The fashion industry has always been fast-paced, ever-changing, and keen to jump on new trends. In recent years, fashion brands and publications have embraced a new trend – guest blogging. Guest posts allow brands to access wider audiences, build authority, and drive more traffic back to their sites. For online fashion publications, they provide a steady stream of high-quality, relevant content from industry experts.
What is Guest Blogging?
A guest blog post is an article or blog post written by an industry expert and published on someone else’s website. The post contains useful, engaging content and links back to the author’s own site. The host publication benefits from free, high-quality content whilst the guest blogger gains exposure and backlinks. It’s a win-win situation.
Why Guest Blogging is Big in Fashion
There are several reasons why guest posting has become so popular among fashion brands and sites:
1. Builds Credibility
Publishing on established, reputable sites helps boost a brand’s authority and trustworthiness. Even new brands can piggyback off the domain authority of their hosts.
2. Drives Referral Traffic
Quality guest posts encourage readers to click back to the author’s site. Niche relevance ensures the traffic is targeted.
3. Increases Brand Awareness
Exposure on third-party sites gets your brand in front of new audiences. Guest posting expands your reach.
4. Provides Backlinks
Backlinks help with SEO and rankings. Fashion is a competitive space, so quality links are valuable.
5. Generates Leads
Call-to-actions within posts entice readers to sign up for newsletters or download resources. This builds your customer pipeline.
6. Thought Leadership
By sharing expertise and insights, brands position themselves as industry authorities. This boosts brand image.
Best Practices for Guest Blogging in Fashion
To maximize the benefits of guest posting fashion brands should follow these best practices:
1. Find Relevant Publications
Target niche sites and leading publications in your field. Pitch guest posts that align with their audience and topics.
2. Craft Engaging Content
Well-researched posts with useful info are more likely to be accepted. Include stats, expert quotes, images etc.
3. Optimize for SEO
Use keywords, meta descriptions, alt text etc. This boosts search visibility for both sites.
4. Include Strategic Links
Link naturally back to your site and resources. Don’t over-optimize with too many links.
5. Promote the Post
Share your guest posts on social media. Encourage your audience to like, share and comment.
6. Develop Relationships
Building connections with editors leads to repeat posting opportunities. Provide value.
7. Pitch Regularly
Have a constant pipeline of guest post pitches going out. Follow up professionally.
8. Track Results
Use UTMs to track referral traffic. Analyze which posts drive the most visitors.
9. Provide Value
Don’t make it just a sales pitch. Offer actionable tips, data, insights etc. to readers.
10. Be Patient
Guest posting takes time to drive results. Focus on quality over quantity.
Examples of Successful Fashion Guest Posts
Here are some examples of guest posts done right:
1. Madewell on Man Repeller
Madewell contributed a post to major fashion site Man Repeller on “The 10 Commandments of Packing for a Summer Getaway.” It provided tips from Madewell stylists without excessive promotion.
2. Daniel Wellington on Trend Prive
Watch brand Daniel Wellington provided Trend Prive with an informative post on “Men’s Watches for the Modern Gentleman” including styling advice and links to its collection.
3. Boolean Box on Sassy Red Lipstick
Beauty box brand Boolean Box offered a post on “5 Summer Makeup Essentials” for Sassy Red Lipstick. It subtly highlighted its own natural products.
4. M.M.LaFleur on The Everygirl
MM.LaFleur’s contributed post on “Building a Sustainable Workwear Wardrobe” focused on slow fashion and fit The Everygirl’s audience perfectly.
5. Rothys on Well+Good
Sustainable shoe brand Rothys provided a guest article to Well+Good on how to build “An Eco-Friendly Shoe Collection.” It mixed style tips with subtle brand mentions.
Conclusion
Guest blogging allows fashion brands to tap into the audiences of leading publications. But it must be done strategically. Focus on crafting high-quality, value-driven content tailored specifically to each site. Place links naturally and promote posts through your own channels. Over time, regularly writing great guest posts boosts fashion brands’ visibility, authority, traffic, and sales.
FAQs
1. How do I find guest posting opportunities in fashion?
Identify leading online fashion publications and niche blogs. Browse submission guidelines or pitch editors directly about contributing a post. Focus on sites whose audience aligns with your brand.
2. What should I avoid when guest posting in fashion?
Don’t publish duplicate content across multiple sites. Avoid overly promotional posts that focus entirely on your products. Don’t force links just for SEO. Provide value for the publication’s readers.
3. How much should I charge for a guest post?
Most guest posts are contributed for free in exchange for the exposure, backlink and traffic. You can charge to write sponsored posts but unpaid is more common.
4. How do I write a successful guest post pitch?
Include an attention-grabbing headline summarizing your post concept and focus on the value for their readers. Briefly explain why you’re qualified to write on the topic and your experience. Keep it short.
5. How long should a fashion guest post be?
Ideally around 700-1000 words. Check submission guidelines but posts that are too short often lack sufficient detail whilst over-long posts require heavy editing. Shoot for engaging, meaty posts.
