I love sharing blogging tips with you guys. I really, really love meeting new people and anytime I can help girls out & we become friends, I’m the happiest camper. I know how frustrating blogging can be, I know how rewarding blogging can be. Blogging is hard because it’s you. You are your boss, your employee, your intern and every job in between all rolled into one multi facet brand. Blogging requires marketing technique, creativity, technology skills, and more wrapped into one human! One human that is most likely getting her income from somewhere outside her blog. If that doesn’t sound stressful, you’re crazy.
–Not trying to be Debbie downer though, blogging has literally changed my life. I have always known I wanted a career path in fashion. I knew I didn’t want to be a model, a designer is something I considered but not really for me, but when I stumbled across blogging.. it felt right. I knew. It was the perfect mix of personal style, decorating, cooking and community that I needed, so Chacos & Chanel was born!
When C&C was born I wasn’t a natural born blogger straight out of the gate. I was like a baby deer getting her legs. A baby deer who stayed in the newborn stage for at least a year. It took me so long to get down my process. Now that I have my routine and I plan everything out, it’s so easy to be consistent! I’ve shared some tips here & here, and honestly I think the most important tip is to be consistent. Readers like to know what to expect, they like to have content everyday, to feel like they’re your BFF.. you wouldn’t go three weeks without talking to your BFF right!? Don’t leave your readers hanging either.
Here’s what I’ve learned in these past two years about blogging, consistency, planning and more.. I hope you enjoy:
| My Planner | ‘Eat Cake for Breakfast’ Mug |
1. Plan, Plan, Plan & Plan some more. Get a planner. WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. I write down random thoughts, I write down ideas for blog posts, ideas for outfits, words, sometimes I can’t even remember why I write stuff down but I don’t ever want to miss a good idea! I like to screenshot inspo (outfits I like, photo ideas, recipes to try, etc.) and keep notes in my phone. Also, every Sunday I write out my posts for the week on my planner (not the actual posts). That way I know what I’m posting and when. I also keep track of the outfits I need to shoot. I write down each piece, in each outfit while I’m thinking of it. *I know some girls write out all their posts on Sunday, but I can’t do that! It may work for you though.
| Grey Hat | Black Lace Up Flats | Brown Suede OTK Boots | Grey Suede OTK Boots, Also Here *30% Off with Code ‘GREAT’ | Floral Print Dress *On Sale | Olive Bow Skirt *On Sale- $11! | Plaid Shirt | Shearling Vest, Similar |
2. Pull your outfits. Once a week or every two weeks I get with my photographer and shoot all my outfits I have planned out. I like to shoot at least 1 week of outfits in a session. I pull all the clothes, pack up all my accessories, and pair up all my shoes. I usually do my hair in a style that can be easily changed up –think loose curls for the first outfit, hat for the second, ponytail for the third.
*That’s me shooting in Central Park with Alex! We were headed to the rewardStyle event at NYFW 2015. I’ve dreamed of attending Fashion week for as long as I can remember. See the full post here.
*Another behind the scenes look shooting with Alex! It’s so fun when you’re best friends are involved and the location is as gorgeous as this! See the full post here.
3. Shooting & Changing in Public. This part is the worst. Changing in your car is SO annoying, in the Summer you’re sweaty.. in the Winter you’re freezing! It’s hard but it’s necessary.. YOLO right?! Also, if you’re worried about shooting in front of strangers, don’t be. If they think you’re silly who cares, if they follow your blog they will know what you’re doing. Honestly it doesn’t matter, do what you need to do. If you can’t afford to work with a professional photographer or you don’t know any, invest in a camera and have your best friends/boyfriend/parent/sibling/tripod shoot you (SERIOUSLY, I met a girl at NYFW who shoots all her own pictures with a Tripod #Superstar). If you can’t afford a camera yet, use your iPhone! I’ve done it before, so no excuses you can do it.
Once you have a week or two weeks worth of content at your finger tips, you feel relaxed, prepared and your creative juices will be flowing all week long! I like to shoot outfits before I’ve worn them and then wear them again on the day I post them. I have technically been blogging for 2 years but the first year and a half I barely posted once a month, so the only thing I would change about my blog is my consistency! I could only imagine how much my blog would have grown if I was consistent the full two years.
I hope these tips help some! If you are considering starting a blog, PLEASE try it, don’t be afraid of what could happen. If you have any more specific questions please email me (RILEYBRAHM@ICLOUD.COM). Check back later, I’m sharing the first gift guide of the season!
Xo,
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