My Look: Top | Denim | Similar Shoes | Handbag in blackĀ | Watch
A couple of days ago, I asked via my Instagram Stories what kind of content people would like to see more of on my blog. I got tons of responses back so I am definitely going to be doing a lot of posts with the topics it sounds like a lot of you are wanting to see more of! The first topic I am going to address is blogging! At the top of this post under the title you will see the ‘categories’ that this post is in, if you click on ‘blogging’, you will be able to see this post and in the future all other blogging related posts that I do! I will also put them under ‘fashion’ and ‘lifestyle’ as well š
What got me into blogging – I get this questioned asked all the time! Whether it’s in person or over DM’s / email. For those of you who didn’t know, for a short time in between dropping out of WSU and going to beauty school, I worked at Nordstrom in the TBD department! This is probably what really kickstarted my desire to be a part of the fashion industry. In high school, I definitely was one of the girls who would help my friends put together their outfits and who’s closet was always being dug through by my girls wanting to borrow a dress, pair of shoes, etc. And I loved it! I would say that there’s always been a part of me that loved clothes and developing my personal style. Working for Nordstrom was just the first time I had ever really considered trying to make a career out of it! I started my blog when I was 19 years old and in beauty school. I loved the idea of making it a ‘lifestyle’ blog so that I could incorporate beauty into my posts as well! I no joke go through my first two years of blogging and read my posts from back then and laugh until I cry because it is just so funny to see the difference of my blog back then to now!! It was CLEARLY a hobby and just something I loved to do in my free time! I would have my mom, Al, or my girlfriends take my photos. And almost all of them are in front of my garage doors, the side of my house, or just on the street in my neighborhood! Being a young women, still trying to define myself, I loved that my blog challenged me to dress more unique, step out of my comfort zone, and share personal things and stories! I think it really helped me grow and learn a lot about myself. I didn’t really start to take my blog seriously, (business wise), until right around the time Al proposed to me! That is kind of when I really wanted to make this thing into a job! I had graduated from beauty school and was working in a salon. I started to post more often, partner with brands, join affiliation networks, etc. I finally started to see growth and income!! This boosted my confidence, re-inspired me, and made me so excited about keeping my blog going! This past fall/winter I got this wild idea that I wanted to start an online clothing store and become my own boss full-time. I spent a couple months researching, getting all my business necessities in order, choosing clothing, while still maintaining my blog. This past February, I said goodbye to the salon I loved, took a leap of faith, and launched Shop KarlieRae! This journey has been a long one, but one I am so grateful for! I cannot believe I started my blog 3 years ago and how far it has come! It just shows that everything takes time and consistency!! Nothing happens overnight!
Other than just my love for fashion, I have always wanted and still do want my blog to have a bigger purpose. I hope by topics I talk about, or by building relationships with my readers I can inspire people in other aspects of life too. Whether it is your relationships, faith, self confidence, etc. I want this to be a platform that girls and women can come to to get away from whatever is going on in life and to have a good time and feel good about themselves! There is so much more I hope to come from my blog other than just fashion tips š
My blogging tips for beginners – Now before I start this part. I still consider myself a small blogger. I don’t make crazy amounts of money, I don’t have a crazy amount of followers, I am still learning myself every single day. At the same time, I remember when I was first starting out my blog and I had no answers. I literally knew nothing! I also didn’t know any other bloggers personally that I could ask so it took me years to figure things out. I am going to do more posts that really go into detail with some of these things but here are just some general tips!!
1. Network! Networking is definitely my favorite part about blogging! Put yourself out there. Make friends. Reach out to companies. Join Facebook groups. Whatever your way is to connect with other people whose blogs are a similar niche as yours – do it!
2. Get a domain and website! I got my domain through GoDaddy and my blog is run on WordPress although I started out on Squarespace. Personally, I think Squarespace is the easiest for beginners, especially if you are not very tech savvy!! It is so easy and has been a life saver! When I made the decision to switch to WordPress, I had to hire on help as I found it to be way more confusing!! But I love my new site so I’m happy I made the switch!
3. Use your same Instagram account rather than create a new ‘blog’ one! Why make a new one when you already have an account that your friends and family follow?! Some people WILL unfollow you. That’s just how it will go. But do not let that discourage you!!! The people who actually care will follow and support you. And I will say, a lot of the people who unfollow or aren’t supportive in the beginning will come around once they see how happy you are. I’ve heard many stories of bloggers who had friends unfollow them when they started and then years later reach out asking to help them promote their business!!!
4. Work with photographers or invest in a camera and some sort of editing software! Photos are so important when it comes to blogging!! It is a very visual thing to read a blog so you want to make sure your blog photos and social media photos are appealing to the eye š I’ll go more into photography in upcoming posts but feel free to message me with any questions!!
5. DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF! My last post covered this (here). This industry is very competitive and intimidating. Don’t forget that what makes your blog unique is YOU and that is so special and unique!!
6. Apply to be apart of influencer networks! This will happen with time, but it’s a good way to find campaigns and partnerships with brands š I’ll go over these more in upcoming posts but again, if you have any questions shoot me an email! So far my favorite has been Revfluence!
7. Be yourself! I have personally found that my favorite bloggers to follow are the ones who I feel like I personally know even though I have never met them before! You can see their personality through their captions, blog posts, Instagram stories, everything! I think personality goes a long way and also helps you stand out from the crowd! Another thing that goes with this is – don’t be someone you are not! I post tons of outfits that are budget friendly because that is genuinely how I shop 90% of the time!! People will see right through you if you are fake, but people will also see your authenticity when you are real and it will go a long way!
Like I said before, I will be doing a lot more ‘blog’ related posts for all of you interested in it! Please leave me comments or shoot me emails if these are types of posts you’d like to see! I know they mostly relate to bloggers but I also think a lot of these conversations will be great for business owners in general! Happy Monday babes! I hope you have a great start to your week! Who else is going to be watching Bachelor In Paradies tonight?! Sadly I will be watching…guilty pleasure haha!!
Photos x Molly Meeks
Xx,
Hi Karlie,
I’m in the process of starting my own blog and am getting super stuck on the actual design process. I’m finding WordPress to be confusing as well and was just curious on your experience with hiring help. Expensive? And what all did they help do? Is it pretty common for bloggers to hire help in designing their sites? Thanks for the input!
Hi Amanda! I felt the same way with wordpress, a little overwhelmed! And because I already had an existing blog I also had to transfer all my posts over. I do believe if you are starting from scratch you could do it yourself to be budget friendly! I would suggest finding a theme that you love first! As far as hiring help, I would put a number in your head as a budget and email around letting people know your budget upfront and seeing if they are willing to work with you! That is what I did to keep it in a price that I was willing to pay & it worked out great! I have friends that have created their own sites from scratch on wordpress so it is doable if that is the route you take!! š Best of luck to you girl!! So excited for you to start this new adventure!