Every couple of months I go through my links, in my blogroll and on my links page, and when I can, the city pages, and every time I have to remove several blogs because they either stopped blogging months ago, or their site is gone completely.
Reason: Blogging is not easy. Not as easy as some people make it look. The most successful blogs have a team of idea people, writers and editors making sure all the content is top quality and ready to go. Very few fashion bloggers working by themselves will ever be known or appreciated. Me for examples, I have had this blog for about 5 years now have almost no comments to make me feel good about going on with the blog, maybe one of the reasons I dont blog as much as I should. I cant find contributors, I cant pay anyone and It’s hard to find content I care about sometimes.
One thing I always care about is photography. When fashion isn’t enough, the photos of fashion always keep me going. That may not be every fashion bloggers opinion but I have noticed that photos make blogs, and the words merely accessorize them. The blogs with the best, most crisp and creative street fashion photos, do the best and continue posting. Everyone would like to think a blog could survive on iphone snapshots of themselves in the mirror but they cant. People want to look at photos of fashion, other people, and cool things they want to own, especially after a hard day of work or school.
This is hard for those of us who like to write about things in some more length and have things to say beyond “this is cool, I want to wear/own it!”. I like to write about the street fashion culture, the direction its going, and the social effects of trends.
What it comes down to is, fashion bloggers, whatever your style, do it because you love it, and dont quit because you dont get enough comments. I get over 1000 visits a day and no comments all the time, and after 5 years, its only getting more known, slowly, but eventually. How does this pay off? I know my writing is getting around, photos from the group (and photographers) get attention and eventually, maybe, I can hire some people to help make this a real deal kind of blog. Being patient does pay off sometimes I swear.
Keep your heads up! I dont want to remove anybody else’s blog!
By Chic Photos
Congrats on blogging for 5 years…you’re now old school here in the bloggersphere! So many blogs come and go because people blog for different reasons. And perhaps many underestimate the hard work and the time it takes to make a good, readable blog. I started blogging seriously only a year ago, after blogging off and on for a few years, but last November I made a committment to post 3 times a week, and write solid original content. Many of my blogger friends who started when I did, no longer blog, and a couple have gone on to enjoy reknown, recognition and success. It’s not easy, but I love it!
I now have two blogs, and I promise you I’m not going away any time soon. I have a personal style blog, http://www.thecitizenrosebud.com and a streetstyle blog (www.streetstylesacramento.com) and I do notice that when you leave comments, and engage with your readers, you get more comments. However on the streetstyle blog, it’s different. Almost 4000 hits in 2 months but only a handful of comments, so perhaps people just visit to take a peek at different city’s culture not to strike up a conversation.
Stop by sometime, don’t be shy! -Bella Q
I understand what you are saying about the blog thing. But the truth is comments are maybe not that important. I suggest you go to Hub pages and study the tutorial on getting traffic because traffic is what it is all about. The comments are not that important.
For example, visiting and commenting on other blogs is important because if you do it right it will generate the traffic you need. And always, always, always leave your blog address at the end of everything you write outside of your blog. You will be surprised how this will work in the long run. I think it is very much the same as leaving a business card with a new business acquaintance.
The pictures are great! I love the bicycle image…her outfit is sensational! Is that a dog carrier on the handlebars?
b
Thanks, being old school is something I never thought I’d be but its inevitable I guess. I want to spend more time on my blogs, I have 4 right now, really hard with full time work and other projects and no help, …you really do have to enjoy writing and do it because you love it and making money at it certainly doesn’t happen overnight. I think that’s another reason people abandon it, they didn’t get that American Apparel ad deal they were hoping for :)
I dont need or want comments for the same reasons you are speaking of I think. I like them for encouragement and social activity on the site, not traffic or linking or google ranking. My site has awesome ranking because I work hard on the city pages and content, and it offers information people use (aside from the blos) not because its spammy and saturated with gross attempts at SEO. I am a web designer though, and I agree those are great ways to get traffic, I however hate spam so unless a site is a street fashion blog, I dont allow links in comments. I try to keep this site clean and pure street fashion linking out and linking in :) Its an ethical thing, something the internet need more of!
