J'adore Blogging: A Girl Bosses' Shopaholic Guide
Updated: Dec 11, 2022
Earlier this year, I launched my Blog. I had no guidance, no model to follow and propelled head first into a blizzard. It may surprise you, Dolls, but my crazy, daunting method was entirely intentional... I wanted my Blog to be unlike any other Blog on the web and influenced purely by my sparkly pink brain. The result? The Confessions Of A Shopaholic (A.K.A. COS) Blog was born. The best thing about being a girl boss is learning from, supporting & admiring other girl bosses. Lucky last is a teachable segment from one of the most successful, long-lasting & capable girl bosses I know!
AUDIENCE
The first code of conduct in creating something completely magical, transformative and grand is detecting the precise audience that will whole-heartedly grab its concept. Just as you wouldn't see me pitching my startup perfume brand to a group of tradies, you must pitch your new, shiny baby to the sector of people who have an obsession, infatuation, and burning desire for every topic that you do.
Here are some of the questions to ask yourself in narrowing down who your loyal subscribers are going to be:
What is likely to be the predominant age group of my subscribers?
Are there particular nationalities who will have an increased interest in my content?
Are there certain topics that retrieve better views, traction & clicks?
Is there a specific gender identity more drawn to this content?
Once you've found your loyal subscribers, your precious Dolls and devoted Shopaholics, you will have secured a digital family, a safe space and a like-minded community. But magnificently, you will also have an audience that feels seen, heard, understood, valued, validated and important. Once you achieve this, everything else will fall into place... You will have found your why, an enduring motivation and the people who will eternally grow your network through word of mouth and social media.
SITE DESIGN
Pin-pointing your audience is all good and well, but without an enticing exterior to present your posse, all of your hard work will be wasted. People don't just like Louis Vuitton wallets, ingot silver Ford Mustangs and diamonte Rolex watches for any old reason... Scientific evidence explains that this innate human infatuation is an evolutionary reason for survival where we gravitate to the glossy surface of water. Just like it's crucial to stay hydrated, Dolls, it's essential that your blog has that special element of infatuation.
Aesthetic & Appropriateness
For me, pink is at the core of everything I do because to me it's not just a colour, it's an energy. However, for my best friend, the colour of her aura is blue because her energy lies with the water, the environment and the calm. Your task is to find the colour that is the medium between your soul and your Blog's soul.
What colour resonates with the topics you'll be discussing?
What colour can you spend the most time looking at? (Rank each colour 1-7)
Let's say you are starting an environmental Blog and the colours you can spend the most time looking at go in the order of 1. red, 2. orange, 3. yellow, 4. violet, 5. blue, 6. green & 7. violet. The environment has heavy associations with the colour green but you despise it. This is where it's helpful to recognise that although your favourite colour is red (which has little environmental association), you can tolerate looking at orange and yellow for long durations of time. The sun, fire, daisies, and recycling bins are all examples of opportunities to link your Blog's aesthetic appropriately to its contents.
Simplicity
I don't doubt that each and every one of my Dolls has, at some point, furiously attempted to navigate the site of an incompetent site owner and given up, had a meltdown or closed the browser as a result. Either way, the outcome of having a site that's a bitch to use is never going to result in the fun, exciting type of gossip your Blog deserves. My tips?
Use common, simple & non-complex English vocabulary across headings and subbranches.
Have 2-4 major categories that each Blog post can fall under.
Don't have more than one place to find the same thing EG. A comment section on the home page AND the contact page.
CONSISTENCY
Luckily, blogging isn't an exception to most good things in life...
Consistency is the key to goodness!
Having a blog post schedule was fundamental in seeking engagement across my posts. It also assisted me in harnessing the fuel that was my motivation, enticement and passion for the COS Blog. I now look forward to my day-to-day and week-to-week schedule of writing, uploading and reviewing my comments, views and inbox.
With consistency comes dependency, Dolls. Your subscribers will begin to tune in to the day, hour and minute of your releases as well as rely on you to respond to them within a certain time frame. It's not important if this timeframe is as rapid as 5 minutes or as long as a week... What is important is that you set an expectation and adhere to it. People like to buy from brands, learn from sources and engage with companies that they can count on. It's why the most successful brands like Apple, Tesla and Vogue have a clear why and have new product launches frequently. If you can be a reliable source, it will only excel the reputation of your site, as well as you as a Blog owner.
Girl Boss Tamara Krvavac: How she's implemented A Girl Bosses' Shopaholic Guide for her Depop store @Bargain
The principles to success that I have outlined have been modelled by Tamara Krvavac, the owner of the Depop business called @Bargain. @Bargain works against the revolting, present-day reality of fast fashion. Its detriment lies at the expense of greedy consumers, growing landfill and sweatshop factory workers who practice under inhumane conditions. Tamara's business is distinguishable amongst the sea of other Depop sellers considering her interest lies in providing the perfect home for deserving fashion, not simply profiting.
THE PASSION
It was instigated as Tamara consistently discovered timeless & one-of-a-kind designer items sitting un-bought and unloved at second-hand thrift stores. When she first had the idea of doing something about her growing frustration, her loved ones discouraged her and predicted failure. She notes:
'I almost believed them.'
Her passion was fostered within a day of her trusting that tiny voice nagging at her in the back of her head. The first item she ever listed (a vintage Gucci item) on @Bargain, which at the time had 0 followers, was sold within a day.
SITE DESIGN
Just like I said, Dolls...
Attention to detail is the tipping point from receiving good reviews to glowing reviews!
When Tamara first started, she uploaded photos that depicted wrinkled clothes, were positioned in front of clutter and had bad lighting. Her background copied the vision of every other successful Depop seller because she assumed that their success from their vision would equate to her success. However, it was Tamara's design autonomy that truly advanced her career. When Tamara harnessed her unique creative eye, her sales skyrocketed.
CONSISTENCY
My triple threat for success is foolproof, Dolls, and it is to be expected that Tamara's success only came when all three components were tactfully mastered. Reliability is at the heart of the @Bargain business... Tamara consistently:
Responds to potential buyers with efficiency, delight and generosity (often adds bonus products and discounts).
Ships products on the day of purchase.
Only uses eco-friendly packaging.
The outcome?
'I've never had less than a 5-star review.'
Follow Tamara Krvavac's inspiring journey at @Bargain on Depop.
Dolls,
This week's Blog post was an educational masterpiece (if I do say so myself)!
You now have the essential toolkit for becoming the sexiest, fiercest and boldest girl boss you can be.
Thanks to another elaborate confession from your most trusted Shopaholic, you will embody the confidence to begin your startup and make sure it's the best, most goddamn aesthetic & sexaholic business the world has ever seen! Kisses,
COS x
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