Apply The 80/20 Rule to Your Blog Content

Let’s take a moment to talk about content planning for your fashion blog.

What we’re going to discuss in this post doesn’t apply to the personal blogs we write to either share with friends and family or use as a diary.  I have a blog like that too. I post mostly random stuff there, because that’s expected by my most loyal readers: my parents. I don’t intend to increase its readership, but if some random souls in the interwebs trip across my personal blog and get amused by this collage of trivial incidents in my life, I don’t mind it either.

However, if you do care about driving significant traffic to your blog, you need to be more deliberate with the content you post.

Back when the cost of content production and distribution was high, everybody read the same magazine, watched the same TV channel.  So each magazine or TV channel had to cover everything: food, music, travel, sports, gardening… Nowadays there are websites, magazines, TV channels for each of these categories and their sub-categories.  You might still find other content, e.g, interior design, travel…etc. in a fashion magazine, but in a very small portion.

Lesson here? Stay focused with your content. Online readers are famously impatient. If they can’t figure out what your blog is about at a glance, they’ll just click away.

For a fashion blog, only one or two of every ten posts should be non-fashion-related. If you want to let your readers know who you are in addition to being a fantastic fashionista, use the one or two posts well. But don’t let it overrun! Your fashion shots, a few words on the styling, a couple mix and match tips, your story of the day…those are great ingredient for a post on a fashion blog.

I especially want to call your attention to the runway shots or product shots from the fashion designers or magazines. If you’re running a self-modeling street-style blog, don’t repost too many runway shots or product shots. The “one-or-two posts of every ten” rule applies here as well. I’ve interviewed dozens of blog readers and they all say, “If I want to see fancy fashion photos, I would just subscribe to fashion magazines.”

For those blogs dedicated to collecting high-fashion photos, stay focused as well! If your readers feel they can always count on you for the latest season collections, or the most comprehensive collections for a specific style, then they’ll love your blog.

(Photo Credit: Atlantic Pacific)

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- Readability of your blog page
- Commenting etiquette
- Picture resizing for web usage

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Choosing A Sponsor-able Name for Your Fashion Blog

You all know how important is to have a memorable blog name that both rolls off the tongue and stands out on the crowded web. A lot of you have done a great job. But here are a couple things to keep in mind if you’re considering a name change or are starting up a new fashion blog.

What I want to focus on in this post is the importance of choosing a blog name that’s “sponsor-able” for brand managers at the major fashion brands and retailers. When it comes to sponsorship, one of the biggest concerns for brand managers is brand safety. The name is the most important identity for your blog. Some names have shock value, but they might have negative implications or associations, which will give a brand manager pause.

Don’t be scared by the term “brand-safe” though. Common sense helps a lot here:

• Avoid offensive or erotic words, e.g. don’t combine “fashion” or “style” with illegal drugs…etc 
• Don’t use a brand name, be it in the fashion space or not, in your blog name. For obvious reason, Gap might not prefer a blog called AFGirl. Moreover, different brands promote different value, even if there is no competition between two brands, they don’t necessarily want to appear together 
• Don’t use political, racial, or sexual words. Anything you wouldn't want to talk with a new co-worker about over lunch, you should leave off the list.

Of course, if you have some brands in mind that you hope to get sponsorship from, spend some time learning about their values and corporate culture. That could give you some hints as to terms that would resonate well. You’re on a new venture, it’s worth all the efforts you put in to choose a good name. Don’t let your blog name get in the way of your potential sponsors, before they even have a chance to look through your wonderful content.

Helpful resources when coming up with a blog name:

Some basics on Wikipedia entry: Product Naming 

 A Few Words on Words 

 Styles and Types of Company and Product Names 

 Think Search Before You Name Your Next Product 

(Photo Credit: Song of Style, Ready Two Wear, Girl with Curves)

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