HOW I STARTED MY BLOG - Sivan
02.29.16

HOW I STARTED MY BLOG

Janessa Leone hatBlack distressed denim

 

 

Before I dive into this one, I owe you guys a huge THANK YOU! I reallllly appreciate all the feedback and comments on my post requesting feedback. It honestly helped me solidify where I want this blog to go, and so this post is for the person who asked me for blogging tips 🙂

To be more specific, the comment asked for tips on becoming a “successful” blogger, and so I of course have to touch on that first. In the blogging “world” the term successful is pretty subjective. Some might measure success by the amount of followers they have on a given social media channel, the amount of views their blog receives, the amount of brand collaborations they facilitate, or the amount of money in their bank account. Whichever way you decide to measure your success just realize this industry has a multitude of success levels.

I started my blog in November 2011 (read my first post here), and let’s just say I’ve come a long way. When I first began my blog I was unemployed. I had decided I wanted a job in fashion so I quit my day job at a country club as the buyer and applied to countless showrooms in downtown Los Angeles. I was desperate to be in a creative environment, but little did I know it would be the least creative place for me. My boyfriend at the time (now husband) encouraged me to start this blog as a way to fill my days since applying for jobs was usually done by noon. I ended up taking a showroom job for 2 years while keeping the blog on the back-burner. It was fun (the job & the blog), but honestly going nowhere.

It wasn’t until I was laid off from the showroom (and thought my life was falling apart) did I realize I was just fine. Maybe not financially, but my creativity goes way beyond spreadsheets and packing samples. In other words, I didn’t need that job. I started consulting with small brands to help them clean up their visuals, which gave me the creative freedom I wanted in a job while also allowing me the flexibility to continue blogging.

Fast forward to almost 5 years later and my situation looks pretty much the same. I still work with brands to refine their digital identity visually, but I now blog a lot more. In the last year I’ve really been able to treat my blog more as a business rather than a hobby, and seeing that goal come to life is extremely gratifying. It has taken time (almost 5 years) to get to this point and I still have a long way to go.

If you’re wondering what went down in between then and now, there isn’t a whole lot of interesting details. I blogged A LOT, and probably a good chunk went unread (aside from my parents and boyfriend lol). Hey, I’m just being honest. It didn’t discourage me, though, because at the end of the day I was blogging for me. It was my creative outlet, not a place to show off popularity. Gaining a readership and following was slow but steady, so I knew I was doing something right. I believe in my content and the effort I put into each post is something I hope resonates with anyone who reads my blog. I have the highest standards for myself and would rather not post something for a week than have a week of bullshit content.

With that said, I want to mention that my intentions behind posting has changed slightly over time. I still blog for me, but I also have this awesome community of people who are interested in my life and insight, which is a much more fulfilling excuse to have this blog. For me, each blog post reveals another layer of my life and I will continue to share honest thoughts about all topics as long as this blog exists.

Now I know I didn’t exactly answer the “how to start a successful blog” question, but I thought it was important you knew exactly how this blog was started. I’m currently putting together a post of tips on how to start a blog for anyone looking for some encouragement, so stay tuned for Part II.

Blogging tips

Janessa Leone hatAll White Converse

 

 

How To Start A Blog

Sivan Ayla StyleTips for starting a blog

 

 

Photography by: Felicia Lasala