Fashion Blogging: How to Start a Fashion Blog (and Make Money Online) in 2024

1. Creative and Financial Freedom

Monetized fashion blogs allow you to make an income while exercising your creativity. As your own boss, you control your schedule, content, and monetization strategies.

2. Build Authority and Influence 

Producing high-quality content and developing an engaged, loyal audience can establish you as an authority in fashion. This influence opens doors to press features, brand partnerships, and other opportunities.

3. Community

Connecting with fellow fashion lovers and bloggers through your content fosters meaningful relationships. Comment sections and social media create spaces for community building.

4. Flexibility

Fashion blogging can be done wherever you have an internet connection and a phone camera. Many fashion bloggers work while traveling the world.

5. Satisfaction from Creating

The joy of producing beautiful imagery and stories around fashion is incredibly fulfilling for creative spirits. Fashion blogging lets you actualize your creative vision.

6. Learn New Skills

From photography to writing to marketing, blogging allows you to gain experience in diverse, in-demand skills.

7. Work With Brands

One of the most exciting aspects of blogging is partnering with brands you love through sponsorships.

1. Your Personal Style and Interests

Focus on fashion categories you’re most passionate about and knowledgeable about. Your content will reflect expertise and enthusiasm.

2. Existing Content

Research fashion blogs in the niche you’re considering to assess saturation and competition. Find gaps you can fill.

3. Ideal Audience 

Determine the specific demographic your niche will resonate most with. Cater content to their interests and needs.

4. Profitability

Evaluate affiliated products, sponsorship opportunities, and monetization options within your prospective niche. Assess long-term earning potential.

5. SEO Opportunity

Use keyword research tools like Semrush to determine search volume and difficulty for your niche. Ensure there is an opportunity for your blog to rank high in search engines.

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Step 2: Researching Your Target Audience

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Once you’ve settled on a niche, take time to intimately understand your target audience. 

Create detailed buyer personas to gain insights into their:

Demographics like age, location, gender, income
Values and priorities
Interests and hobbies
Shopping habits and brand preferences
Content consumption habits
Pain points and challenges

Conduct surveys, read comments on blogs in your niche, and engage with your target audience on social media. 

These insights will allow you to create content that truly resonates with your readers and positions you as an expert who understands their needs.

Step 3: Setting Measurable Goals

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Having clearly defined goals is key to evaluating your fashion blog’s performance and growth. 

Set specific, measurable goals around:

Traffic

Monthly/yearly pageviews 
Website Visitors
Email list subscribers
Social media followers

Engagement

Comments
Shares 
Click-through and bounce rates
Time on site
Email open and clickthrough rates

Conversions

Purchases from affiliate links
Products sold
Email sign-ups
Downloads
Service sales

Revenue 

Advertising income
Affiliate earnings
Product sales
Brand sponsorships
Service sales

Track metrics in Google Analytics and your other platforms. Review monthly and adjust your strategy as needed to hit goals.

Example – Long term, strive for:

50,000+ page views per month
5,000+ email subscribers 
15%+ email open rates
$5,000+ monthly income

This provides a comfortable full-time income for most fashion bloggers. But set goals aligned with your personal vision.

Step 4: Choosing a Domain and Hosting 

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Domain Name

Your fashion blog’s domain name and hosting are the foundations you’ll build upon. 

For your domain, choose something that:

Aligns with your niche
Is short and memorable 
Contains your name or brand
Ends in .com

Good examples:

sarahsustainablestyle.com
ecostyleguide.com
annasplussizefashion.com

Web Hosting

Investing in a reliable hosting service prevents slow loading times that negatively impact search engine rankings and reader experience. We recommend Hostinger shared hosting.

Benefits include:

Easy WordPress installation
Free domain name
SSL certificates for security
Malware scanning and firewalls
Automatic backups
Speed and uptime guarantees
WordPress-trained support 24/7

Hostinger Pricing at a glance

Premium $2.99/mo for 100 websites, 100 GB SSD Storage, and Standard Performance
Business $3.99/mo for 100 websites, 200 GB NVMe Storage, and 5x Performance
Cloud Startup $9.99/mo for 300 websites, 200 GB NVMe Storage, and 10x Performance

MUST GRAB: Up to 90% OFF Hostinger Discount code

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Step 5: Installing WordPress and Choosing a Theme

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Install WordPress

With hosting set up, it’s time to install WordPress – the best CMS for blogging.

To learn how to install WordPress on Hostinger, check out the WordPress Installation guide here.

Choosing the Theme

When choosing a theme, prioritize:

A professional, polished design
Flexibility for customization
Optimization for speed  
SEO features 
Responsiveness on mobile
Support and updates

Top WordPress theme options like Astra and GeneratePress check these features while remaining lightweight and fast-loading. 

