Tips for beauty bloggers... Your 2 cents please!

[anita22]

So for a while I've been contemplating my own beauty blog, and I know lots of you guys out there either have your own or else read others' blogs on a regular basis. I was wondering if anyone could share any tips or advice on beauty blogs, or even just blogs in general.

In particular, some of the things I was wondering were:

- What are the challenges involved in maintaining and promoting a beauty blog (besides having to update it regularly)?

- What do you most enjoy seeing on beauty blogs? (e.g. product launches, reviews, FOTDs). Is there anything you've not seen much in other beauty blogs already, that you would want to see?

- What kinds of things do you think make a good blog? (e.g. expertise of the blogger, good design, regular updates, etc.) And what DON'T you like?

Any other tips and advice more than welcome

Thanks so much!

 

[Blushbaby]

Don't produce something that consists of nothing else but press releases copied and pasted from official websites without so much of a sentence offering your opinion on the product/s in question, and then have the cheek to insert a 'donation' button for your trouble! You're not getting a penny of my money!

I'm describing the 'blog' of a very popular YT'er and to be honest, I couldn't believe she had the cheek to even sell it as a blog.

Moving on ...

When everybody is raving about a certain collection/product - try and be different and talk about something else. It can be a bit annoying (not to mention boring) when on your blogger feed you have 15 blogs all discussing the same thing. If you're not stuck for time bang out a few posts at a time so your readers have something else to read if they're sick of reading about Style Warriors!

I really like reading reviews and swatch posts too.

FOTDs I only find really useful if pics are posted step by step so I can see exactly how a look was created. Snapshots of finished looks are cool too but I like the variety of both.

NOTD's are cool and a fun way of putting a new nail polish out there.

Make an effort to reply to messages people leave on your blogs. They've taken the time to read your work and compliment you/offer an opinion.

Personally, I like to 'return the favour' and show support to those who 'follow' me, by following them in return.

Don't clutter your page with every widget going. There are a couple of blogs which are good but are just too busy for me to stay on for too long. I get distracted by the million and one ads down the side and the trillion and one communities they're a member of.

My current blog is the second one I've done. My first which I started about 3 yrs ago was much more private and I've kinda put that to rest now. Blogging can be very time consuming and you need to be dedicated to your new baby to make it work.

If you have a hectic social life, put time aside every week to update it - even if it's just an hour on a Sunday evening.

Good luck and I look forward to readng it when you get it started

 

[anita22]

^ Thanks so much, this was super helpful! Nice blog by the way, I have been looking for more UK beauty blogs so I'm glad I found your link.

I strongly agree about the press releases... it's nice to hear about new collections, etc, but personally I always want to know a bit more beyond what I can read on the brand website.

I haven't really decided whether I will start a blog or not, I kinda wanted to know what I was in for first, hence this thread..

 

[LiAnn]

Some weeks, Real Life wil just ambush you and you won't have time to update. Start writing a "backlog" of posts - opinions on older products, reviews of some longtime releases, tutorials, tips, whatever may come into your brain - and keep five or six of them "on hand" at all times. Then, those weeks when you just don't have the time or energy to research, write something new, et cetera...pull something from your "content storage" and post it. It keeps your blog content fresh, since it's opinions or reviews of permanent products or tutorials it won't "expire" or be screamingly out of date, and it keeps your blog from becoming "a chore to update".

As for what to post...post whatever you want!! I am essentially cataloging my collection, posting information on cross-brand similarities and matches (especially for some no-longer-available items), reviewing some of the smaller MMU retailers, and posting tutorials on my (admittedly meager) experiences with makeup. It will never, ever become "the hot popular blog on the block". But I have fun with it, I genuinely enjoy all the cataloging and crossreferencing and comparisons, and it's something that I'll keep maintaining.

Thinking toward the future: if your blog shifts focus, don't worry. Blogs tend to do that, unless they're multicontributor/commercially funded. Shift focus when you find a new personal passion. If the content is interesting and written well, someone will find interest in it. (This advice doesn't apply if you're being paid to write, obviously. The folks supplying your paycheck may have something to say about what you write / shifting focus.)

Think about including polls - but try to ask questions that require more than a yes/no answer. That will get people talking.

 

[CellyCell]

Recently, I added a new addition to my blog so I can easily update it on a certain day I know I have the time too. So at the top I have "upcoming post" and list FOTD or Reviews I'll be doing on a certain date so people know what to expect and I'm not trying to come up with something on the spot.

