You might have heard the rumors about the death of fashion blogging. Well, I wouldn’t say fashion blogging is dead, but I would admit it’s changing. There have been major changes in the fashion blogging industry over the past few years.
The truth is that fashion blogging is now more popular than ever. However, the term “fashion blogging” is used differently than it did a few years back. Taking into consideration things like the lure of fame, fortune, and freebies you can agree with me the term is used differently.
Some years back, blogging was all about being honest, sharing your thoughts, and offering something unique and different from what we see in magazines. Since fashion blogging is now different, it has to be handled differently with a change of focus.
Related: How To Make 100K A Year Blogging: What You Need To Know.
The Rise of fashion blogging and its state currently
Fashion blogging might feel like it has been around for ages, but it has been there for just a little bit more than a decade. Since then many social media platforms have gained popularity, the speed at which people consume content has changed and also the type of content has changed.
This has led to old-school fashion blogging losing its relevance but that does not mean fashion blogging is dead. Almost all types of content have become simple and easy for people and also to stick around longer. This is one of the reasons why some fashion bloggers have shifted their focus to Instagram and youtube.
Due to this, people have concluded that fashion blogging is dead.
Why was the change inevitable?
There are so many platforms today that allow all creators, including fashion creators to get their message to soo many people around the globe more easily than writing a blog and since people are always using those platforms, they can easily find your content.
Some people completely depend on Instagram for fashion inspiration maybe for a party, vacation, or wedding among others. People can easily find all the pieces they like and read the creators’ opinions on the same post on Instagram.
That’s quick and simple, right? Due to the growth of these platforms, the transformation of fashion blogging was inevitable. It has become easily digestible and fun.
Do people still read fashion blogs?
Some readers still enjoy reading those detailed outfit descriptions about why the outfit is so special. However, the number is not enough to guarantee success in fashion blogging nowadays. This is because the number of people who consume visual content is much bigger than those who read fashion blogs.
Some fashion bloggers do both visual content and fashion blogs. After posing their content on Instagram or youtube, they redirect their viewer to their blog and vice versa. If you would love to be a fashion blogger you need to truly understand your audience and know where to find them whether on Instagram or Youtube or maybe Tiktok.
What issues are affecting Fashion blogs?
Fashion blogging has become boring especially because bloggers are more focused on their chances to become brand ambassadors. Due to this, they never share anything real or vulnerable because they think doing that will prevent them from getting the chance to become brand ambassadors.
This has led to them losing the very essence of what makes blogging interesting and special.
The growth of social media platforms has led to readers abandoning fashion blogs and shifting their attention to social media platforms like Instagram. This has left fashion bloggers with no other option but to shift their content to those platforms too.
Is brands & blogger engagement dying?
Brands are looking for bloggers who go beyond the limit of “blog fame” and cross over to the real world since they want to sell the product. The engagement between brands and bloggers will not die, but the expectations and standards have gone higher.
When the fashion-blogger scene exploded, brands saw it as an opportunity for cross-promotion. However, companies now have social media experts, marketing strategists, and new technology to measure their return on investment (ROI).
This gives them a better understanding of how they can work together. These partnerships are, however, not fair to bloggers since they are publishers and not salespeople. Fashion Bloggers are now struggling due to increased pressure to keep traffic, engagement, and sales high.
Some years back, bloggers would be given a dress or handbag to market and, in return, get to keep the item. However, this has changed; fashion bloggers expect to get paid for their work and not just be given a dress.
Since fashion bloggers are doing more commercialized blogs and not their original content, this leads to readers losing interest in your blogs. As a fashion blogger, it is important to think outside the box (brand collaborations).
To avoid losing your readers, it is important to ensure the advertorial is in line with your beliefs and your audience. Creating valuable, helpful, non-sponsored content for your fashion blog is also important.
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How can fashion bloggers grow?
One of the most exciting things about fashion blogging is that it keeps evolving and changing. This means that as a fashion blogger, you have to evolve and grow with the industry; otherwise, your career as a fashion blogger will be dead.
Bloggers should have other offering apart from advertorials and banner space. Due to the rise in expectations of brands from fashion bloggers, a lot of fashion bloggers have been cut out of the picture. This is one of the reasons not to put all your eggs in one basket.
You can’t just rely on advertisers to make money, a fashion blog is not a business plan, and therefore, you need to be a true, dyed-in-the-wool entrepreneur to make it work for you.
Some pioneers of the fashion blog understood the importance of the change and quickly readjusted to the new ways. Some of them decided to give up on blogging and focus on other platforms.
Fashion bloggers like Bryanboy, a renowned socialite and fashion blogger from the Philippines. He was featured as the social media reporter on America’s Next Top Model for two seasons.
Other fashion bloggers who have readjusted include Tavi Gevinson, who launched Rookie, The Blonde Salad designs shoes, and Kenza Zouiten who owns a clothing line. Although there are doing other things their interest in blogging is still there.
However, some fashion bloggers changed their blogs to make them readable for the audience that is faced with the abundance of fashion content day in and day out. One way to attract readers in this era is by creating collages pleasing to the eye and being creative with the layout.
This technique has allowed creators to show what they want their audience to see and also write what they would like to share and let readers absorb it.
As a fashion blogger, you have to learn to communicate effectively online since it is a real tangible skill with real tangible outcomes.
The future of fashion blogging
At this point, you might agree with me that fashion blogging is not dead but has to be handled differently. When starting a fashion blog you will need to focus more on good SEO content. Focus on content that Google loves and ranks next to posting your lovely outfits.
However, you can not ignore digital platforms if you want to grow as a fashion blogger. Bloggers are already diversifying their brands by being actively present on social media platforms such as Instagram.
Some bloggers have shifted permanently and are now full-time Instagram influencers. A few years back, bloggers were a very influential group of people who have shifted to Instagram. These can be models or vloggers.
Bloggers have fallen out of love with blogging and it’s just not how it used to be back in the day. Popular bloggers like Lily Melrose who was a blogger on Lookbook have moved on to Youtube.
This does not mean that fashion blogging is dead since some bloggers still post regularly like Aimee Song. fashion blogging is far from over its just evolving. Many people don’t have physical blogs anymore but there is always going to be a small corner for fashion blogging on the internet.
Final thoughts
Back in the day, unlike today, being a successful fashion blogger, meant earning a great deal of money and it was the main focus back then. The influence that fashion gurus had was entirely based on their fashion blogs.
At this point, if ask is fashion blogging dead? What would be your answer?
In this new era, the role of fashion has shifted a bit. Fashion blogs have become a supporting element of a creator’s career.
This, however does not change the fact that both the old-school fashion bloggers and the new-era fashion bloggers influence certain audiences. However, focusing on the two would be a smart move.
I hope this article has encouraged you if you are looking forward to getting started with your fashion blog. Focus on SEO content and market your blog through social media platforms such as Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook.
Your fashion blog can act as an extra source of income or as a space for promoting your fashion empire. Look for cheap but good website builders and get started.