Saturday, 1 September 2012

INSIDE OUT vs OUTSIDE IN


Why is it important to understand the business side of blogging?

We all know fashion is an industry. A multi-million dollar industry in fact.  But what is becoming more obvious is that bloggers are becoming an essential part of that industry.

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Designer Kelli Wharton of Australian fashion label Tallulah said…

“Social Media and blogs in particular have transformed when, where and how fashion consumers interact with brands and the greater fashion personality.”

 Source: Stacey Vanoska - Blogger to Walk for Talullah MBFWA Show



Source: Photo taken by Francesca Teng

Earlier this year, Nicole Warne, a leading Australian fashion blogger for Gary Pepper Vintage was asked by Australian designer Kelli Wharton to walk on the runway of her label Tallulah at Mercedes BenzFashion Week Australia (MBFWA) after the blogger successfully styled a piece on her own blog which led to the piece being sold out in a matter of days.



Blogger Nicole Warne opens and closes the Tallulah fashion show at the 2012 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia

Source: Photos taken by Francesca Teng


Both Wharton’s comment and Warne’s appearance at MBFWA sparked our interest in the bloggers role within the fashion industry.  It became clear that blogging for some is not only an interest and a passion but a business, one that generates an individual’s income, that creates a name for someone and can potentially deem them with celebrity status both in the online world and in reality.

What was particularly fascinating was how Warne made it from the Internet to the runway in just two years. Essentially her blog had become a brand in itself. 

We were left to ask ourselves: “How did she do it?

As I discussed earlier, passion for the industry is vital however it is not the only criteria for success.  Knowledge of the fashion industry and what those involved within it expect from a blogger is important for a blogger to understand because ultimately the successful blogger hopes to attract the attention of more than just the public fans.  They hope to attract the attention of designers, photographers, boutiques and PR agencies which in tern generate even more promotion, sponsorship.  Ultimately, it paves the way to stardom.

Therefore, rather than telling our audience how to create a successful blog, we would aim to explore how the fashion industry views bloggers.  Instead of stating how to blog we could examine the business side or “backstage” of a successful fashion blog.  While it will still in a sense be a “how to blog” guide, it will offer audiences a different viewpoint – one from the inside out.

 We hope to provide our audience with a chance to understand how the industry views bloggers and comes to understand the role of the blogger in the fashion world.  It will enable potential bloggers to understand what these sectors are looking for in a successful blog, teaching them to be more critical and aware of their own style of blogging and how to make their own online personality stand out in the fashion industry

This will be done by exploring how bloggers are viewed by various influential groups within the industry.  Some of these may include the perspectives of:
  • Designers
  • Photographers
  •  Sponsors and sponsorship of the blog
  • Companies -Promotion of the blog 
  • PR agencies

Most online “how to fashion blog” guides take what we would call an outside in perspective – offering advice on blogging from a public and external stance.  And don’t get us wrong.  This is very important for a amateur fashion blogger but in order for complete success they are not the only factor.  By approaching the “how to fashion blog” from the opposite angle, one from inside the fashion industry, our feature will be differentiated from other already established “how to fashion blog” websites.  It will explore the often overlooked perspectives from within the fashion world.

By understanding the world of fashion blogging from the inside, bloggers will be better equipped to target a greater and more relevant audience.  They will be able to direct their blogs not only to the public but also towards the industry.

After all, as the saying goes, “It’s what’s on the inside that really counts.”

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