How to Make a Living as a Blogger

Q- I am a fashion blogger based in Arizona and I’m looking to expand my viewership and followers. I follow you on Twitter and have seen you tweet before that you welcome any and all questions. I was wondering how you got your start and how you got people really looking at your site.

The people I know love my blog (365daysofoutfits.wordpress.com), but it’s been more of a challenge to branch out to people that don’t know me. I see blogs all over the internet that have thousands of followers and sponsors, and although I know I can get there, I’m just not sure how to generate hype and interest from others. Any advice from you would help!

Thank you for your time.

A-  I got my start blogging in 2005 and have gone through name changes, long breaks, different URLs, different platforms – it’s been a journey. I started my blog as a creative outlet when I found myself stuck in a boring office job after getting a degree in fashion design. I wasn’t exactly living the dream.

Since then my blog has opened many doors for me. It helped me land a cool job that moved me to LA. It showed me that my real passion was styling and not design, which inspired me to quit my job and go into freelance styling. Today I utilize my blog as a way to educate my styling clients and to help people who can’t work with me in person. I focus less on how many readers I have and more on creating helpful content.

I’ll see what advice I can offer to help and I’d love for any other bloggers to weigh in on the comments because I feel like different people have different tactics. Here is what has been working for me …

Make Your Site Beautiful

A well designed site can trick people into thinking you are bigger than you are. This means a great design, a site that is easy to navigate, and amazing photography. Strive for quality over quantity. That goes for your readers too. You don’t always need a million people coming to your site for it to be a success. A few highly engaged readers are better than a bunch of duds.

Join a Network

I am a part of Glam and they have been a huge part of my success as a online content creator. Some of my best opportunities with brands have come through them. There are other networks out there too but for me, Glam is the best of the bunch.

Be Consistent

Post at the same frequency. Don’t do a post 7 days per week, then skip 2 weeks, and then only do one post a week. Let your readers know what to expect. Same goes for social media – Tweet, post pics on Instagram, and update your Facebook page on a regular and consistent basis.

Have a Voice

A voice that is yours. Don’t try to be like someone else (even if someone else has a massive following) be you. I for one am sick of bloggers all being the same. Stand out and pretty soon your site will gain traction and become the next big thing.

Partner Up

I don’t do this personally but I’ve seen other bloggers do it and it works for them. Collaborate with other bloggers and cross promote each others content. If you befriend a really popular blogger you will get a little boost yourself.

Network

Another tactic I don’t follow because I’d rather be working with a styling client (or hanging with my dog) but this one works. Connect with bloggers in your city and go to all of the mixers and events that are held specifically to bloggers. This helps with the partner up method I mentioned above.

Work Your Ass Off

Hard work pays off. Period. Pour love and hard work into your blog and the followers will come.

Hope that helps! And if anyone else has tips, please weigh in.