The Only Way to Build Security As A Blogger

We see a fashion blog. We read it, we fall in love with blogger and her style. We think, “I can do that!” and open a WordPress account.

When I wrote this post I had no idea what it took to build a blog. But I was having fun learning. And boy did I learn. Last year as things started to take off I asked myself if I’d ever want to blog full time.

It’s the million dollar question that’s crossed almost every blogger’s mind at least once. As I thought more about it, I realized some important interesting industry dynamics.

1. Bloggers are getting squeezed.

There are thousands of new blogs starting each week. With no real financial investment to start, blogging has become a highly saturated market that will only get more that way. And as the “supply” side goes up, it becomes more and more of a seller’s market. Simply put, why should a brand pay one one blogger $500 for a sponsored post when another blogger can offer one similar for $250?

2. Income streams can and will change.

Another way we earn income is through commissions on referred sales. For instance, if you click the link to my white dress and decide to buy it, I’ll make a small commission at no cost to you. Although commission %’s  aren’t being squeezed the same way sponsored posts are, this stream could also look very different in five years because cookies security is becoming a hot topic. When I was listening to NPR recently a segment came on about whether users should have the right to “accept or decline” cookies on their electronic devices. Europe is moving to giving users the right to accept or reject cookies to their devices and if the US implemented that it could sharply cut into earnings from affiliate links since cookies are how purchases are tracked.

The only way to build security is to build a brand.

It all sounds so grim right? But there’s good news I promise.

There is a way to build security as a blogger.

Every blogger at the tippy top has built more than an Instagram following or hundreds of thousands of pageviews- they’ve built a unique, recognizable brand that stands for something and gives value to a specific audience they’re keenly in tune with. The only way to build security in this industry is to build a brand that meets a specific need and is unique enough it’s difficult for others to duplicate. If a brand can’t get what you can offer somewhere else, they have to pay your price.

Seeing my company go through the process of launching a new brand has taught me that home runs on first pitch are pretty unusual. In most cases, it takes years for a company who’s dedicated people hours and financial resources to build equity in a sustainable, recognizable brand. As bloggers, we are in the business of brand building. And I think it’s so important to realize (especially in the difficult weeks or months) it’s going to take time…YEARS OF TIME…to build a brand people seek out, regardless of changes to a Pinterest algorithm or more seismic shifts from one social media platform to another. If you have a large, engaged audience that’s passionate about the unique content you share with them, there will always be a way to monetize. But be patient! This usually take years of consistency over time and lots of trial and error.

It’s not easy but it is possible. My brand is in the early stages of where I want to take it but here are some of “brand building” steps that have worked so far:

1. Create a vision and mission statement that describes your reader and the value you are providing her and reference back as you create your content. My mission is “To provide fashion and beauty inspiration and solutions for everyday girls with limited time”. My ultimate vision is “To become a one-stop fashion and beauty destination where any girl who visits can leave with easy to implement, foolproof strategies to save time looking and feeling her best.” Because platforms come and go, I think it’s important to think about your mission and vision separately from a single platform such as a blog, Instagram page or YouTube channel. Right now my focus is my blog but a year from now it could be YouTube, depending on how platforms shift and which one is the best tool to execute my vision.
2. Write out “your girl”. Another thing that helped me was writing out a description of a girl who reflects the audience I want to reach- who she is, where she works, how she thinks of style and beauty, where she struggles, how she uses social media, etc. Once you have done this, pay attention to the people that are commenting on your blog posts or following you on Instagram. Do they match up with your reader? If not, you’ll need to either adjust your persona or change the content you’re putting out to match the reader you already have.
3. Create a vision board and develop parameters for your visual content.Pinterest is helpful with this. Last year when I was working on defining my brand, I created a ‘secret’ Pinterest board of photos that appealed to me for fashion and photography. When I had them all together I realized I’m drawn to, soft colors, florals, ruffles and romantic details. Once I noticed that I could integrate these elements into my visual content to achieve a consistent look and feel that felt unique to Fifteen Minutes to Flawless and made it recognizable. Another branding exercise  was setting a color scheme for my Instagram feed and deciding on recurring elements I wanted to appear for a sense of beauty and cohesiveness. My colors are blue, green, pink and lilac and right now my elements are water and flowers. I chose these because they fit my aesthetic, the time of year, and where I am on a regular basis.
4. Come up with a group of words that describes your voice. Your voice is how you come across when speaking with your audience whether it’s a YouTube video, an Instagram caption, or a blog post. To define my voice, I settled on a few words that describe what I want it to be: “approachable, relateable, entertaining, and fun to read.”

It’s a lot of work but if you love it, go after it girl because you CAN do this! Don’t chase the money, the pageviews or the followers- build your brand and the value it gives to your audience. And the dollars will stick around- I promise!

XO,

Terra

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