Being professional is something you learn over time — as you go through your own experiences with upcoming collaborations, strategic monetization, and a growing feeling of “what works best” for your blog and your readers. And although there is certainly no one-way recipe to owning and growing a successful blog, we still believe that there are points that could lead you on the way to doing so.
The following points may appear simple, but have you ever thought about them actively?
1. Attend (blogger) events, press days, and Fashion Weeks
Receiving invitations to Fashion Week is certainly not an easy fate, and we do understand that in order to receive such great invitations, it takes a lot of time and hard work for your blog to get recognized. But have you ever thought about just attending the venue of such a highly important event? Getting a feeling for the industry’s biannual get-together can indeed help you to grow on so many levels. You never know who you might come across, and don’t forget the street styles you might feel inspired by. Don’t be shy!
Same counts for press days and specific PR events — make yourself visible! While the clicks on your blog count, it’s still important to be present in real life, too. Meeting fellow bloggers and professionals face to face makes a huge difference and can often lead to great relationships you can build with simple conversations.
There are great websites out there, which might help you in getting an overview of what is happening when.
Have you heard of Fashion Monitor, Create + Cultivate, or Blogger Bazaar before? All of them are well-known for organizing great events, often open for everyone and without an invitation-only policy. Why don’t you just get in touch with the organizers and introduce yourself? Be your own PR representative!
2. Speak to other bloggers and industry professionals
We really believe in open conversations and confidence, which perfectly points to our first tip. Yes, it might be awkward to approach people at events where you barely know anyone, but don’t ever underestimate the art of small talks and a positive mindset!
Alternatively, why don’t you start with simply engaging in conversations online? Twitter is a great place to exchange opinions and have a little talk with fellow bloggers or other industry professionals. It’s the little things that can really make a difference and give you visibility. Always remember: work together, not against each other, and never compare yourself to others. Nobody is better or worse than you — the blogger community needs to stick together, and there’s a place for everyone. Embrace a positive attitude toward colleagues in your field, and show your support as much as you’d like to receive it in return!
3. Email etiquette: answer requests properly
This is one of the most important points. Ever. If you’d like to be professional and successful with what you’re doing, you will have to stay on top of your emails as much as you do with your blog’s content and daily social media updates. You encourage people to contact you in a private way? Then you owe them an answer. Regardless of what kind of request lands in your inbox, never leave an email without an answer. This is one of the biggest mistakes a lot of people make (sometimes even without realizing), and, believe it or not, it will come back at some point. What goes around comes around. Even if you’re not interested in a collaboration, a suggestion, or an event, take two minutes of your day to send a polite answer. You don’t have to justify anything in more depth, but make sure that the other side will close your answer without a negative impression. Know your worth, but stay kind. Something is not your cup of tea? Decline politely or offer alternatives, but never be rude — treat your blog like a proper business and let yourself appear as a full professional rather than an amateur.
4. Business cards
No matter how big or small your blog (still) is, getting business cards for your blog is important so you can give them to others. We’ll soon do a full post on this topic, but if you don’t have your own business cards yet, it’s time to get them.
5. Create a media kit
Media kits are important for everyone who tries to connect with you on a business level. A media kit gives good insight into your statistics, shows a summary of who you are, and demonstrates what makes you unique.
6. Use analytics to understand your own performance and your followers’ interest
Some of the greatest tools?
Social media: Iconosquare — as already mentioned in our “How to Create the Perfect Instagram Account” post.
Blog: Google Analytics — the classic.
Affiliate: Your ShopStyle Collective Dashboard will help you keep track of all your links, widgets, and clicks.
xo,
Collective Team
One of the challenges bloggers with small a following like me has is trying to get other, more successful bloggers to give you advice beyond the “work hard and don’t give up mantra.” You can’t ask them something like “what did you do to get to this point?” because that’s the answer they’ll give you. We all know it was more than that. It took time and money, especially money. If you want to make money, you have to be willing to spend a little too!
This is way more helpful than anthniyg else I’ve looked at.