Imagine you have just spent weeks creating your brand new fashion blog and you are ready to launch your shiny new website to the world.  After a few weeks and the heady feeling of achievement  has worn off you notice that your traffic figures are low and you start to despair.  Driving traffic to a new blog is a common obstacle that all bloggers face at one time or another.  Here are my top tips for making sure that your blog is getting the online exposure it deserves.

It’s not what you know, It’s who you know!

It may sound cliché but if you tell all your friends and family about your new blog, chances are they will know someone else who would be interested in reading your blog too.  Word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools in the marketing business, which means the more people know that your blog exists the higher the chance the existence of your blog will be passed on through word of mouth.  This my darlings has been done for centuries and to this day networking is a significant aspect of the promotion of any business, even a fashion blog.

The Social Network

You may already post the odd link to your personal feed on your Facebook wall but the world of social networking is changing every day and can be a maze to those who are not marketing savvy.  How can you use your Facebook and Twitter accounts to your full advantage?

I attended a marketing class called a “Webjam” and learnt the valuable skill of setting up a Facebook business page.  In just a few steps you can set up a Facebook business page where people who read your blog can “like” your page and link the page to their friends .  The best thing about this is the fact you don’t have to create a new Facebook account, you can link it to your personal account and flit between the two. It may be worth researching in your local area to see if there are any one off online marketing classes that you could attend to brush up on your online marketing knowledge.

I recommend that you follow your favorite bloggers on Twitter use your account to tweet a few links to your blog.  It’s what Twitter was built for right?  You may even meet some other bloggers along the way! I think that bloggers can learn a lot by simply looking at other bloggers pages and it is always nice to find that there is a blogger nearby who is just like you!

There are countless other places you can network on the internet too with professional networking sites such as  Linkedin being one of the best on the internet for keeping in contact with contacts.  A lot of bloggers work in beauty, public relations and fashion as their “day” job so if you are an aspiring journalist or stylist you could be making some valuable business contacts too.

Remember that  You  are your own Brand

Whilst maintaining an online presence it is important to portray yourself in the best light possible.  Avoid using bad language and remember that if you receive a negative comment not to reply in a similar manner.  Also, make sure that your tweets are relevant to the blog itself as this may have a negative impact on blog traffic too.  I could go on and on about the positives of social networking but it really is a cheap and effective medium that is guaranteed to drive traffic to your blog if you follow my tips.

The S/S 2012 collections for Jil Sander, Stella McCartney and Nina Ricci, to name but a few, all introduced us to the white trend this Autumn.  McCartney’s designs are sexy, simple and emulate masculinity in comparison to the very feminine and fairy tale like designs of Nina Ricci.  Despite the pretty patterns and womanly shapes in Ricci’s collection, there was a stark contrast between the white outfits and the navy blue, deep purple and black ones which ran alongside. Take this how you will but I like to think that there is a hidden message of good versus evil here. Imagine the combination of Natalie Portman’s portrayal of both swans in the film Black Swan. That is the concept you should aim to achieve with this trend.

Take a simple white body con dress, team it with some black platform wedges, work dark smoky eyes and tousle your hair a bit. It’s all about mixing up self-image; tough meets pretty.  I am a huge fan of floaty white pieces, which are ideal for summer days, but right now… it’s the season of the party dress. White glitter, sequins, and silk dresses can be found everywhere at the moment. White in this context screams sexy and expensive, just try not to spill your red wine over it!

Samantha Stretch Dress, French Connection, £33.50 (In Sale)

White Beaded Bodycon Dress, Topshop £85

When I think of white and fashion, I think of Victorian girls in beautiful lace petticoats, the frosty Ice Queen in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Wilkie Collin’s eerie TheWoman in White and Marilyn Monroe in that dress. White has represented so many different things throughout history and this season it’s time for you to give white an edge.

“Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony.”