GeneratePress Features

Focuses on speed, usability & accessibility above all else to achieve optimal performance 
Easy to set up and get running quickly
Unlock hundreds of customizations, starter sites & block theme building
Ultra-fast load times help you hit the highest scores  
Get help fast with ~98% of requests answered the same day 
Built to work seamlessly with all top plugins & page builders
Follows WCAG 2.0 standards for inclusive design
Available in 20+ languages for global audiences
Optimized code helps you ace Core Web Vitals
Embraces full-site editing & blocks, the future of WordPress
Used by over 1 million websites for speed without sacrificing design

You’ve heard what makes GeneratePress so special – now it’s time to experience it.

Visit the GeneratePress website and try it on your own site.

See firsthand the superfast performance, intuitive customizations, and seamless compatibility that have made GeneratePress the fast and lightweight WordPress theme.

Astra Features

Library of pixel-perfect starter templates to reduce design time
Use WordPress Customizer to change design with no coding needed
Ability to remove title & sidebar for full-width layout freedom
Ultra lightweight for unmatched speed
Visual theme customizer to make it look how you want fast
Manage website container, header, blog, archives, pages, posts, sidebar & footer
Comes with built-in header layouts. More with Pro.
Set fonts & colors to integrate your brand
Control blog posts and archive page design like width, content & meta

Visit the Astra website and try it risk-free to experience the intuitive design controls, lightweight performance, and customizable starter sites yourself.

1. Colors

Use a color palette generator to create a cohesive, aesthetically pleasing palette. Incorporate these hues throughout your blog.

2. Typography 

Elegant, stylish fonts complement fashion blogs beautifully. Try combinations of serif and sans-serif fonts.

3. Logo 

Creating a logo solidifies your brand identity. Canva provides easy DIY logo design.

4. Page Layouts 

Optimize your blog’s layout for visual appeal and UX. Use wide margins, quality imagery, and ample white space.

5. Headers and Footers

The header and footer present opportunities to stylize your blog and add personality.

6. Homepage

Your blog’s homepage layout and design sets the tone for your brand. Optimize it to impress readers.

Step 7: Must-Have Plugins for Your Fashion Blog

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Plugins extend WordPress’ functionality. The right ones can enhance your fashion blog’s user experience, security, SEO, and monetization.

Here are some must-have plugins:

RankMath SEO – Optimizes your posts for search engines by handling elements like meta descriptions and alt text.
Smush – Compresses images to speed up load times. Essential for image-heavy blogs.
Contact Form 7 – Creates and manages contact forms to allow readers to message you.
Social Snap – Allowing readers to share your post on social media platforms with ease.
Easy Affiliate Links – For cloaking and managing all your affiliate links.
WP Rocket – The most popular caching and image optimization plugin to significantly improve site speed. 
MonsterInsights – Provides detailed Google Analytics reports within your WordPress dashboard.
Mailchimp for WordPress – Integrates your blog with Mailchimp to capture emails and send newsletters.

Also, connect your WordPress site to Google Analytics and GSC for in-depth tracking.

As you advance, plugins for popups and security are beneficial. But start with the basics.

Step 8: Setting Up Your Navigation Menu

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Your navigation menu ensures readers can easily access your fashion blog’s most important pages.

Essential pages to include:

Homepage
About 
Blog 
Contact
Resources/Shop (if you have an online store)

Keep your primary menu clean and streamlined. Secondary menus in your footer can include extras like affiliate disclaimers, terms of use, archives, etc.

Make sure your menu stays visible and consistent across all pages on both desktop and mobile. This establishes recognizable navigation.

1. Hero Image or Slider

A bold, beautiful header image or slider relevant to your niche draws attention. 

2. About Me Section

Help readers get to know you with a bio, photo, and your story. Build a personal connection.

3. Most Popular Posts

Showcase your best content to encourage sampling from your blog.

4. Email Opt-in 

Grow your list by offering a lead magnet like a styling guide in exchange for emails.

5. Social Media Feeds

Embedding Instagram and Facebook feeds fosters engagement.

6. Homepage

Your blog’s homepage layout and design sets the tone for your brand. Optimize it to impress readers.

7. Strong Call-to-Action 

Prompt visitors to subscribe, download a lead magnet, or check out your blog. 

1. Write What You Know

The deepest insights come from your own experiences. Share lessons learned, mistakes to avoid, and wins in your blogging journey.

2. Educate, Entertain, Inspire

Provide value through thoughtful commentary, useful advice, styling tips, or touching stories. Avoid superficiality. Craft content that makes readers’ lives better.

3. Optimizing Article Structure

Attention-grabbing headlines  
Scannable introductions setting up the post
Scannable formatting with subheadings and bullet points
Quality images supporting key points 
Clear calls-to-action to comment, share, subscribe, etc.

4. Show Personality

Let your unique voice and perspective shine through. Don’t hold back from sharing your thoughts.

