6 Things No One Told Me About Fashion Blogging
It’s like it was yesterday when I remember, how I started blogging over 4 ago…
at that time Facebook wasn’t as big as it is today and there was no Instagram – only Lookbook existed at that time.
There was no such thing like the blogosphere and professional blogging was a kind of myth. In those days there was no masha-sedgwick.com, but only glamour-rock.blogspot.de and we made mirror pictures instead of professional photos.
Only very few of you remember those times…
Over the years not only my blog has changed, but the entire blogosphere, our social media and our internet behavior. Just everything.
Today starting blogging is easier on the one hand, because blogging itself is much more established, on the other hand it’s more difficult to prevail among all the blogs.
Nevertheless, there are some things that are still the same and didn’t changed over the years.
Things, I didn’t knew before.
Things, no one told me before.
So let’s take a look behind the scenes..
You’re responsible
That’s a point I wasn’t aware of when I started talking about my personal problems. What you write read people.
That sounds trite, but a blog post can influence people.
You should be aware of this responsibility and set a good example.
the blogosphere is just another scene – and you’re not welcome.
It doesn’t matter in what city you live – there are certainly established bloggers and you are not welcome first.
You are the new one. And even if no one says you directly you can just feel it.
When I was living in Cologne, I knew actually no other bloggers also from Cologne and did not had to deal with such things.
But later, when I moved to Berlin this was a different matter. Suddenly I was the new one and I ‘had to prove myself first.’
No one applaudes when you are in a new surrounding. I still remember the feeling of how it is to be non-welcome. Not to be taken seriously. And still show presence.
So be prepared, not impressed and rock it!
blogging is work.
Blogging is nothing that you can compare with tumblr or pinterest, because bloggings costs a lot of time and the more professional your blog is the more time it costs. Thinking about articles, writing them down, shoot pictures and edit them, find links, encode the post – this is all effort. Usually you don’t realize that when you’re a not a blogger, because it looks so easy – but it’s not.
Only someone who is willing to invest time can also hope for success.
blogging costs money.
When you want to run a professional blog, you have not only to put time, but money in the blog – that starts with your own domain (and host), you’ll also need a good camera equipment, a powerful notebook and then later costs for programmers and photographers. So before it’s a profitable blog, it’s an uncertain investment that needs money to stay up-to-date and the greater the blog gets, the more it costs.
You’re a fashion blogger – because you’re too stupid for everything else.
In our society most people don’t understand blogging as a job. Most people just think that fashion bloggers are stupid girls who like to use clothes from Mummy’s closet. They’ll treat you as if you’re somehow intellectually limited and have no interests besides fashion (and beauty).
You won’t be taken seriously and you have to deal with that.
And that’s not your fault – it’s theirs.
people hate you without a reason
As a ‘public figure’ people can simply say mean things about you, just because there is ‘freedom of expression’ and as a ‘public figure’ you have to deal with that. That’s their argument.
In my opinion behaving like an asshole and freedom of expression are two completely different things, but many people don’t get it. They’ll critize anything for nothing and some of them will hate you – just because. And that’s okay, because haters are also often a sign of success. But to really understand it and accept it, it requires strength and takes time.
Before I started blogging, I had no idea about all these things and that was probably a good thing. Nevertheless, it’s also important to know the “dark side” if you want to start blogging, and to be prepared and able to deal with it.
I’m grateful for all the experiences I’ve made through blogging and that I can share with you – and the negative, too!
Because there is another last thing no one tolds you about blogging: you’ll find your identity – and that will make you stronger!