Coco Chanel 

  Do the White thing this year…

Bek xo

Who is your role model?  It may be one of those intense questions that you can easily shrug off in the pub and utter the get-out-of-jail-free card name of style chameleon Madonna without much thought.  No!  Cast your social awareness aside and think of someone who REALLY inspires you.  Don’t give me the boring answer of “I don’t have one” either, or go all Apprentice contestant and declare “I am my own role model” in a smug self satisfying tone.  When we were children it was probably your Mom or Dad and maybe it still is, but who can admit that somewhere along the line of life they have  lost any idea of who their role model could be?  I have, and that is why  I am making it my new year’s resolution to identify who that mysterious example may be.  They could be in the  same  line of work as me or it could be someone who is pioneering research into a medical condition  or finally an individual who dices with death by doing extreme sports.  I now realise that my role model could easily turn into a list and if you start to think of who and what really inspires you the possibilities could be endless.  Get a picture  of them and stick it on your wall, or if  you are like me and have a landlord who would so hate that,  put that person’s picture as your desktop background.

What good will this do your blog? It will make you think differently about yourself and your own life  aspirations and should make you pay more attention to the aims of your blog over the next year.  If you have a tendency to go a  bit Apprentice now is the time to break out that strategy and tailor it to 2012.  The PR professionals have already done this! Arm yourself  with knowledge of the big events that are due to happen this year such as that sporting event Lord Coe has been harping on about for what feels like the past decade….(The Olympics).  I am throwing out suggestions here but there is also the Diamond Jubilee which will probably have us obsessing over Pippa Middleton’s derriere again.   Make a mood board of these events if you have the time or if you are a mom like myself a list in a trusty notebook will more than suffice.

Multimedia content is the  du jour of the blogging world.  It is not enough that us bloggers social network for most of the day, now we must create our own content or at  least have a You Tube channel or something.  If you are into that then cool but retiring wildflowers like myself do not want our face or legs plastered over the internet whilst we attempt to use the latest exfoliating tan product that somehow gets stuck in your fingernails so you end up looking like the nineties tango man. ON THE INTERNET.   I add a link to a video of a favourite artist at the end of a post  to make myself look more “multimedia” but who am I kidding?  I don’t know how to use a camera never mind recording on a camera.  It may be worth creating a video if you are attending an event such as London Fashion Week or you can even create  short sweet animation to showcase your creative talents if you are that way inclined.  Getting multimedia savvy is another resolution to add to my list..good job I have twelve months to do it.  Be daring, be bold and let your blog be a reflection of yourself and where you want to be, not just in twelve months time but today.

The Bloomsbury Group, so named for their location in London, were a group of artists, writers and thinkers in the early part of the twentieth century. Notable members included Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell, E.M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes and Lytton Strachey. They would discuss all manner of topics and they were all strong supporters of the arts. Their work has been greatly influencial in many areas from literature to economics.

In terms of a fashion influence theirs is certainly a style that we see shades of today in many catwalk collections. It is a style often referenced again and again by many a designer. The bohemian style that the Bloomsbury Group championed left behind much of the fuss and frills of early twentieth century dressing. It was a more carefree attitude to style, loose floral dresses and layers of knits. The mix of texture and layering is something widely recognised today, this was its conception.

There is an attitude associated with the style that is often lost these days and only the most truly bohemian among us can pull it off. It is a nonchalance about the way one is dressed. An attitude of throwing together a seemingly random combination of items to create something artistic and eclectic. It is an effortless romance surrounding the act of dressing that many of us wish to achieve.

Although perhaps on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group, Vita Sackville-West remains a great influencer of fashion, being a forbearer of androgynous style. Vita Sackville-West was not shy about expressing her sexuality, although married both her and her husband openly had affairs with members of the same sex. Her most infamous affair was with Virginia Woolf, she later became the subject for Woolf’s novel, Orlando.

All catwalk images Style.com

As an avid gardener Sackville-West dressed for the occasion with breeches and wide brim hats. Forsaking the frills and straight laced dressing of the time, Sackville-West adopted many male influences in her outfits. In many ways she may be credited as the pioneer of androgynous dressing, her rather masculine features rather suited this style but once again it is all in the attitude.

Today we see influences of this style referenced time and time again. In bold floral prints, heavy tweed jackets, beautiful felt hats, masculine shoes and soft, draping layers. Everyone from Marc Jacobs to Anna Sui to Wunderkind have referenced the Bloomsbury Group’s bohemian style in their collections, from the cut of a dress, the length of a hemline or a vintage style print.

