Friend Friday: My Blog is Bigger Than Yours
January 7, 2011 by Arash Mazinani
Filed under All Content, Friend Friday, Ladies
I’ve been away for a while recovering from the christmas period. However, normality has ensued and I have returned. My first post of the new year is something that I have been wanting to do for a while. If you’re a fan of fashion blogs you may have come across modlychic’s Fashion Beauty Friend Friday. It took me a while to figure out what it was but when I kept seeing the posts on gritandglamour I enjoyed the topics that were covered. For those that are not familiar with it FBFF was started by modlychic to help fashion bloggers connect and share more about themselves. It had been on my ‘to-do list’ for a while but I finally pulled my finger out and signed up last night.
This week’s friend friday topic is about how you view your own blog and how you feel it stacks up against others.
Have you ever looked at someone’s blog and thought yours will never
measure up?
Hell yeah, all the time, but recently I’ve snapped out of it. I used to be obsessed with statistics looking at page views, unique visitors and followers thinking that was what determined a successful blog. But everyone has their own goals and aspirations and therefore an individual definition of success. As soon as I stopped worrying about the statistics and just ‘let it be’ I started enjoying the blogging process a lot more.
But it’s like most things in society we are constantly competing with each other, in the work place, trying to keep up with the joneses etc This fuels a state of mind where you’re constantly worrying about what other people think instead of letting go and focusing on you. To bring it full circle and back to fashion this mindset often stops people from really wearing the clothes they want and expressing themselves in the way they’d like.
Do you feel pressure to meet some undefined standard for fashion bloggers?
I don’t really feel any pressure to be honest. When I started I had a clear idea of what I wanted to do with this blog, then afterwards I became aware of the fashion blogging community. So for a good couple of months I was writing articles unaware of other fashion bloggers other than the huge ones like the sartorialist. Then when I did find some of the big well known ones I just didn’t get the hype.
One of very few outfit pictures you'll see me post
Many established fashion bloggers are also extraordinary DIYers, bakers, and crafty people. Do you think you need to combine all of these things to be successful at blogging?
Definitely not. I mean blogging is huge there are blogs on every topic imaginable. I think the main thing you need to do to be successful is just enjoy yourself. Don’t get caught up in the statistics, pick a topic you like and then just put your soul into it. After that, let the chips fall where they may.
There some really cool blogs that do feature DIY, crafty stuff and baking but there are plenty of others that don’t. Personally if I want to cook I reach for a cook book, usually Jamie O.
The most successful blogs are the ones that have their own personal voice - How are you developing your voice or how did you find yours?
I don’t really consider myself a good writer, in fact when I first started out my girlfriend used to pick apart my posts point out grammatical errors. I also think that when I started, my voice was a bit clinical. I’d say I’m still finding my voice, the more posts I write the more I try and put my own personality and character in to them. It’s something I’ve had to learn to do. I’m also trying to make sure I still bring a male perspective to fashion, especially women’s fashion as we’re a bit of a rare breed in the fashion blogosphere.
Toot your own horn…what’s one thing you do that’s unique to you and your blog? What gives your blog an edge?
I think again bringing a male perspective on female fashion topics. I also want to make sure that the majority of my content would be as relevant in 3 years time as it is today. So someone wanting some style advice could read a post that was written a while ago and still learn something from it.
I also keep the place advert free. Big bold advertising on blogs puts me off reading it so it’s not something that I’d want my own readers to endure.
But hey if you’re reading what makes you visit this place?
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Welcome back Arash!! I’ve been missing your post!! this one is awesome though, I read grit and glamour blog now and then but never heard about FBFF, am going to check them out.
<3
http://reserveradefashion.blogspot.com
Cool post!
Happy new year and welcome back Arash. :0)
xx
Funny about your girlfriend, my boyfriend always has the last say on my posts, in terms of grammar and syntax that is
I love visiting your site because, and I hope it doesn’t sound sexist, but, because you’re a guy. There is something about the point of view of a man, his opinion on style and fashion and the craziness of it all that I personally find refreshing, and very interesting. And that is why you are one of my favourite reads. The more I think of it I think I want to write about you, yes. I really need to feature you in my site, if that’s ok? speak soon xxx
Aww thanks, I’d love to be featured on your blog I’m flattered
Like this post, I’ve been thinking of joining myself but haven’t taken the plunge yet.
About the IFB links, it’s not that hard (once you figure it out, because I’ll admit I was confused at first too) – If you login, you click on useful links (the bar where you also have dashboard, home, my profile,…) There you see different topics posted. Always post your link in the latest links a la mode (you have to submit your ‘best post’ (according to yourself) by Tuesday (midnight New York time) and they get published on Thursday). If you get picked (a comment or pingback will alert you of this or you can check for yourself on the site) you have to post the ifb links a la mode post on Monday at the latest (following the Thursday it was published on IFB). If you post your link in the forum (with the correct date) you always include a short description of your post and a direct link to it. Does this make sense?
brunetteblogging.com
Yeah I think so I think I need to sit down and follow your instructions step by step and it will become clear. Thanks for explaining how to do it I really appreciate it.
Thanks for the mention, Arash, and welcome to #FBFF! I am sooooooo glad to have a guy joining in this convo, you have no idea. I found so many of your answers to be similar to mine too…perhaps we have the same personality…which is why we keep coming back to each other’s blog.
