How to Grow Your Following as a Fashion Blogger β Top Easy-to-Use Apps and Tech Tools
So you consider yourself to be a fashionista and love to take and share outfit inspiration photos. Great, I love it too! But as much as you may enjoy the process of creating style content, it takes more than just some pretty pictures to grow an audience.
One of the biggest challenges of being a fashion blogger is establishing yourself as an authority in the industry and growing a loyal following. The first step to accomplishing this is to create a marketing plan that guides your steps in virtually every promotional area. Taking the time to research and plan your strategy will help ensure that your blog attracts the right audience and grows over time.
Once you have solidified your content and marketing plan, the tech tools and apps you use can help you find success, particularly with your social media engagement and domain site traffic.
As a ten year veteran blogger, I'm sharing some ways you can use technology to grow your following as a fashion blogger and streamline your content creation process.
Top Content Creator Tools for Filming and Editing
Investing in a Quality Camera for Still Images
One of the most critical pieces of equipment in your arsenal will be your camera. You need something capable of capturing high-quality and high-resolution images, particularly with a lens that creates a softened and whimsical aesthetic.
I am in love with my Canon EOS 6D body with an Canon EF 35mm Wide Angle lens. This combination will give you the most flattering composition in photos, and is preferred by many sponsors if you plan on monetizing your content.
Fair warning, a quality camera is not cheap and you may have some initial sticker shock when you see the prices. If youβre not ready to take the financial plunge yet, start with a more entry level camera like the Canon Rebel and invest in a 50mm lens for portrait style photos. You can get by with these for a couple years until youβre to go more pro.
Using Adobe Lightroom for Editing Raw Images
Any photographer can attest to the importance of the editing process in post-production. It is rare that professional bloggers publish their unedited photos. They just don't have the same inspirational pizzaz.
Adobe Lightroom is the editing program preferred by the majority of professional photographers, but it's also user-friendly and somewhat easy to learn. Lightroom is the easiest way to take your raw images to the next level and create consistent branding with your images.
You can also use Lightroomβs Presets feature to save time and apply premade enhancements to any image. You can purchase these Lightroom Presets on Etsy and they come in many different shades and vibes. From bright and airy, colorful and beachy, to dark and moody, there's a preset for any type of branding you want for your fashion blog.
Buy the Newest iPhone for Filming Video Content
Nothing beats the convenience of using your phone to make quick fashion OOTD videos. When you're out and about in your styled outfit, you can easily take a quick video and edit later. Plus the long portrait orientation of cell phone filmed vides work well with Instagram Stories, Reels and TikTok.
The newest iPhones (14 Pro and 14 Plus) have powerful processors and cameras that equip you to easily create high-quality videos. Their intuitive user interfaces are the easiest on the market for veterans and beginners alike, and they now even allow for action and low light filming conditions.
Save Valuable Time By Using Premade Templates with Canva
As much as we love creating original content from scratch, using premade templates can prove invaluable when you need to make a quick videos or stories for social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram. You donβt need to reinvent the wheel every time you post content. Just take a template and modify to your taste and then drop in your photos and videos. Voila!
Thousands of templates are available on Canva, and the designs are very modern and on-trend. They do an excellent job of working with graphic designers who have an eye for contemporary visuals. And the best part is you donβt have to be an experienced graphic designer to make very impressive graphics and videos.
Online software Canva provides everything from text overlays, to filters, to music options. I personally pay for the Pro Canva version to unlock some of my favorite designs and features. Compared to Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, Canva is way easier to use.
Makeup and Beauty Bloggers Essentials
When it comes to making beauty tutorials, youβll need specific set up tools such as an iPhone tripod and a ring light. The required angle and brightness needed to film up close quality videos is crucial for your success. Dark and distant makeup tutorials are basically unwatchable and your content will get immediately skipped over in a social media feed. When it comes to skincare and makeup themed content, lighting can make or break their quality!
Original Images vs Stock Images for a Fashion Blog
Original Photos of Yourself Are Always Best
I may suggest you use pre-made templates to save yourself time and energy when creating content, but when it comes to stock photos my advice is different. The entire idea of a fashion blog is that you showcase your own style and give outfit advice and inspiration. If youβre using generic stock images, that means you arenβt the subject of your photos. The point of your style blog is to be the star of the show! So donβt be shy, be confident and have fun with it. Keep practicing, upgrade your photo equipment, and continue to learn until you get it right.
When to Use Stock Photos in a Fashion Blog
Above I gave my two cents about taking original photos (I highly recommend it!), but sometimes using stock photos is necessary. You may be covering a fashion topic in which you just donβt have good photos of your own. Or you may just need placeholder photos until you can find the time to shoot your own.
If youβre going to use pre-shot photos taken by another photographer, it is absolutely vital that they be βroyalty free images.β It is a violation of copyrights to just take any photo off the internet and publish it on your blog. Royalty free images is when the photographer gives the general public the right to use their image to any kind of publication.
Where to Post Your Fashion Content
In order to increase your following and reach as many viewers as possible, you need to cross-post your content on multiple platforms. Below I outline the best places for fashion-themed content.
Own Your Domain Website
A common mistake content creators make is that they post all their images and videos on social media, but they donβt actively work on their own domain.
Your domain refers to a blog website, and this is a platform that you own 100%. When it comes to social channels, you do not own your profile and you can be shut down at the blink of an eye by the platform. Imagine all your hard work gone after years of dedicated work. When you own your domain, thereβs no higher power that can come in and take away your content.
Also, if your content only lives on social media, you are forever at the mercy of the ever changing algorithms. With domains, you can use SEO tactics to grow your organic traffic in a much more stable environment.