These styles quickly filter down to the high street and have become so much a part of our everyday style that we hardly even notice the origins anymore. If you have ever cooed over a perfect tea dress or longed for effortless layering it would appear that you have been bitten by the Bloomsbury bug.

I’m happy to announce that this month’s Blog of the Month winner (and the last of 2011) is….

Jemima and Ted

Congrats! We picked you as the winner based on your great layout and well-written posts! You should be hearing from me soon!

Blog of the Month January 2012 will be open from the 1st – if you can drag yourself to our website with a hangover that is! :)

Happy New Year!

Rachel x
(Community Manager)

ASOS Trend Report

Sequins, foils, glitter and metallic; it is hard not to have noticed this sparkling trend which is storming our high streets and catwalk shows. At first I was feeling slightly wary and overwhelmed by the masses of sequin dresses, shorts and tops, as I am sure I am not alone in associating glitter and tacky. However, there is something magical about walking into Topshop, H&M or River Island at the moment and being greeted with such a luxurious range of textures and colours. It’s a trend that is going to be nearly impossible to avoid this winter so you may as well ditch your hang-ups and just embrace it with open arms!

  Personally I am all over the ‘foil’ effect as opposed to overdosing on sequins. It is a lot easier to pull off in the daytime as well as working amazingly for your Christmas parties and nights out. I recently bought a silver foil top from Topshop and can genuinely say that I wear it all the time with everything.  During the day tone your sparkles down and wrap up with a chunky knit or heavy coat.  Interestingly, I feel that fur can also work with this trend. Go for more natural tones such as browns and blacks and it won’t look OTT.

 It feels a lot more natural to wear these kinds of clothes during the evening but beware not to overdo the ‘glamorous’ look just because these clothes are everywhere. Stick to one sparkly item at a time, or at least combine different types of glitz; for example, sequin hot pants with a metallic top could work. One statement item such as a sequin dress says so much by itself so keep it simple (Think Marilyn Monroe in that gold foil dress)

 However much sparkle you decide to inject into your wardrobe this Christmas remember to stay classy and have fun!

 Bek

 xo

]]> http://britishstylebloggers.org.uk/2011/12/16/how-to-wear-christmas-decadence/feed/ 2 thatswhatshesaid23 Taken from the ASOS Trend Report http://britishstylebloggers.org.uk/2011/12/12/giveaway-create-your-goddess-year-2012/ http://britishstylebloggers.org.uk/2011/12/12/giveaway-create-your-goddess-year-2012/#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:36:34 +0000 Amy Claire Thompson http://britishstylebloggers.org.uk/?p=225 Continue reading »]]> This festive season, British Style Bloggers are delighted to announce that we’re working with GoddessGuidebook.com to offer one lucky reader a fabulous Christmas gift to help make their 2012 as amazing as it can possibly be.

For the past few years, the wonderful Goddess Leonie has create workbooks and planners at the end of one year, to help women make their next year even better – and we have a copy of the 2012 – Creating Your Goddess Year workbook and calendar to give away.

For more information about the workbook, Goddess Leonie has created this lovely video for you -

I personally already have the 2012 workbook, and I love it – it’s so colourful, beautiful and inspiring. It asks you about everything you want to happen next year and helps you think about how you can make them happen, too  - which is something everyone should do!

How to enter

For a chance to win your copy, just leave a comment here telling us what your biggest dream for the next year is and your email address.

For an extra entry, tweet I want to win @GoddessLeonie‘s ‘Creating Your Goddess Year 2012′ workbook with @British_Style! http://britishstylebloggers.org.uk/2011/12/12/giveaway-create-your-goddess-year-2012 and leave your twitter handle in your comment.

Closing Date

This giveaway will close on December 31st at midday in the UK.

Terms and conditions

This giveaway is open internationally, and any one can enter except for British Style Bloggers staff and former staff. You must provide your email address in your comment to be eligible to enter. You must privide your twitter handle in your comment for your second entry to be eligible.

Winners will be selected randomly and contacted as soon after January 1st as possible.

Good luck – and happy holidays!

Sadly, it does mean that we’ve lost most of our archive – old posts can still be viewed at www.ukstylebloggers.onsugar.com, but they’re not here.

We’re thinking of it as a fresh start – have a look around and let us know what you all think?

Love, the BSB team xxx