5. Storytell Around Outfits

Contextualize your #OOTD images through stories about why you chose the look or how it made you feel.

6. Answer Readers’ Questions

Pay attention to comments and requests to identify content needs. Then address them in future posts.

7. Link to Related Content

Cross-linking blog posts keeps readers engaged on your site. Don’t force it, only link contextually.

8. Check Readability

Aim for grade 8 reading level or lower. Avoid over-complex sentences and vocabulary.

9. Proofread Vigilantly 

Zero grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors should slip through. Invest in editing if needed.

10. Write Longer Posts

1,500 – 2,000+ word posts rank better in search engines. But only if the length adds value.

11. Publish Consistently  

Posting regularly keeps content fresh and your blog active. Aim for 2-3X a week minimum.

1. Instagram

Share blog post previews, behind-the-scenes, and your high-quality fashion photos. Remember to post daily.

2. Pinterest

Pin blog images and links to fashion and lifestyle group boards. Pinterest drives massive traffic.

3. Facebook

Publish blog post links in relevant Facebook Groups and on your Page. Run occasional ads.

4. TikTok 

Style and beauty niches thrive on TikTok. Post short video content and link to your blog. 

5. Leverage Influencers

Collaborate with micro-influencers in your niche to expand your audience. Exchange content shares and guest posts.

6. Optimize Hashtags

Include relevant hashtags in each post to reach interested users browsing those tags. Identify the best hashtags through analysis.

7. Engage and Interact

Reply to any comments. Follow and interact with users in your target demographic. Provide value whenever possible.

8. Automate if Needed

Social media managers like Hootsuite allow automated scheduling of posts across platforms.

1. Email List

Collect emails through lead magnets. Send 2-4 emails a month with personalized value. Nurture relationships.

2. Commenting

Respond to every blog comment. This shows readers you care. 

3. User Generated Content

Encourage readers to tag you wearing/enjoying products you’ve shared. Regram the best photos.

4. Q&As 

Solicit questions from your audience. Turn FAQs into dedicated posts or content series.

5. Contests and Giveaways

Run contests for free products relevant to your niche. Increase engagement while growing your list.

6. Live Video 

Go live on Instagram or YouTube to interact with your audience in real time. Take questions and get feedback. 

7. Meetups

Once you gain some popularity, organize in-person blogger meetups in your city. Strengthen connections.

8. Facebook Group 

Private Facebook Groups foster ongoing discussion and a tighter community for your most engaged readers.

1. Affiliate Marketing

Promoting fashion retailers through affiliate programs lets you earn commission from resulting sales. Use affiliate plugins to easily integrate links into content.

Catch a glimpse of our most recent affiliate earnings, a notable $3500, all generated through a single affiliate network. It’s certainly something to applaud, wouldn’t you say?

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2. Display Advertising

Join an ad network like Mediavine, Ezoic, or Google Adsense. Display ads on your site tailored toward your niche.

3. Sponsored Content

One of the most lucrative ways for established fashion bloggers to monetize is through sponsored content and brand partnerships.

These collaborations provide a win-win for both you and the brand. When done right, sponsored posts can fund your blogging while remaining helpful and engaging for your audience.

Types of Sponsored Content

Product reviews featuring gifted items 
Outfits and styling tips showcasing the brand’s clothes or accessories
Giveaways co-hosted with the brand
Social media takeovers on the brand’s Instagram Stories or feed
Dedicated blog post or video focused on the brand

Make sure the partnerships align with your niche, aesthetic, values, and audience’s interests. Stay true to your brand identity.

4. Negotiating Brand Deals

When negotiating sponsored content, consider:

Your audience size and influence
Typical engagement rates 
Type of content the brand wants (single post, series, etc.)
Exclusivity expectations
Usage rights for the content you produce

Based on these factors, charge according to the value you’ll provide. As you build clout, increase your rates.

Disclosing Sponsored Posts

Transparently disclosing paid partnerships is critical for building reader trust. Include clear “paid partnership with [brand Name]” text.

Though brand deals provide income, don’t let them overtake your blog. The ideal ratio is 70% non-sponsored content and 30% sponsored maximum.

5. Additional Monetization Opportunities

In addition to the monetization methods covered already, some additional options include:

Paid Subscriptions and Memberships

Offer exclusive content, perks, discounts, courses, and more through paid memberships on platforms like Patreon or MemberSpace. 

Sell Your Own Products or Services

Leverage your influence to create and sell your own ebooks, online courses, wardrobe guides, personal styling services, or other paid offerings. Even small digital products quickly add up.

Create an Online Boutique 

Curate and sell fashion-related products you love through Shopify. Promote the boutique through your blog content. 

Paid Newsletters 

Publish some exclusive, premium newsletter issues only available to paying subscribers. Provide extra value.

Diversify your income streams through a mix of these tactics plus advertising and sponsorships. Multiple monetization avenues provide stability and growth potential.