(See what we did there? Like the love child of ‘Got milk’ and ‘You’ve been tangoed’)
Laura Reynolds looks at the hype surrounding the collaboration.
Just a week to go until the man in red arrives...
The internet is bursting at the seams with online reads; from trivial insights to in-depth tutorials. If someone has an idea, there probably exists a blog to accompany it. The world of fashion is no exception, in fact, it is the most covered subject in the blogosphere. And what with the new craze of tablet technology (oversized iphones) at our disposal, it is becoming even more the main to: blog, update, follow, like, tweet etc. on the go.
There exists an unwritten rule book for online bloggers. In a nutshell; its nothing you don’t already know about simple I.C.T design and online communication. Here are my top four be’s for getting your foot in the blogging door.
1. Be Original. With an umpteen amount of fashion blogs to compete with, it can be difficult to think up purely original content. The horrid truth is that someone, somewhere has probably already covered it. The key is to find a new angle, communicate your own unique perspective. People don’t want to read the same thing over and over again, that speaks for any sort of written publication. These posts are time-sensitive so be sure to post as quickly as possible. Vary your content, employ a few monthly regular features to facilitate consistency. The most influential and style forward blogs are those who not only offer consistent, original content – but exclusive stories, interviews and images which set them apart from the growing number of sites begging for your readers attention. Find your niche and run with it. Great content reaps the rewards; followers will literally follow.
2. Be User-friendly. Great content needs to go hand-in-hand with a user-friendly design. Blogging has fallen sin to the laziness of the human race. In the modern world, people no longer have the time or patience to trowel through pages of text. They come to the internet for usability. You needn’t be a html guru. Google’s blogging platform Blogger is adequately equipped for blogging newcomers. Like anything, it comes with practice. Balance and consistency should be your main priorities.
3. Be a Self-promoter. You may be blissfully unaware but a decent site is only the beginning to securing a firm following. There exists a plethora of social media platforms dedicated to fashion, a fashion facebook if you like. Lookbook.nu and Independent Fashion Bloggers are two favourites. They allow you to upload, vote, fan, discuss comment, love, hype. You name it. Which all equate to building relationships with other bloggers which hopefully increases traffic and consequently your fan base. Promote yourself professionally. I, for one, am not a believer of the “follow me and I‘ll follow you” philosophy. In my eyes it defeats the object of blogging. The way I see it; drop your link here and there (social media forums, fashion articles, other blogs) with a genuine, relevant comment. Avoid the standard “I love your blog / outfit / shoes”, at all costs. This is not professional and clearly a generic copy and paste trick. People make up their own mind whether they’re going to visit your page in the first place, never mind follow it.
4. Be a Frequent Poster. Don’t feel you need to post every single day, it’ll soon take over your life. Three to four weekly posts is sufficient. Your dedicated followers will expect to be updated often but you do not want to bog them down with too much to keep up with.
A perfect productive procrastination. What are you waiting for? Go get your blog on.
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