blogging

Over the past few months I’ve made a real effort to make sure that I am known as being an ethical blogger. I want to put out a message that I believe in, whether it be easy or not to do so. I want to attract the right crowd and I want to create a new one! I’m only in the early stages of making this change, but I thought my experiences so far in making the change to become a specifically ethical blogger, might help out those making a change of direction.

IN THIS POST: Blogosphere Magazine Issue 11 

1. Your followers might change…

I can’t say that I’ve lost a drastic amount of followers since publicly changing my social media bios from “fashion blogger” to “ethical blogger”, especially not enough for me to get worried over, but I’m sure that ever since my blog post topics have changed, some of my readers have lost interest.

This can be because of a handful of different reasons. One of the reasons I’m trying to avoid is guilt and the idea that they’ll feel bad for their choices or what kind of lifestyle they lead if they read my blog. That’s not the idea, of course.

Another reason, especially as a fashion blogger who used to post a heck load of outfit posts and feature heavily on affordable high-street brands, might be the fact that you’re not publishing blog posts they “can’t” buy into anymore. Blogs can be a huge inspiration and influence for purchasing new items, and of course what I’m doing now is sharing better options, but for some people, those options just aren’t what they’re looking for. That’s okay. It ties back into the guilt reasoning, in a way.

One of the best ways to deal with this is part of my next point…

2. You’ll be able to work out who to support, and who supports you…

Thinking about quality over quantity is vital when making a shift for the good. I don’t know about you but I’d rather have a handful of readers who are truly interested in my journey and the message I’m trying to spread, than thousands who are reading for the parts of my blog that are in some way still carrying through from when I wasn’t an ethical or conscious blogger.

You’ll be able to pinpoint who has your vision and who to attract in the future. You can narrow down on those who want to help push you on further and that’s rather exciting and refreshing. Your vibe attracts your tribe, as they say.

You’ll also be able to connect with people who you want to push on further. When people get together for positive change, it’s very unlikely you’ll find someone wanting to compete and better only themselves. It’s about bettering each other and the whole community.

3. You’ll realise you can’t do everything…

This point comes from a tweet I received about my personal choices of eating meat. For some people, it might seem two-faced or hypocritical for me to talk about ethical fashion and all of these human rights issues when I still continue to eat meat. I understand where the person was coming from, but there are many reasons why someone might not focus on all aspects of a part of life. It’s about accepting that everyone is on their own individual journeys and we’re not all out to reach the same destination.

It’s also about understanding that you can’t do it all! My blog is about promoting ethical fashion. There is a much greater need for people to start opening the conversation up about the industry than there is for more people to start talking about the issues around food. There are so many more people already promoting veganism and the reasons behind it than there are people talking about why we shouldn’t support fast-fashion and what other options people have.

I don’t want to start focusing on food because fashion is where my heart lies. That isn’t to say I don’t believe in it, though, and that I won’t one day change my diet – it just means that I, and whoever else you’re taking from, can’t focus on everything at the same time. Nobody is perfect!

4. Brand collaborations are about to change dramatically…

I recently turned down the opportunity to work with major footwear brand, Kurt Geiger. If this was a couple of years ago, I would have said yes straight away and easily featured their shoes in a heartbeat. But this isn’t then, this is now and my focus has changed. After trying to get a response about their ethics, I declined the opportunity and moved on because I didn’t believe in working with a brand that didn’t match up to my mindset and beliefs.

They were actually extremely understanding and it was a really wonderful way to start my ethical brand journey, but I’m not going to deny that was a difficult decision.

I’ve worked with brands like New Look and ASOS, and many others which aren’t exactly advocates of ethical and sustainable fashion. Sure, they might be doing their bests at making small changes here and there, but for me, they’re no longer the sorts of brands I want to try and attract unless the collaboration focuses on openly discussing the topics I want to talk about.

So, for those of you who have worked with big brands who you’ve always admired, but want to make the change in able to change the world (dramatic, I know), it’s not going to be easy and I’ll admit that.

Start looking for brands that do have the same mindset, though. Even just following them can set you on the right path. Join in with #EthicalHour or research brands thoroughly when they get in touch. Know who you are working with, and not just by name.

5. Your income probably will too…

Working with different brands will most likely change how much money you earn, too. This is simply because a lot of ethical brands are smaller brands, which means they have smaller budgets, which means… they might not be able to afford what prices you were offering before.