••V••
http://www.gritandglamour.com
@gritandglamour
Hi! I just found your blog and I love it! This post is great, RT`d it
xx Anika
Aw thanks Anika, I’m glad you love the blog I’ll be sure to check yours out
Welcome to the FBFF community and you get extra special props for being the first guy to contribute! Hopefully a couple others will follow suit. Loved your responses too and glad to see you snapped out of comparing your blog and are just focusing on what you do best. – Katy
I absolutely loved reading your answers Arash, it’s really great to read the perspective of a male blogger in such a female dominated field. Very refreshing!
Glad to see you on board with Friend Friday and I like what you have to say about having content that will be relevant 3 years from now.
Awesome answers! I, by the way, also like getting your male perspective on fashion–even if it’s critical or I don’t agree. I am always fascinated by things like guy-pretty vs. girl-pretty and so it’s interesting to hear what’s going on in the heads of you men (because in real, non-blog life, I never know…Ha!). I also think it’s hilarious that your girlfriend picked apart your writing for grammar points. (Don’t judge her too much–it’s honestly something that is just programmed into some of our minds…not that I know about that…ahem…of COURSE.) You’ll totally keep finding your voice more and more as you go along. I’ve found I have developed multiple voices; one for every site I work for, and my own blog, which is distinctly unique. It’s pretty cool to have a multi-faceted writing personality, although the most important voice is for SSN. Because it’s mine alone. Yay for that!
I enjoyed reading this. If I had time, I would totally figure out what this Fashion Beauty Friend Friday is. It sounds cool. I am just running on EMPTY these days. Eh, well. Summertime, it’ll be a goal. :]
Have a great weekend, Arash!
As always great post and very relevant. First, love reading and seeing your opinion because there is a lack of the male perspective in fashion especially- womens’ fashion.
As for blogging, it has become so competitive. Subscribers, stats, quality and content. It is nice to see what other bloggers have to say.
Unless you are getting paid to blog because it is a job and we all know a job can’t be fun…right..I’m kidding. No, but a blog should be fun and the content should be fun too. Something you enjoy writing about. Because if you don’t enjoy writing about it then the reader won’t enjoy reading it. I guess that is something I always try to keep in mind.
-Madeleine
I feel what you are saying and welcome to FBFF. We can get so caught up in the hoopla of thinking numbers means success that we forget about what we start our blogs for in the first place. I like your statement, “Don’t get caught up in the statistics, pick a topic you like and then just put your soul into it.”
what i like about your blog is to read a male’s perspective. it doesn’t matter if a boy or a girl reads your blog, the topics are for both – perfect! i hope you will continue with blogging many more years!
Arash, I really liked reading your responses. I always kind of felt FBFF questions were geared towards female bloggers so it is oddly refreshing to see that a male blogger can do it and do it pretty well.
As for the answer to your question, the H&M I frequent is never properly stocked with basics….in fact they love to display the trendiest item possible in their store and basics are hidden in various obscure corners. The t in question was found in the girls section and to this day I have not seen one like this in the woman’s section. Oh well…whatever works…right?
Look forward to hearing from you
Love
Tashrin from Canada
Love this post Arash! Very true too, until I started blogging I had no idea how many bloggers were out there and how many networks were around too, i’d love to spend hours reading them all but find it difficult because time flies, I enjoy listening to everyday perspectives thats not covered in red tape. Must admit when I first started posting I used to get really embarrassed when people commented because as silly as it sounds I didn’t expect anyone to read it and it felt more like a diary lol. Lot’s of people ask me how I think of what to write everyday which is always difficult as it’s never really planned, but I want to start concentrating on what i’m writing more rather than just day to day stuff. How long does it take you to research and prepare a topic?
Vx
Good Question, it varies sometimes I know what I’m going to write about a couple of days before. I prefer it when I do, I hate having to think up a topic to write on the day I’m going to write. I know some people are a little more organic with their posting just writing when they have a topic. But due to my lack of free time I have set times in the week when I update my blog.
When it comes to the research if I know what I’m writing about well I can just do it from the top of my head other times I usually spend about an hour looking into it then an hour writing it. Most posts take an hour from sitting down and writing to hitting the publish button.
You’re so organised! haha to be honest it shows, your topics always seem thought about, must admit unless i’m going on holiday I never just the take a day to organise a few posts, even backup ones which is really bad, remember sitting at laptop 11:30 at night absolutely creased at the lack of my inspiration clock watching trying to get one done in half hour eek! Although as my blog matures really want to start getting into better habbits
that and some sort of re-vamp, i’m sick of looking at my colour scheme lol….. do you get lot’s of little technical things you spot that you want to change but if you attempt it completely wrecks your site? haha i’m really thinking of replacing my forum too lol
Vx
To be honest to get the site how I wanted it, it took me 3 months. I’m ok doing little bits myself but I were to do a complete overhaul I would probably just pay someone to do it purely to save myself the time. This is how my theme looks in it’s normal state http://www.studiopress.com/demo/church.html
Thats cool; this is mine lol http://www.pixelthemestudio.ca/wordpress-themes-and-joomla-templates/25-evening-shade-theme-template pretty similar to template haha, normally if I mess up too bad and completely delete a widget or something i ask my bro who’s a wiz at the seo side just not the actual code writing etc. lol neway of to bed me thinks, have a fab night dude n catch up soon
Vx