Best practice is to have your blog website domain as your main channel for content, and all the other social media platforms play supporting roles.
Instagram Reels and TikTok Videos
In the social media space the major players are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, SnapChat and Pinterest. But where should a fashion blogger be focusing their efforts? The answer is simple - Instagram (In-feed, Stories and Reels), Pinterest Pins and TikTok.
Instagram In-feed is the original Instagram with photos which make up a grid showcasing your work. I consider this to be an online catalogue and your best place for creating a fashion branded experience.
Instagram Stories are casual on the fly quick videos depicting everyday life moments. Instagram Reels are more high production videos with themed storytelling and post-production editing.
TikTokβs content is all videos, and is very similar to Instagram Reels. The video lengths can be much longer on TikTok, giving you ample opportunity to convey a complete style concept. See my Beginners Guide to Creating and Editing TikTok Videos and Instagram Reels.
Donβt Overlook the Pinterest Social Media Platform
These days Instagram and TikTok seem to get all the attention as the top social media platforms, but Pinterest will always be my favorite. Since I spoke above about the importance of own your website domain, you can also see the importance of driving traffic to your domain. Pinterest Pins are the only social media traffic drivers off the platform and onto your website. All the other social media channels are made to keep the viewer within the app, where Pinterest makes it easy for the reader to click into your domain.
Pinterest is also a very visual social media platform, and itβs a great way to showcase still photos. If youβre not super into making videos, then Pinterest is made for you.
And finally, I just want to mention that you can use templates in Canva to make some very visually appealing Pinterest Pin. Get those clicks baby!
Fashion Blogger Content Strategy
Niche Content vs Diversifying Your Content
When you first start a blog, whether itβs fashion or any other subject, in the beginning you tend to stick to the topics you know the best. This could be considered your niche or expertise. But if you keep your subject matter too specific, youβre missing opportunities for a larger audience and could be preventing your growth.
Covering a diverse range of sub-topics within the big umbrella of fashion is the best way to go. Keep your audience surprised and engaged with your content.
Fashion Content Ideas to Consider
Outfit ideas for all types of occasions, including engagement and wedding styles.
Document closet clean outs and sell your gently used clothes on apps such as Poshmark, Mercari, eBay and Vinted.
Share money saving tips by styling thrift store outfits.
Consider testing out fashion rental apps like Rent the Runway, Armoire, Stitchfix, Nuuly, and Le Tote. Then, write reviews of your experience and of course take plenty of outfit photos.
Get tickets to New York Fashion Week and document the entire experience.
Springtime fashion content can be about colorful raincoats and boots.
Summer styles featuring wrap and midi skirts.
Fall fashions can feature plaid flannel shirts, overall dresses and oversized ponchos.
Winter staples such as fair isle sweaters and Wellington boots.
Holiday sequin sparkle fashions for Christmas parties and New Years Eve.
How to build a fashion capsule wardrobe collection.
Maternity and postpartum fashion tips for new moms.
Beauty themed blog posts such as dyeing your hair.
Guide to shopping for expensive luxury fashion items.
Go into details about your favorite fashion brands (mine is Free People!).
Consistently Posting is Key
After youβve figured out your fashion content strategy and mastered the technical skills of photography and creating videos, what comes next is also crucial. Consistently posting on your blog and social media over a long period of time is absolutely crucial for organic growth. This doesnβt mean you need to post every day, but you do need to keep the momentum going by regularly uploading new posts every week.
Keeping up this kind of content schedule is harder than it sounds, especially when life gets busy and youβre feeling less than inspired. The true secret of successful fashion bloggers is staying on course and always finding a way to create new content to keep their followers engaged.
Monetizing Your Fashion Blog
If youβre really loving creating your fashion content and youβve built up a loyal following, it may be time to start thinking about monetizing your new hobby. It usually takes at least a year of blogging before youβll actually see some money and profits, often more like 3 years of hard work. Who knows, maybe one day you could make a full-time living as a content creator.
Monetizing Content with Affiliate Links
One of the most common ways to monetize content is with embedded affiliate links. Affiliate programs such as LTK LiketoKnowIt, Rewards Style, Awin and ShareAsale are networked with top fashion brands such as ASOS, Free People, Anthropologie and many more. Every time one of your followers uses your link to make a purchase, the blogger makes a small commission. When youβre hitting big blog traffic numbers, these small commissions can add up to significant sums of money.
Working with Sponsors on Paid Content
Once youβve attracted an audience and theyβve gained your trust and confidence, brands will start reaching out to work with you. Usually in the beginning fashion brands will start by offering you free clothes for style posts. In return theyβll ask for a shoutout to the brand and maybe a little blurb write-up about why you like their clothes and accessories. This is referred to as βgiftedβ product.
As you continue to grow your number of followers, you can begin to ask for cash payments in return for sponsored blog posts and social media shares. As the years go on, your audience will exponentially increase and you can ask for higher compensation.
Running Ads on Your Website
Once your fashion blog website has started to build up organic traffic, you can run ads on your domain. These types of advertisements pay by impressions, so you literally make money just by having readers viewing your blog. The beauty of these ads is that your followers donβt need to make a purchase in order to make commissions, unlike affiliate sales which require a transaction for commissions. With this strategy, having a topnotch website with stellar SEO is key to making money.
In Conclusion
Building a following as a fashion blogger requires excellent marketing, dedication, and hard work. But you also canβt do it without the right tech tools and apps! Consider the products above as you determine which investments to make next.
There are countless ways technology can streamline your process and allow you to focus on what matters most: creating incredible content that distinguishes you from other bloggers. Todayβs the day β get out there and start styling your way to the top!