I don't like reading reviews that don't have personal pictures on them - just photos of press release. MAC Collection photos are fine - I'm talking about reviews on products without product swatches and such. They're dull to read and look at if I don't see it. Or copy pasting from a beauty site like, "top 10 worst products according you beauty.com blah blah." Zzz. It's your blog, every piece you write should be based on your own opinion, imo! lol.
Try to think of something someone might not have blogged about.
Swatches are popular.

I love FOTDs and NOTDs or OOTD (outfits of the day). Tutorials of whatever is awesome additions to blogs.

Keep photos at a minimum though. 5 should be the most if anything because of page loads. And try to keep photos loaded to a medium-large setting. It's much easier to load then waiting for large photos to be loaded.

No music. I had removed mines because I would get annoyed going to other pages and have loud shit taking over. Just keep the blog looking clean. Not too many widgets or extra photo banners or java scripts.

Constant updates throughout a day is not necessary, imo. Make a few post throughout the week keeps things more interesting. Some people will update 4-5 times a day and I always wondered why they just didn't make one good long post instead of seperate ones?

Clear photos. No webcam shots, don't even bother posting blurry photos. I dunno how many times I see this.

Do watermark all your photos. These bloggers are notorious for stolen images.

Reply to comments and emails. Follow other bloggers and return the favor.

HTH.

 

[supercelestine]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CellyCell Do watermark all your photos. These bloggers are notorious for stolen images. HTH.

ok - please do not laugh, but how do you watermark the picutres?

*googles*

 

[CellyCell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by supercelestine ok - please do not laugh, but how do you watermark the picutres? *googles*

Well, I use paintshop pro and it has a built in watermark application in it.
I customize the text and opacity and location and place it on my photos.
Sometimes I get lazy and just put it on regular text form instead of watermark (watermark just makes text transparent looking).
An easier alternative is opening up paint and just marking it in text.

Here's a how too site.
There's this site to do the watermarking with: Free Watermark

Hth.

 

[supercelestine]

Thank you, CellyCel :~)

 

[kyoto]

I hope this doesn't sound terrible, but I hate blogs where the owner posts constant pictures of themselves. When its completely obvious that all they're saying is look at me me me me me. The fact is that I'm not visiting the blog to look at them, so those blogs don't get a second visit from me. CellyCell and Blushbaby have some very good points and should make for a very good blog.

 

[crystalclear]

Everything mentioned above is good sound advice in my opinion. When I have had too litttle time and need to catch up (exams have just finished) I find that I cant think of a lot to write about but have found that taking a brief note of what I have used or tested since I last posted helps focus my attention a bit better.
Reviews are obviously one of the best things to see in a blog along side swatches, FOTD's etc. I actually like when the writer mentions things about their life and interests (in a safe way which doesnt encourage weird stalker types- v. v. important) that gives a bit of a feel for who they are and if they have similar tastes in specific things for example, purple eyeshadow or false lashes etc. I deffo agree about not using the promotional pictures and reviews without personal input.

Good Luck if you do decide to create a blog

 

[anita22]

Thanks so much to everyone for all your advice!!

I'm thinking I will just take the plunge and do it... It's a little intimidating when there are so many great blogs out there, run by people with such amazing makeup skills. But I will do it more for my own satisfaction than anyone else's I think

 

[makeupmag]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blushbaby Don't produce something that consists of nothing else but press releases copied and pasted from official websites without so much of a sentence offering your opinion on the product/s in question, and then have the cheek to insert a 'donation' button for your trouble! You're not getting a penny of my money! I'm describing the 'blog' of a very popular YT'er and to be honest, I couldn't believe she had the cheek to even sell it as a blog.

Word. This is a pet peeve of mine because I put effort into writing a post. I may not have a flurry of posts every day/week but I do take time to edit my writing. Copying and pasting is just lazy, although some bloggers do bother to package the info prettily.

 

[RedRibbon]

I decided to make a beauty blog and then realised how much work goes into it which is why I only have one measly review on there, this summer I will sort it out and actually put photos of my face up there.

Anita, I'm doing mine for my own satisfaction and to see if I am actually improving on my skills.

I'd say that putting your own opinion in is key as people want to know how products work for us "real folk" and not simply how they are meant to work by those who make them.

 

[bellovesmac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blushbaby When everybody is raving about a certain collection/product - try and be different and talk about something else. It can be a bit annoying (not to mention boring) when on your blogger feed you have 15 blogs all discussing the same thing. If you're not stuck for time bang out a few posts at a time so your readers have something else to read if they're sick of reading about Style Warriors!

agreed! like when the barry m event went on, everyday there was about 3 posts on it!