Tejeshwar Sanddoo of Blueberry Blackout
Aastha Kalia
We all have that one acquaintance in our social circle who calls herself a fashion blogger. She is always popping up on our Facebook feed, posting glamorous pictures. If all that glitz and glamour has got you thinking that blogging was just a hobby, you are mistaken. Contrary to popular belief, fashion blogging is a lot more than just posing Instagramworthy pictures or getting freebies from high-end brands. It takes a lot of hard work to have a successful running blog in the big world of the internet. That then translates into a whooping six-figure salary per month! Blogging: The beginning
Around 2007, when blogging was still a relatively new concept, people would write online with a pseudonym to keep a mystery surrounding their blog. The idea was to share their stories with the readers. Fashion bloggers would then just write about their experiences with a particular brand or review newly launched products anonymously. Gradually, they built a loyal readership on their portals and the readers started looking up to them for fashion advice. That’s when the bloggers revealed themselves to their viewers. One of the major reasons why people connect with bloggers is because as opposed to a magazine, where fashion is restricted to a specific body type and moves around expensive designer wear, blogs are very realistic and practical. Today fashion bloggers have become major influences in people’s purchasing decisions — be it something as small as buying a lipstick or as big as finalising a designer for a wedding. Fashion bloggers are stylists for the common person.“My focus as an influencer is that I style looks on myself and put up pictures of them on my website and social media. These serve as inspiration to style lovers. I explain the look, talk about products and mention their availability,” says Delhi-based blogger Surbhi Sethi, who runs the Blog HeadTilt.Now, the business
With lakhs of followers across social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, these bloggers have proved to be positive influence on social media. And this doesn’t go unnoticed by major brands, who make these bloggers an integral part of their marketing campaigns.Chandigarh girl Devina Malhotra’s Guilty Bytes has won three blogging awards and has a viewership of 5 lakh plus on her blog. “Being a full-time blogger means being on the job 24×7. From brainstorming an idea, sourcing the garment from a designer and arranging for a shoot day to finally sitting on post-production to get it all right is a two to three days work. And this is not as fancy as it seems as you then have to repeat the drill three to four times in a week.” Is she complaining? Not at all. “I can proudly say that I take home a six figure salary and that too while sitting at home and doing what I love,” Devina says. And nothing can match the high of readers recognising you in a mall and telling you how much you have influenced their lives. “That also makes one vulnerable to criticism. I am constantly being judged. I have to be more responsible for the kind of brands I endorse,” she says.In the race
Also gaining ground is blogging for men. One of the new bloggers on the block is Tejeshwar Sanddoo of Blueberry Blackout, who writes about men’s fashion. “With more menswear brands coming up, there is a need for male influencers and the market is gradually accepting the requirement of male bloggers,” he says. However, for him, blogging is more of a passion. “I don’t think a lot of men can take up blogging as a full-time job right now. We have a long way to go.” Amid all the razzmatazz, Shikha Duggal, senior manager brand and communication with a major cosmetic brand, says the sudden rise of such websites is more of a fad than passion. “In the end, only the ones that create credible, unique, informative, engaging and new content for the viewers will survive this race.” Well said.
Getting started
Setting up a blog is not very difficult. All you need is a good camera and a laptop with a strong Wi-Fi connection. Maybe that’s why there are more than 2 million fashion blogs present on the internet currently. The competition is rising every minute, giving brands a lot more options to choose from. “Every blogger has their own vision and we have to fight to stand out with our individual voices in a crowd,” says Varun Singhania of BeardsEyeView. Follow these
- ThatBohoGirl by Kritika Khurana: Her fashion sense is influenced by bohemian culture; a perfect guide for a 20-something girl.
- StyleDrive by Aayushi Bangur: A Mumbai-based blogger, her Indo-western looks are extremely pleasing.
- BigHairLoudMouth by Nilu Thapa: Her bold and quirky style will leave you in complete awe. She experiments and nails it every time.
- Indian Dandy By Amit Hansraj: His take on men’s fashion is very fresh and new.
- TheDapperSquare by Ashkeev Puri and Harman Sandhu: The duo shares blog posts on how to dress on fleek.
