Blogger Conversations: Questions every blogger should ask themselves

During the October Stylish Beehive meetup, Apryl and I had a very stimulating discussion about what it means to develop your niche and the importance of a social media presence in blogging. It was wonderful because this was the whole point, in my mind, of fashion blogger meetups. To meet like-minded people who not only understand what you're talking about when you wax poetic about the optimal lighting and backdrop for an outfit post, but are actually interested in it, too.

Apryl and I hit on several different topics, jumping from one tangent to another, with a small dose of ranting in there, too (hey, venting can be healthy, right?). Here are a couple of the topics/questions that came up that really struck me as important.

One: What's your niche? 

It's been said over and over that niche blogging is the smart way to go. It's what sets you apart from the vast sea of fashion bloggers out there. But I found this question surprisingly hard to answer. What is my niche? What sets my blog apart? What do I have to offer that brings people back?

Apryl made a great suggestion with starting by figuring out what your niche is not. For example, I know I'm not a great shopper that knows the ins and outs of finding great deals. I also know that, while I know how to do my own makeup, I'm not a beauty expert by any stretch of the imagination. Using this process, I already feel like I'm starting to get a better view of what exactly my niche is.

Two: SEO and your social footprint. 

I admit, I had a lot of fun talking social media with Apryl. It's nice to have someone who doesn't roll their eyes when I say "I have to get a post up on Facebook really quick". We talked about how it's important to understand some SEO basics to improve your Google ranking, but that your social footprint is probably more important. It shows how you interact with the internet world and broadens your reach.

While having a full-blown, up-to-the-minute presence on every single social media platform that's out there is probably impossible (in our opinion, at least), it's important to know what's out there so you can find what you like best and use it to your best advantage.

I'm interested to know, what do you consider you niche? Have you clearly defined it? And are you using SEO and social media to expand your blog's reach?

Stay tuned for next month's Stylish Beehive meetup. There might even be a fun beauty activity in store.

august event announcement

Our first meet up at the Coffee Connection introduced us to Beatriz Flores of Bootz, Inc., a local fashion blog that features clips of Beatriz's amazing style and a round up of fabulous tips every Friday. Beatriz also writes the blog for the SLCC Fashion Institute's Fashion Club, where she covers the club's events and local fashion shows. She's obviously a woman in-the-know with a very fashionable future ahead of her, and we're very happy to have her as a part of our group!

Our next meet up will be held on Thursday, August 23rd at 7pm at Bruge's Waffles & Frites in downtown SLC (336 West 300 South). Join us for some breakfast-meets-dessert and blogger networking - RSVP by commenting below, emailing Jennifer or on the Facebook event.

Sharing is caring: Invite bloggers you know by sharing this post! Tweet it, Facebook it, Tumblr it and re-post it on your own blog so that your friends know to join us. Save either of the images above to use as an invite for easy networking, and be sure to include the link to the Facebook event (http://on.fb.me/OngK05). Comment below with a link to your blog so we can add you to our list of local bloggers!

utah style bloggers: introduction

Contrary to popular belief, Utah is not completely devoid of style. There are those of us among the populace of this red state that believe in dresses and skirts as more than just church wear, and it is possible to be comfortable in heels that are not foam flip-flops.

Founded by Rebecca of Rebecca (hearts) and Jennifer of Frayed Threads, The Council of Utah Style Bloggers is an ongoing organization-in-progress for the education and development of fashion and style bloggers. Whether you blog solely as a personal hobby or you're looking to go pro, join us to meet other bloggers in (and out of) your niche, network with bloggers and businesses, exchange ideas, gather inspiration and (most importantly) learn about how to develop your blog in the direction you want to go.

Right now, we are an informal group that meets a few times a month for coffee, but we are looking to expand in the future to include workshops, seminars, speakers, parties and more to aide in the growth of your blog. Any bloggers in the area are invited to join us; meetings and announcements will be posted here as soon as they are announced, so check back often.

Want to get involved? We'll be meeting up for coffee sometime in the next few weeks; check back soon for an exact date and location, but in the meantime feel free to email for more info.