I randomly found your blog on flickr. I actually just started blogging because I love the photography aspect. I have all these random pictures and no where to put them. FB isnt really a good outlet since I feel like the story in a stream of photos is lost. And you’re right it’s really the photos that make a great site…and usually what attracts me to that site. but I do love reading other people’s perspectives as well..maybe not so much on fashion but on life in general! congrats on 5 yrs!
Let’s keep it up!! Never ever give up! XX :-)
I found this post just at the right time because I’m feeling low about my blogging. The photo of the girl on the bike is my photo, and I was delighted to see it here. It belongs to my cycle fashion blog http://www.standrewscyclechic.wordpress.com
I do rely on comments from my audience – they are like a shot in the arm to keep me going – but there really haven’t been many, but I can see that I am geting hits. To me it’s like, having been on a date with someone and never knowing how they felt about it :)
Don’t take this the wrong way, but it would also help us to know whenever our work is reblogged. I happened to stumble across my photo here. Not angry – pleasantly surprised. I’m always surprised at what people find interesting of mine.
The cycling count where I live has fallen away for the winter, so I had the idea to create another blog – one that doesn’t rely on bikes. http://www.portraitcafe.wordpress.com
It still needs a lot of work. I still need to improve my skills.
I’d like to show a little more fashion too.
(b – the bike is called a ‘Christiania bike’, and their origins are in Copenhagen, where the photo was taken). They are cargo bikes but people carry dogs and children in them (and christmas trees). There are more photos of these at my cycle chic blog.
Good Luck!
You are appreciated!!!!!!
you’re right but what makes it worth the effort is to see your stats and likes to have all over the world and also is a job that we love,=) we hold on
Today is the first time I have ever looked at blogging or even considered it as rateable. I don’t believe it’s because I am small minded or anything, just a frantic mum with lots of kids, and never enough time, not even an email address yet. However my daughters are crazy about blogs and other such stuff and I thought I should check it out. I am amazed and so blessed by your enthusiasm and passion for fashion and street photography, so please don’t stop, be encouraged. If a lady in her 50’s feels happier and smiles because of your work than you can be confident that in actual fact your work is trans/cross generational and speaking to many, thank you!!!
I love street fashion and street style blogs, but running one could be a lot easier, and I say this from a business perspective. Have you heard of auto blogs? I thinks street style is ripe to get ripped by these things, as you can program them to scrape original content and post it on its own site. Even if the articles are linked to the original article, when a site scrapes enough content, it can start to rank higher in search engines and such. Perhaps as long as you don’t rely too much on search engine traffic you are ok. But I feel that people, to save themselves effort when they realize how much work is actually involved in blogging. I personally love using my computer, combined with a hobby or passion such as street fashion, it is a potent mix that I thoroughly enjoy, however I can get burned out on it.
I agree that it’s easy to get burnt out but I like to have original content. I would love to be able to pay bloggers on my off days but maybe I’ll check something like that out. Thanx!
I have four right now, really hard all day to work on other projects and does not work, … I really do not like to write and does so because he loves and making money, certainly not happen overnight. I think this is another reason for people to reject it, they did not get that on American Apparel, who wanted a lot:)
I am finding this a brand new hobby and want to fashion blog but have yet not learned how to use a camera because I agree with you about the photography needing to be good for me to follow the site and OR the Personal Story. I could care less about content that is just regurgitated from other sites I like to read those that I can connect with because of not what they tell me about themselves but rather what I can glean from their personality. If they have a sense of humor to them and something to talk about other than just how cold it is that day I stay interested.
Hello, im a blogger and i know how hard it is, so im very interesting in your website and specially in this article, please send me some emails to be in contact with you, and look my blog :)