Count Down Time - 5 SURPRISING Lessons I Learned From Beauty and Fashion Blogging

So many count down's about beauty and fashion!

I should do something offbeat.

As far as blogging goes, 2013 wasn't a great one -- new baby, growing toddler, and 10 pounds of postpartum weight. Even if I had cute clothes to wear, I barely squeezed into any of them. So I'm writing a different count down -- but still a list you girls might relate to.

5 SURPRISING lessons I learned from beauty and fashion blogging:

 

How to Optimize Blog Images (Blogging Tips Weekly)

One down, four to go. Can we skip to the weekend, please?

Today's Blogging Tips Weekly covers how to optimize images on your blog.

If you already do this, great. You can probably offer me seo consulting services. :O)

If not, no problem. Perhaps the following steps can get you started?

(By the way, I began optimizing images on my other blog, Cheap Makeup Reviews. So far, images have shown up on half of reported searches.)

How to optimize blog images:

1. Reduce file size.

The worst blogs are those that take forever to load.

It's wonderful that you have an expensive camera and take awesome pictures. But when your pictures take a long time to show up, readers will lose interest. 

Each second, a fashion, beauty or skin care blog pops up in the world somewhere. If you give readers the slightest reason to leave, they will.

To reduce photo size, use a program like Photoshop. Try to keep image size in the kilos. (Or reduce original size by at least 50%.)

**NOTE: file size is completely different from display size, by the way. You can choose a large display on a small file.

When it comes to posting images on your blog, bigger isn't always better.

 

2. Optimize for search engines.

Search engines are composed of lines of code, just like any other program. They are intelligent and complicated, but not human.  It's up to the humans to optimize for them -- a huge reason why seo consulting services is a hot field right now.

Search engines read words, but don't understand pictures -- and they sure don't know how to connect "7094.jpg" to a blog post about fashion.   

Before posting a picture, change file name to a phrase that relates to your blog or post. Then, change alt tag and title text too.

Please wait? Yeah right.

3. Add caption.

Sometimes, a picture doesn't speak a thousand words.

I have seen blog posts with random pictures that don't mean anything.

A lonely trail in the woods -- okay, thanks. Not coming back.

Adding caption to images further explains the ideas you try to convey.  

Thanks for reading.

 

I know a lot of you are already doing this. But if not, it's never to late to start.

For more seo help, check out seo consulting services.

    

The Efficient Fashion Blogger - How Do You Save Time on Outfit Posts?

Outfit posts are my favorite type of posts to read, and my least favorite to create. When I started blogging, I avoided them like a plague. It's a lot of work piecing together a blog-worthy ensemble, catching sunlight, troubling friends and family to take pictures, and then enduring bystanders' mockery.

I had to at least try though. I wanted to dress better, and attract a wider audience. Eventually, outfit posts became easier, as I created a system to speed up the process. 

Here's what I suggest, and please leave a comment if you have anything to add.

1. Plan Ahead

When you have time -- that'd be nap time for us new moms -- put several outfits together in advance. 

2. Create Space

Set aside a small area in your closet just for blogging outfits. This way, you won't interfere with everyday wear. You also have a reminder to get-your-blog-on in the future.
    
It would help if you have a separate clothing rack, like the ones from clothing boutiques. (Look at Store Supply Wholesale for examples.)

3. Don't Forget to Accessorize

Accessories complete an outfit, so they are quite important. Don't leave them out during planning. 

4. Jam Pack Your Photo Session

If your "photographer" doesn't mind, skip this step. But most fashion and beauty bloggers are on borrowed time, and are at someone else's mercy.

(When my husband was busy studying for his masters, my photos looked horrific!)

When your "photographer" grants you the time, pack as many outfits in one photo session as possible.

5. Write Something

You are not just a pretty face, so liven the pictures with your awesome personality. Your writing will help connect with readers, and give them incentive to leave comments other than "nice outfit."

   

As you can see, I am still growing in the fashion blogger department.

