Ri(t)ch Styles turned 5 years old this week! A milestone I am so excited and proud of! Unbelievable as it seems, its 5 years since I started this blog on a rainy rainy day, which today I believe was God showering me with 'Good Luck' and 'Success' for the lovely days of blogging that lay ahead of me :-)
I still remember the lovely fashion blogs I used to read in 2009, and think what a great job those bloggers did. Then one fine day it hit me to start my own blog to express myself, where I could share my ideas, outfits, tips and a lot more and that’s how Ri(t)ch Styles came into being. I remember sitting on my laptop trying to figure the best platform to have my blog on - figured that blogger was simpler than wordpress, signed up and four days later I was on my way. Those 4 days were spent figuring the best ways to post, picture sourcing details, kind of content that I would post, linking back and alignment(ughh - it sucked then) issues. I had no clue then as to how many people beyond my family and friends and clients(styling business) would read it, but I was highly motivated to get it going! Today I'm glad I took that step, and it has been one of the best decisions of my life.
The blog started as a fashion blog and the focus still remains that, but it has transcended into a lifestyle blog that also encompasses beauty, travel, food and other related aspects of lifestyle. In these 5 years the bouquet has become bigger with the
Facebook page,
Twitter,
Instagram and finally a
YouTube channel getting added to the Ri(t)ch Styles family.
Over the years I've had various experiences that have resulted in some learnings that I would associate with a successful blog and blogger, and sharing it with you guys was the apt thing (especially for all those of you who have regular questions about how to start a blog and go about it). It took me a while to find my way around as well, nothing is in place right from the start, but these can help like they still help me to get better every day :-)
The frequency of your content doesn't matter if your content doesn't engage or give out some kind of information to your reader. Even if you post everyday but the content is not of any interest to your reader, then your efforts are going to go waste. Also if yours is the same content that is on numerous other sites, then the reader doesn't have anything new to read on your blog. I stay away from copy-pasting press releases as I believe in customised content for my readers/followers and my brands. As per feedback from people, this has really helped my blog in standing apart from a lot of others. Also copying or plagiarizing content is a big NO-NO - Be Original!
Blogging is not just about writing and putting up some pictures. It is way beyond that. You have to be passionate about what you are doing and the topics you are writing on. Please do not think of starting a blog just for the fun of it. You will lose interest eventually like a lot of bloggers that I have seen come and go in these 5 years because of their lack of passion. You have to keep the blog posts coming and be consistent so that your readers stay engaged. Blogging has to become a part of your daily life - not in terms of churning a blog post out every day, but atleast in thought and planning so that your blog takes shape well.
- Patience and Positive Attitude
Patient bloggers do not let lack of response or not touching their targets in terms of numbers or page views or comments get to them. It takes time to generate traffic but you should keep churning out blog posts irrespective of the response, believing that sooner or later things will turn around for you. Sometimes a lull comes even from brands getting in touch with you, but treating it positively like an intermission/break for some breathing space works, before reader responses/brand work starts pouring in again. Also there may be days that you face 'Bloggers Block' where your mind is not able to churn out ideas. Don't worry, it's just a matter of time before you get your groove back!
- Be Approachable and Friendly
You need to be approachable as in be really interested in knowing your followers and fans where in they should be able to reach you through comments, emails and your social media platforms and you should equally interact with them. Nagging followers/stalkers should be politely handled until and unless they cross their limits and that is when you should stop engaging or block them. Networking and meeting other bloggers at events or through other mediums like networking platforms, blog comments and more is also important. It helps you learn and grow as part of a community. I have had the privilege of meeting some great bloggers that I have formed healthy relationships with. Building friendly bonds and having a good understanding with the brands you work with is also key. Everything at the end of the day is built on relationships.
It is important to keep improving and learning in order to stay relevant to your followers. There is no end to learning even if you are getting more and more popular. In fact the pressure increases to do better in every way. Learning from mistakes is vital as well. Embracing feedback and trying to work on it to improve is essential. Read, interact with the industry, acquaint yourself with new happenings, mingle with peers - basically do whatever it takes for you to keep educating yourself further in order to educate your readers.
While there are a lot more learnings, these are the most important ones that I thought I should share :-)
Thank you to all you lovely people who have supported me in this journey through your reads, follows, comments, motivation and referral to friends and family. I truly appreciate it especially through through the last one year where I haven't been as regular due to my pregnancy, but you guys stuck around. Love you all!
Cheers to many more 'Ri(t)ch and Stylish' years ahead!
If you like what you see on Ri(t)ch Styles and want to stay updated regularly, follow Ri(t)ch Styles on
You can also email me on ritchstyles@gmail.com :)