This doesn’t mean you have to personally change anything, but it might mean compromising certain flows of income or settling for something different. Don’t ever undersell yourself or accept something for free if this is the case, though. Your work is still valid as a blogger and you deserve to receive compensation for promoting something so positive to the followers and readers who support it. You have a platform to influence people, and brands and businesses should respect that.

Do you want to start blogging more ethically? Let me know in the comments!

This blog post was of course not meant to deter anyone from going down the ethical blogging route, more as to help you along and bring up some of the challenges I have faced to make them easier down the road for you!

The word ‘influencer’ has started to creep into my vocabulary recently, because I’ve come to the conclusion (along with the media/press) that bloggers (including myself) are now much more than just bloggers. We’re influencers.

WHAT I WORE: Faux Leather Jacket (DIY & Peacocks) // Maxi Dress (ASOS) // Floppy Hat (ASOS) // Rings (Unknown) 

Bought something you’ve seen a blogger wearing? They influenced that decision. Had an opinion changed by a blogger you read every day? They’re influencing your thoughts. That sounds rather 1984/Big Brother levels of scary, but if we can be influenced by brands and magazines in that 1984 scary way, then there is nothing to stop us from being influenced by bloggers (again – including myself), just the same.

I’m not here to talk about beauty standards and societal conformities and that kind of influence though. I’m here to talk about positive influence and my irritation over the fact that Not. Enough. Bloggers. Are. Using. Their. Audiences. To. Make. Change.

I can’t say I’m perfect. I haven’t spoken about racism in the fashion industry, or politics (but I guess with that one I’d be expected to talk about Theresa May’s shoes, wouldn’t I?) on my blog before, and I’m not making petitions and getting you all to sign it, but I am doing my small part in sharing my views and opinions on certain things, specifically ethical and sustainable fashion, and how fast fashion is getting kind of old. So, I am doing something… but just the odd blogger, here and there, in my opinion, isn’t enough.

I’m not here trying to guilt anyone who is a blogger, but I hope that you will agree with me saying that there is a need and lack of bloggers using their audiences to make change happen. Perhaps my frustration comes from the fact that I’m not a huge blogger… yes, okay, I have a few magazine features under my belt (way to blow your own trumpet, Tolly) but I am nothing in comparison to the superstar YouTubers and followed-by-200k-on-Twitter bloggers, yet I am trying my best to put out a message that will only reach a few hundred. These bloggers, with a power and influence that they know they have, could be doing massive amounts to change the minds of literally thousands (if not, millions) of people. But they’re not. Why? Well, that’s the answer I want to figure out.

I’ve seen a few arguments to this question, including ‘It wouldn’t fit in with my aesthetic/blog topic’ and ‘I want my blog to be a place to escape’, or even, ‘There’s somebody else already doing it’. They’re all valid, and if that’s what you believe, then it’s your blog; sure, stick with that. But think about the possibilities of what you could be doing.

If you get comments on your posts, it’s because somebody has taken the time to read the majority of the words within it (and finds it worthy of adding to). That means that somebody is listening to you. Somebody is being influenced by you. Even if it’s just one… that’s somebody who could learn about something important and topical, that they might not have thought about before.

Let’s take me and ethical fashion, for example. I’ve had quite a lot of readers commenting on my blog and saying ‘I never really knew about this before, I’m definitely going to learn more’, which is exactly what I want whenever I talk about it. So what if a blogger with 100 times the amount of readers as I have, spoke about the same issues? That would be 100 times more the amount of people being influenced.

The argument of ‘It wouldn’t fit in with my aesthetic/blog topic’ is a bit of a weak one for me personally. It takes me back to one of the reasons I even wrote this post – Vivienne Westwood (and Ian Kelly)’s book about Vivienne’s life and career. You probably already know, but Vivienne works closely with climate change and combines fashion and her activism into one. When she spoke about this in the book, she said that everything is connected, it’s just finding a way to comfortably connect it that can become a struggle… but, it can be done.

Obviously, if there’s no cause or topic you feel worthy of talking about, then don’t force it just to influence people. Talk about something that you are passionate about and believe in strongly. If you’re a beauty blogger, you can still talk about such topics as ethical and sustainable fashion, because fashion links in with beauty and trends and how consumerism and capitalism do their part. If you’re a book blogger, talk about books which discuss these types of topics.

~ HOW TO SPREAD A MESSAGE ~

Whatever kind of blogger you are – you have an audience that listens, trusts and is influenced by you, so you may as well use that to your advantage. Even if you don’t do it on your actual blog, speaking up about things on social media is important too, because it is even more easily shareable, which means the people you are influencing can then influence their friends and family and their own audiences.