 

Any advice you want to add?

 

Pillar Blog Posts and Filler Blog Posts

Like a real job, as a fashion and beauty blogger, you have good days, bad days, and days that are so swamped you don't have time to breath. But to give your blog fresh content, you have to fill up the bad days with short, thoughtless -- or even wordless -- content, no matter how much you want to write top notch posts.

What are pillar posts, and what are filler posts?

 

Pillar posts are the top notch posts you intend to write. They are well-researched, carefully crafted, and passionately insightful. They are the stars of the show, the type of posts you spend time -- and sometimes money -- to promote.

Filler posts are shorter posts used to maintain publishing momentum. They are not as well written, and don't offer much value, but are quick and fun to read.

Why is it important to have both pillars and fillers?

Pillar posts often address a need or answer a question, has evergreen content, are optimized for search engines, and are relevant to your blog's initial intent. 

Although filler posts seem sloppy, they keep a healthy rhythm, add variety, offer entertainment, and remind readers to come to your blog.  

Examples of pillar posts

A beauty blogger's pillar post can be a product review, advice on makeup, or a celebrity look-alike tutorial. They require research, testing, investment (product purchase), trial-and-error, and detailed writing.

Similarly, a fashion blogger's pillar post can be "how to color block," "what to wear with a leopard cardigan," or "10 ways to glamorize boyfriend jeans" -- all with an embarrassing photo shoot at a crowded park.

Examples of filler posts

There are many types of filler posts. Here's what I've accumulated:

• Wordless Wednesdays (a very popular idea among beauty bloggers)
• Link Ups
• Suggested Reads
• Interviews (often with other bloggers)
• Lists (top 5, 10 or however many, product empties, monthly favorites, etc.)
• Quote | picture | funny moment | food | {insert your own} of the day

         or

• A quick update, with a photo, on life

      

How often should you write pillar and filler posts?

Entirely up to you. I recommend at least one pillar post a week, and two or three filler posts in between.

  

 Fashion and beauty bloggers need both pillar and filler posts to be successful.

 

Girlies, let's help each other.

 

If you have ideas for both pillar and filler posts, please share them by commenting!

 

Useful Software for Beginner Bloggers - Blogging Tips Weekly

Though I've had Girlie Blog Seattle for over five years, I still consider myself a beginner. There's just so much to learn about the business and craft of blogging. Compared to accomplished bloggers like SEOMoz and Problogger, who have both experience and resources, I'm like dust on their shoulders :O(

However, even at beginner level, I have found useful software -- most of them free -- to improve my blog. Here are a few that I recommend for beginning bloggers:

1. Photoshop Element

My computer came with Photoshop Element 9, and it has proven extremely helpful when I try to fix lighting, shadows, contrast and such in my pictures. 

I own a cheap camera (in process of upgrading, yay) that doesn't take the best pictures, and live in Seattle, where sunlight is hard to come by. So my pictures come out dark and blurry at times. Photoshop has helped improve picture quality.

Also, I have created simple header images with Photoshop. I like that Photoshop has layers and offers artistic effects.

This header was a simple design from Photoshop.

 

2. Paint

I use paint mostly to add words within a picture to explain details. (You can do this in Photoshop too, but I prefer Paint.)

Paint does a good job explaining things.

3. Jing

I use Jing to capture screen images and record screen actions (for YouTube).

4. Microsoft Movie Maker

I use Windows Movie Maker to make youtube videos to promote my blogs. I know Apple has its own version of movie maker (forgot the name), but I've used it and it's similar to the Microsoft version.

Of course, you can explore other multimedia software. CyberLink is a good place to look. It offers video and audio technologies that can burn dvd, edit videos, and satisfy various multimedia needs.

 

5. Windows Live Photo Library

I only use the "exposure" feature from Windows Live Photo Library to help correct lighting in my photos. It's been really useful.


   

Hope you picked up good tools from this post.

Anything you want to add? I'd appreciate the knowledge.