Blogging as a career is hard enough, but fashion is definitely one of the more difficult topics to choose.

Right up there with food and parenting, everyone and their brother has an opinion on fashion.

If you don’t fit in with what they think, they won’t read. However, if you do have the appropriate fashion sense, you’ll get some readers.

Some readers, however, doesn’t mean you can make it as a blogger.

Quite frankly, there’s nothing easy about blogging for a living. If this is your end goal, then you should expect your life to revolve around the computer.

Editing, photographing and networking will become top priories.

Of course, there are some tips and tricks you can use that can help. These tips can help you avoid some common hang-ups and get a feel for what the end game should look like.

1. Choose a Niche

Fashion is a topic, but you need a specific area to work in. How broad do you go? When you’re first starting out, the smaller you can make the niche, the better.

Shoes, handbags, makeup, thrifting or hats are all small enough to work with.

There’s so much to fashion, though, that you could probably write for years on that single topic. Luckily, you don’t have to. You should plan to start out with a small niche like that, and gradually alter your perspective as your blog evolves.

2. Photos, Photos, Photos

How well can you describe fashion verbally? No matter how articulate you might be, it’s still difficult to describe something that’s inherently visual.

You need to learn the basics of a good photo, and probably photo editing as well. Good, original pictures are a key element to making your blog look professional.

You can use copyright-free images, of course, but it will be difficult to find what you need. It’ll be much more beneficial to invest in learning good photography, or making good friends with a photographer.

3.Make It Reader-Centric

Photo: http://www.daintyhooligan.com/blogs/style-fashion

Go back through this post. How many times have I mentioned myself? Aside from that sentence, it’s not there.

That’s because this post isn’t about me – it’s about you – the reader. A reader-centric blog, like this one from Dainty Hooligan, is more than just directed at the readers. It’s also what they want to read.

Dainty Hooligan’s audience consists mostly of young women, many of whom are in high school or college. Its blog reflects this just as much as its styles. Articles focus on that segment, with topics about wearable makeup tips, school style, summer fun and occasionally, appropriate work attire. Pick your topics carefully, stick to your niche and remember: The reader is the focus here. Never write without considering their point of view.

4. Get Some Brands Behind You

Brand partnerships are a good indicator that you’re doing well. They lend great credibility to your blog, and can give you inside access to information and trends other bloggers might miss.

However, working up to a paid partnership takes time. You certainly won’t be pitching Vogue first!

Instead, try reaching out to small brands, or maybe local sellers. Etsy is a wonderful place to investigate small names and learn about the process. You’ll get used to pitching ideas and working with people, along with learning how to accept criticism.

As you learn the business side of things and start to develop an online presence, you can gradually work up toward well-known brands and start negotiating prices.

Don’t force this. It’s something where you have to put the effort in first, and expect a payoff at a later date.

5. Multitask: Use All the Mediums

Photo: https://instagram.com/chiaraferragni/

Don’t depend solely on your blog to get noticed. You should utilize every avenue you can, especially with social media. Chiara Ferragni, who runs The Blonde Salad, is a prime example of the power of social media.

She has more than 4 million Instagram followers from all over the world. Because the focus of her blog is fashion, she can get her looks out and established without having to depend only on her blog. Those 3 million followers have gotten her noticed by some big names, and she’s moving forward with brand partnerships and modeling jobs.

Makeup tutorials and product reviews are easy to do on YouTube, and Facebook allows for the networking that might be more limited on other sites. Keeping all of those avenues up to date increases your readership and gets you noticed.

6. Never Compromise Quality

Photo: https://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan/featured

All the tips in the world won’t help if you’re posting poor content. People won’t read things that they’ve heard before, is poorly written or just doesn’t sound like a well-thought out idea.

Remember, you’re putting your own ideas out into the world. Quality content will be read, but more importantly, it will be shared.

If you’re in the beauty world, you’re probably familiar with Michelle Phan, a vlogger who initially became famous on YouTube and has since become a public figure who is supported by multiple brands. Her first videos were basic and lower quality.

They dealt with makeup and skincare, but when you watch them next to the ones she now posts, you can clearly see how the quality has changed.

The point here is that you won’t start out with all the skills you need – that will come with time. However, you should always use good-quality content for what you can do.

Even those early videos showcased her skill, had good camera angles and sound quality and were well edited. She cared about what she was doing when she first started, and that is part of what led to her success.

7. Be Authentic

You’ve chosen your niche, worked to get your brands together, and established yourself as a brand, but that doesn’t mean everything is set in stone.

The best fashion bloggers don’t remain set in their ways because they think readers expect that. It’s not realistic to simply maintain. You have to evolve.

Speak with your true voice because that’s what your readers actually want to hear. If you’re getting bored with a look, be honest! Explain it, try something new and see how it goes. Taking chances keeps you and your blog fresh, and keeps readers interested.