During my time at WWDMAGIC, I had the chance to attend a few blogger panels in the WWD and Teen Vogue lounges. Although I've been blogging for five years, there's always something to be learned from hearing other bloggers speak about their experiences. Here are four tips that I've gathered from the Teen Vogue "Art of the Start" panelists pictured above, and from my own experiences:
1. The Long Haul. It takes time to see results, so Marie Denee advises that if you're a new blogger, don't get discouraged easily. Very few bloggers get big overnight. Some bloggers spend years building their readership and increasing their online presence. Be patient and persistent in your blogging efforts, and with original, high quality content, it will be worthwhile in the long run. I've been blogging consistently for five years, and I never imagined that what started out as a hobby would open so many doors for me.
2. Keep a Calendar. Establishing an editorial calendar is key to staying organized and creating consistency for your readers. For example, if you post "Street Style Fridays", then they'll come to expect and look forward to such posts each Friday. Along those lines, it's wise to plan and create posts ahead of time in case you get sick, have writer's block, become busy with travel, lack inspiration, or become overwhelmed. I call it pre-posting for a rainy day. In fact, I'm currently editing content for eight upcoming blog posts.
3. Stay Social. Use social media as a vehicle for participation. Since it's easy to become inundated with the various social media options out there, choose what works best for you. For example: Twitter is great for brand image and identity as well as sparking a brief conversation, Facebook works well to interact with readers and direct traffic, Instagram is ideal for instantly sharing photos and inspiration, and Pinterest is key for visual micro-blogging. I also try to put different content on each social media channel, so that identical content is not repeated on all of my accounts. My personal favorites right now are Instagram and Pinterest, and Olivia also loves Instagram for visual inspiration.
4. Know Your Readers. As a blogger, it's important to understand and define your audience. You want to know who is reading your blog, what they respond to, and how to capture their attention with appropriate content and an authentic voice. Stay true to your voice and to yourself, and think of yourself as your own brand.
I could go on and on with more tips, but this covers the key things that the Teen Vogue "Art of the Start" panelists covered, and I hope you find it helpful. For more of my WWDMAGIC coverage, have a look at my Las Vegas photo diary and trend preview, as well as my recent post on three key spring/summer 2013 trends.
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