A Successful Style Diary

This isn’t the only style blog on the internet. The style diary phenomenon has taken off and, like styles of dress, there are many different approaches to the blogs. I’m not a fan of them all, but I have my favorites and I’m happy to share the elements that I find make a successful style blog.

A few recommendations:

DO. . . Post good pictures. This usually requires good lighting, an actual camera (instead of a phone), and a tripod and timer/remote or a partner. You don’t need a professional photographer, exotic backgrounds, or creative poses. Simply, your readers should be able to clearly see your outfits (and accessories). Everything else is just gravy.

DO. . . Update regularly. Blog is short for “web log,” and the very nature of a log is that it is updated with some regularity. I recommend posting to a style diary at least three times a week. If you are looking for regular visitors, you must reward them with new content.

DO. . . Keep text to a minimum. This is my personal preference. I best enjoy style blogs with no more than 250 words per outfit post. Say a few words about your outfit. Share a funny anecdote. But keep it short and sweet.

DO. . . Participate in the online style community. Visit other style blogs and leave meaningful comments. Participate in a fashion message board. Post your outfits to community forums (like Wardrobe Remix).

DO. . . Take fashion risks. Why do you look at style blogs? To be inspired? To see what’s new? To learn new mixing tricks? Assume your readers are looking for the same. We don’t get online to look at the status quo. So, be extraordinary and we will watch.

And some watch-outs:

DON’T. . .Use a ton of big pictures. I recommend using one or two big pictures (big = 500 pixels along the longest side) per post and many smaller sized images (240 pixels along the longest side) for detail photos or repeat full body photos. I hate scrolling through posts with multiple, large pictures of essentially the same shot. Unless your reader is using a big-screen tv to view blogs, the larger pictures can only be viewed in sections anyway. Be choiceful for greater impact.

DON’T. . .Cram a week’s worth of photos into one entry. Again, keeping with the diary concept, create one post per day and fill it with only that day’s outfit(s). If you get behind…backdate and publish a few posts a day until you are caught up. I find multiple outfit posts overwhelming, unless there is a common theme, like a vacation or special trip.

DON’T. . .Complain. Everyone has a bad day and you’ll certainly find sympathy from the internet. But if you make a habit of whining in your posts, people will stop visiting.

DON’T. . .Be unsafe. Google yourself. How much of your personal information is already out on the internet…your last name, your address, your place of employment? On your blog, do you reveal your daily routine or plans to go out of town? With that information, you could easily become the victim of a crime: burglary, fraud, stalking or worse. Be smart about what you reveal and when.

DON’T. . .Blog for money or popularity. Blog because you love it. If you’re blogging for sponsorship or fame, your readers can tell. You’ll come across as false instead of genuine. I’ve dropped a few blogs from my blogroll that turned into nothing but giveaways and product “reviews” or attempts to be noticed by the fashion greats. Blog because you have passion for your subject and people will respond.

What do you look for in a style blog?