70s look into your wardrobe, you could get accessories such as a choker and a bucket sling bag with fringes. 

Wrap dress: Legit (in store)

Choker and earrings:Women Street

Rings: FIX

Sling Bag: Mr Price

Ankle Boots: Forever21