I think it probably hits home to me so much because ethical and sustainable fashion now seems to me, unquestionable. I don’t really understand why more people aren’t talking about it. I’d love for people who do have bigger audiences than me, to start spreading the same awareness. Especially those who have millions of beady eyes watching. I’ve only seen a couple of people who have started to do this, like CutiePieMarzia, who worked on the Fashion Revolution ‘#Haulternative’ campaign, and more recently, Tanya Burr, who is working on the Global Goals campaign which focuses on gender equality worldwide.

The most important part about people such as Tanya spreading these messages, is the fact that she is reaching out to teens. Younger people are being fed knowledge and are starting to question things because someone they watch and admire is telling them that it’s important. She’s using her influence, and really – it’s just that simple.

If you’ve been contemplating writing a post about a topic that is close to your heart, then write it. Use the power you have at your fingertips. If just one person reads it and decides to learn even more, that’s one person you’ve influenced. That’s one more person who might just go off and change the world (even if that sounds rather over the top).

Let me know in the comments what you’d like to see influencers talking about, and how you think it can be done!

Every week my inbox is bound to receive a question related to blogging, and it’s hard to answer every single one individually, so I’ve decided today is the day that I shall answer them all, and for good! Obviously some of you might have different questions, but I know that these are frequently asked ones, so it should help the majority of you, whether you have a blog already, or you have only just started. Don’t forget to leave me any questions in the comments too, I will try and answer them all for you!

What is the best blogging platform?

In my opinion this is very personal. I’ve only ever tried WordPress because that is what my family has always used. I’ve tried Blogger when working on other people’s blogs, and it’s just too dated and fiddly for me. WordPress has such a nice interface! Definitely look up what would work best for you, I’ve also heard that Squarespace is really good too.

How do I get more views and readers?

This is probably the most common question from newer and older bloggers. There really is no simple answer, and without going off on a tangent, you must not forget that views don’t mean everything. Social media, SEO and advertising are three basic and amazing ways to get those readers in, so definitely have a Google search on those topics.

Do I need a fancy camera?

No! You definitely don’t. The latest smart phones and basic digital cameras all do the job perfectly. DSLRs are expensive and are not for everyone. I actually did a post all about this topic so definitely check it out. Don’t go splashing the cash without some research! Oh and for all those asking, I use the Nikon D3200 with the 35mm 1:1.8G DX lens!

(Recognise this ‘lens’? It’s the mug from my Christmas wishlist. SO COOL! Also, follow me on Instagram, yeah?)

How many times a week should I publish a blog post?

This is really up to you, and when your schedule says you can. Things like school, work and family are much more important so don’t let blogging take over other aspects of your life. Perhaps try and blog at least 2-3 times a week, and see if you want to increase or decrease that amount. You’ll find out what works best sooner or later.

How can I get brands to work with me?

Another answer which involves the words ‘don’t worry’, because you shouldn’t. When I started blogging I had absolutely no clue that bloggers could be sent things to review, or just generally work with them. But I know for some older bloggers, still not working with brands can be annoying if you have lots of ideas in your head.

Although some people may disagree, do you know why brands put Press and PR emails on their sites? So bloggers and members of the media can contact them. So many more brands are opening up to bloggers, so if you really want, send a polite and inviting email to them and introduce your blog and idea. If you’re waiting for brands to contact you, then it may just be that your blog still needs to develop.

Brands use bloggers as a form of advertising, so it’s very rare that they will send you something just as a ‘gift’, so don’t be sad if nothing comes. Wait until those readers are rolling in (this can take 2 months, or 2 years), and you’ll see brands rolling in too.

What on earth is HTML?

Coding! It’s the magical stuff that puts together quite a lot of your blog. There is also CSS which puts together most of the structure and design of your blog. I would probably recommend learning some if you have the time. Even if you just learn the basics like how to center an image through HTML tags, or how to change a HEX number in your CSS. It’s really simple stuff that can be vital to the blogging process. If you need some extra help, check out Quack HTML. I’ve found it super handy!

P.S There is a new video going up (or already up) on my YouTube channel… yeah only took me since last summer!

