#MBFWA | KEY TO SUCCESSFUL BLOGGING

O gosh, Fashion Week has officially started! Yesterday I attended the Fashionchick blogger event at the NRC cafe and as I promised to keep you updated on what I am up to these days I thought I would share some of the highlights with you. And highlights there were! Not only was it really nice to catch up with my fellow bloggers, it was also nice to hear three seasoned bloggers talk about what they think made their blog such a succes. Monique van Loon, Yvonne Eijkenduijn and Anouk Bos shared the ins and outs, do's and don'ts and secrets of blogging with us. I am going to spill the beans for you here so that you can make your blog the best it can be too. Read and learn!

Passion is everything

So let's start with what Monique had to say. I was really surprised to learn that Monique started Girlscene when she was only 14 years old. Such a little entrepreneur! The fact that she started her website at such an early age also taught her the greatest lesson of blogging: "Do not let other people tell you what you can or cannot do. If you are confident about something, just go for it!" An advice which I think we should all take to heart, not only in blogging but in life in general. But make sure your content is great, both in pictures and sound. Ask yourself the question: Is it interesting enough to share with your friends?

Monique also warned us girls for being too focussed on monetizing our blogs. Because although it is possible, our focus should be on our content. Something that not only takes a lot of hard work and effort when produced properly, but also requires real passion. Money is just a bonus that will come naturally if you work hard on something you love. According to Monique, passion for the topic your blogging about is the key to successful blogging. And with her second online hit - culy.nl - going sky high at the moment I think she has got the goods to back that up. 

Keeping it real

To be honest with you I did not know Yvonne yet before yesterday 6.30 PM. But I totally fell in love and think I will be a regular on her blog Yvestown from now on. After 5 years of sharing her life on her blog Yvonne told us that she realized that the beauty of blogging is the fact that you are able to inspire people that you would otherwise never have met in real life. Something that I personally love about Yvestown is that it really focusses on Yvonnes life only. Well okay, on the lives of her loved ones too. The big question is though: How do you get other people interested in your life? According to Yvonne you need your family and friends, a valuable network and sponsors. Especially your on and offline network is an important component of succesvol blogging. So work hard on building one! Start commenting on other blogs, be active on social media and get to know your fellow bloggers. Because although blogging takes place online, you need to grow your network in the real world. So be nice to your readers, fellow bloggers and the brands you are working with.

Blogging is business

Although both Yvonne and Monique mostly talked about the importance of passion and having a valuable network, Anouk started off with some depressing numbers. Because although you may have already known that there are a lot of bloggers out there, I can assure you that there indeed are a-l-o-t. 18.1 million other bloggers are trying to make it to the top nowadays. Luckily for us, about only one percent of those blogs are quality blogs. And as we probably all think that our blogs do not suck, we statistically have a really good chance of succeeding in the blogoscene. Anyway, let me introduce you to Anouk properly first. Anouk is the founder of the successful blog pact Creators of Desire, my go to place for interesting blogs. Like I said, Anouk had a different approach to blogging than the other two girls. It resulted in these blogging do's and don'ts. Are you with me?

1. Vanity

"You're so vain" Carly Simon already sang in 1972 "you probably think this song is about you". Well, it is not. Although blogging sometimes comes close to vanity, it is really important to keep on being you. Not an arrogant version of yourself.

2. Greed

Did you once accept that not so pretty sweater from a not so interesting brand? Never do that again. Your blog should reflect your style instead of being just an online billboard. You have to keep it real, otherwise your readers will loose interest.

3. Lust

Resist the temptation to copy influential bloggers. The key to succes is your authenticity. Find a niche and do what you do best: being you!

4. Jealousy

We are all jealous of others' succes sometimes. But do not let it get a negative thought. Think about what you should do to make your blog just as successful as the ones you envy. But keep lesson three in mind, no copying aloud!

5. Gluttony

Guard the quality and quantity of your messages. Spamming is never useful. Choose your messages wisely and take it easy.

6. Rage

Always stay professional and do not let your emotions get in the way of your blogging.

7. Laziness

Work hard! If you are not working hard, you will not get to the top. So get off that couch - or stay on it if that is your place to write - and produce a constant flow of quality posts.

Listening to these women was such an inspiration. So thank you Fashionchick for this lovely evening!

-xoxo-

JP