Yes, I was that person who thought YouTubers couldn’t be role models. I was indeed that person who wrote a rant all about it for a piece of homework… but from just one simple video, Zoe (aka Zoella), has changed my mind. I don’t really know how to describe it… (like literally, I am struggling to put words together for this post). I’m not the sort of 14 year old who would go to a book signing just to get a photograph with a YouTuber and I don’t comment and tweet on everything that they say or do, yet I am the sort of person who gets seriously inspired and happy at their achievements…

As you’ll probably know, Zoe is soon to release her debut novel, Girl Online, and in her latest video on her ‘vlog channel’ (MoreZoella), she filmed her trip to the printing house. She filmed most of the journey, from paper roll to hardback book, and I have no idea why or how, but I was overcome with pride and inspiration. Bloggers to me have never really inspired me that much… they have in terms of content, but not necessarily achievements, so I’m shocked to find myself grinning from ear to ear.

I think the major factor to this wave of inspiration, is the fact that she does everything with such gratitude. Zoe shows us that she truly means what she means (…okay, this may not be true, I have never met her, but it sure does look and feel like it…). In this video especially, she showed that she wasn’t just happy and proud, she was truly interested in what she does, and she doesn’t take it for granted. Oh goodness, I literally have no idea what I’m doing in this post… ha! I kind of just want to put it out there that Zoe is a role model. She’s inspiring in this new and different way which I think people need to get used to. Seeing as I kinda’ am part of it (not hugely, but partly), #TeamInternet is doing it right… don’t you agree? 

All I’m saying is that if Zoe can simply film a video of her very own book being printed (surely that’s enough in itself?!), and inspire me, then that makes her inspirational. I hope that Zoe will see this (although I highly doubt it), because she can see that what she is doing is powerful enough to change my mind in one simple video. I want to say thank you to Zoe for not only giving me this new found motivation to carry on doing what I love, but also for showing the world how amazing and powerful the blogging community really is, and for empowering young women everywhere.

(Featured Image via MoreZoella)

This post was going to be about a random piece of banana fibre I found (see here), but I changed my mind and it’s now about blogging. I’ve seen a lot of these posts lately, and I just want to get my words out there. I’m not sure how this will go, but I guess we’ll see!

(Thinking of selling personalised downloads of this? Comment if you like the idea!)

I sometimes say that blogging really isn’t anything special, and I don’t really understand when people say ‘You’re an inspiration’, but when my parents said to me ‘You don’t really know how much work you put into it [my blog]’, it kind of clicked. On top of doing home work, spending time with my family, and trying to just have me time; I’m on my Twitter, emails, Facebook and Instagram promoting myself, brands and anything random to please you, the readers. I feel like other bloggers try and hide the fact by saying ‘I only do it because I love it’, and some of us do, but at the same time, we’re writing and tweeting because people enjoy it. I know it might sound like that isn’t much to you ‘non-bloggers’, but actually when you add it all up, it really is.

Lily Melrose, or LLYMLRS, wrote a really short and sweet blog post about why you shouldn’t give up blogging, and her thoughts were exactly the same as mine are now. Basically, if you don’t put cake mixture in the oven, you won’t get a cake in the end… or if you don’t put the effort, time and energy in, you won’t get all the fun stuff… I prefer the cake version.. yummm cake! I’m not saying that if you’re not doing ‘well’ (well = your own definition of course), that you’re not putting enough effort in, but it might mean that you haven’t been doing it for that long, or maybe you’re setting your standards too high, or putting too many eggs over flour in your mixture (eggs/flour = different content).

These ingredients can mean whatever you want them to mean personally, so I can’t tell you the perfect quantities (#ImSoGoodAtTheseCakePuns), but when you look at these so-say ‘big bloggers’, you have to understand that they whisked and mixed, and put their cake mixture into the oven to get where they are today. Just because their cake is golden and gooey (…just give me my medal now…), doesn’t mean they didn’t think of giving up.

Your goals are your own. Whether you want blogging to take you to a full time job, or you just want to reach 100 followers within 6 months, it will take time and effort. Set mini goals along the way, and slowly (or quickly, depending on how much time you put in), you will reach them. Hey, one of my goals this year was to do a product collab, and I have done it (see here)!, which means it is possible. A cake takes patience, and so does a blog…

Howdy! I’m back again, with a pretty exciting post! You may or may not know that I recently wrote an article on teen blogging for the blogging magazine (that’s a whole lot of blogging), Blogosphere Magazine in their latest Issue #4! I thought I would give you the low down because if I do say so myself, it’s a pretty cool issue 🙂 Just so you know, the Company Blog Awards results are in and unfortunately there was nothing for me! 3rd time lucky for 2015? I hope so! Thanks so much if you voted/nominated though, it means a lot! 

BLOGOSPHERE ISSUE 4* – E-VERSION £3 – PRINTED VERSION £4 // DINOSAUR NOTEBOOK*

Blogosphere is a magazine written for bloggers and by bloggers. From photography to *cough* teen blogging, each issue covers everything you might want to know whether you are a reader or a writer. Don’t forget every issue has an awesome cover star and interview, Issue 4 is with Louis Cole, with past issues being covered by Essie Button and Fleur De Force‘s faces, so you could say it’s a pretty high profile publication. They allow bloggers to submit pitches, and mine was one of the few to be accepted! Woop!

Cover Interview (p23) – I never used to really ‘get’ Louis Cole, but after reading this interview and watching a few more of his vlogs, I finally do. He’s so down to earth and generally lovely and doesn’t come across as ‘fake’ as some other vloggers. If you want to know more about how he lives his adventure, I would definitely recommend reading this!

Photography (p63) – I don’t follow enough photography bloggers seeing as I love snapping away, and it is so nicely put together! A short piece, but is lovely to flick through!

Rise of the Teen Blogger (p55) – Da-dah! The article which was written by yours truly! Pretty snazzy, huh? I decided people need to know the ins and outs of what us young bloggers get up to, and I thought well, why not share it in a magazine? It’s a 3 page article (cray cray), where I discuss what I’ve achieved so far, the pros and the cons, as well as 4 of my favourite fellow teen bloggers. It’s accompanied by some of Blogosphere’s very own illustrations also! Want a bit of a cheeky snippet?

”Blogging, like anything, doesn’t really bring much for a while, unless you know somebody who can get your name under somebody’s nose. It wasn’t until I was about seven months in that I decided to pluck up the courage to send an email to a brand. I got a reply, and, within the following two weeks, an outfit post on my father’s iPhone was published.’

It was really fun to write and finally see it all on high quality paper, with my picture on the contents page. Essie Button (previous cover star like I mentioned) said in one of her vlogs that she was reading the issue… I squealed inside of the thought that she may have read my thoughts… wahhh! Make sure you pick up your own copy here and tweet me your thoughts @TollyDollyPosh 😀

This is another post in my Blogging Top Tips series, and I hope you are enjoying them so far! This is a post which I can connect with, and I know a lot of other bloggers will too, so sit back and enjoy my ‘ramblings’ – I hate that word.

Success & Features: I am very fortunate in the fact that I have had some good successes and features so far. I have to say it, but I am very proud. But, it isn’t the be all and end all. I know some blogs which are so good, but haven’t had any features, not even ones on other blogs. The fact that makes their blog good is the fact that people enjoy reading it, not the fact that they don’t have their face on magazines. Most non-blogging readers will have no idea what a ‘Liebster Award’ is, so they really are not gonna’ care if you don’t have that green button on the side of your blog. Nah-ah. Not one single bit. Having a successful blog doesn’t mean having features. It means being happy with what you are doing, and not what other people think. Success is personal, I believe, so don’t worry about what other people think. As long as you are happy, you are successful. If you do have success in getting a feature well done. Don’t be shy in sharing the news! I really dislike it when people let you know personally all the time, on small things though. Not only are you appearing boastful, you also appear like you don’t care that the other person may feel like they are a ‘failure’ (read on), because they haven’t had a ‘success story’ so far.

Numbers & Followers: On a similar note, numbers are not what’s important. In my eyes, if you have 10 followers, of which are high up people, or people who really support you, that is all that matters. It is way better than having hundreds of thousands of people who don’t even know who you are, but follow for a chance of getting a follow back, isn’t it? So don’t worry about the number, just think about the people who make up that number. It also doesn’t matter if one blogger has more than you, because once again, they may have hundreds of spam followers, and you may just have a few very special ones!

‘Failure’: Let’s just get this straight. There is NO such thing as failure. Just because you see another blogger with more followers or page views than you, it doesn’t mean you are a failure. If you have a week off or two and aren’t able to keep up blogging and tweeting, you are not a failure. Whatever, you are not a failure. You may feel that way, but you are not. Having a break simply means you have a life. Having lower followers simply means, well nothing, we just covered that. Just because your views go down for a few days, doesn’t mean you are a failure. YOU ARE HUMAN. YOU ARE NOT PERFECT. IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE A FAILURE. End of.

I hope you enjoyed part 2 of this series as much as you did the last one (Thank You!). I have another installment coming up when I get back from my break (Er, I’m such a failure! I can’t keep up with all the chats. Er, I suck.) See what I did there?