CHAMPS every single week! Molly and Clare couldn’t be more different and yet they are both super fun, successful bloggers who are constantly inspiring their audience with their content! It’s hard work to create content over and over again and yet  they alway make  their posts new and refreshing! Both of these fabulous KJ Brides are going to share a little about how they manage their blog and hopefully some of you will leave new inspiration and motivation to give your blog a shot!! Enjoy!!!!! PS! You have to see their weddings if you haven’t already!! You can view them HERE and HERE!!

MEET CLARE from Clarabelleblog.com! 

1. Has your blog turned into what you had originally planned for it to be? Or have you seen a transition in your blog over the years?

My blog has changed so much over the years. I actually started it as an entertainment blog. I thought I was going to be the next Perez Hilton! That phase lasted for about a year. Then I started discovering all these fashion curation blogs that show inspirational fashion imagery (kind of like Tumblr before Tumblr was big). I did that for a while, and then I discovered all these personal style bloggers. I was like, hey, I will give that a try! About three or four years ago I did this 30 Days of Fashion series (Oy. I can’t believe I am linking to this). This was my first foray into showcasing myself and personal style on my blog. To make a long story short, the 30 Days of Fashion series did so well that I have been doing personal style ever since.

2. Is this something you have always want to pursue or did this passion just develop recently?
I have always loved fashion. I never knew I could turn my love for personal style into a creative outlet. I never wanted to become ‘a blogger’, though, it just happened because I have had my blog for so long and I try to post as often as I can.

3. How much time does it take to do a blog post?
The actually writing and posting of a blog post doesn’t take long. But running a personal style blog means that you spend a lot of time putting together outfits and shooting them. A lot of work goes into styling the shoots and making sure the clothes I wear photograph well. It is also very important to me that my photos don’t look too sterile or overproduced. So I don’t wear very expensive pieces, and I never retouch my photos. It is very important to me that my blog stay authentic.

4. What advice would you give a new blogger about branding and styling their new blog?
I would say to never start a blog for the sole purpose of making money. Trust me, you won’t get far. Make sure you blog about something you really love. Blogging can take a while to really get the hang of, so make sure you are in it for the long haul.

5. What is the number one way you attract your audience?
Compelling content. Nowadays, everyone is a content creator. Everyone can take a selfie or document their vacation in Instagram. So it is very important that you produce beautiful content that stands out. If you want people to take your blog seriously, the low-res mirror selfies won’t work. You really have to produce content that is beautiful and engaging.

6. What would you say is the purpose or “vision statement” of your blog?
I like to think I am the TJ Maxx or H&M of fashion blogging — I bring great style at an accessible price. I also re-wear a lot of things to show that a few great pieces can really stretch a wardrobe.

7. Who do you look up to/ follow in your industry to gain inspiration and knowledge from?
I am lucky that I work in beauty. So I know a lot of big fashion bloggers and beauty editors personally through my work. I gain a lot of inspiration and knowledge from other people in the fashion and beauty business. The women (and men) I interact with day-to-day literally know what’s cool before anyone else does. They are a constant source of inspiration for me and I am incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such influential people.

MEET MOLLY from Still Being Molly! 

1. What happened in your life that triggered your decision to actually create your blog?

I always wanted to journal. I was obsessed with going to Barnes and Noble and buying a beautiful journal, taking it home, writing in it for a week, and then totally forgetting about it after that. I have way too many barely-written-in journals than I’d like to admit. Since I was an English major in college, I always loved to write, and so I decided to start a blog because, to me, it was easier than remembering to journal. It started out as a LiveJournal (hello, #throwback)… and then I eventually moved it to WordPress.com and then upgraded to a self-hosted WordPress.org blog from there.
2. Has your blog turned into what you had originally planned for it to be? Or have you seen a transition in your blog over the years?

It totally started out as just a way for me to write down my thoughts. Whether it was something totally satirical or comedy-related, or whether I was sharing my opinion about a timely issue, or talking about something I enjoyed or liked – the blog “chronicled” what was going on in my life at that particular point in time.

For a while it was a blog journaling my search for a job. Then it was a social media blog talking all about ways to use social media for business or marketing. Then it was a comedy blog where I wrote absolutely nothing with any shred of seriousness. Then it was a blog planning my wedding. Then it was a blog journaling my mission trips. It’s very much been a representation of the particular stage of life that I am in (or was in).

Now, it’s a fashion, beauty, personal finance, and lifestyle blog (with some recipes and home decor and all that thrown in) because a few years ago I just started to feel like I was in a rut. A style rut, a beauty rut, a life rut. While fashion, beauty, and whatnot have always been a passion of mine, if you will, I wasn’t expressing those things in a way I was proud of… if that makes any sense. So, the blog evolved to what it is today and I can say that it’s definitely in a place where I LOVE it and it really challenges me and brings me out of my comfort zone in so many ways.

3. How much time does it take to do a blog post?

It totally depends on the post… some of my posts can take hours… even days, if it’s something I’m spending a lot of time researching or editing (my posts about money take forever to write). A recipe post doesn’t take much time because it’s easy to just throw the pictures in there and share the recipe. A style post might take longer if I have trouble finding items online similar to the ones I have styled in case a reader wants to know where something is from.

4. What advice would you give a new blogger about branding and styling their new blog?

One thing I wish I had done from the get go is really invest in a good design and good photography for my blog. You have about three seconds to make an impression on a reader when they come to your site and if your design is too busy or too bright or too confusing or looks too “cheap,” they will likely be turned off. If your photography looks thrown together or haphazard or blurry… a reader is going to be turned off. You don’t need to have a DSLR camera to take great pictures (although it does help), but you do need to put some effort into making sure your pictures are clear, crisp, and well composed.

It’s taken me years, but I finally am proud of my design and proud of my photography on my blog and I’m not ashamed when someone comes to look at it. Don’t just throw your blog together for the heck of it… put some effort into it, make it a true representation of you, and make it something you’re proud of!

5. What would be one thing you would warn others about when starting their blog or new business?

It’s SO important to be true to yourself and make sure your blog or your business or your brand is 100% YOU. Don’t try to be someone else. Don’t try to copy someone else. The market is SO saturated with blogs and shops and this and that… so you have to make yourself standout. You HAVE to differentiate yourself from the crowd. And what better way to differentiate yourself than to just be YOU? Because you’re unique!

6. What would you say is the purpose or “vision statement” of your blog?
Ultimately, when someone comes to my blog, I want them to leave feeling inspired in some way shape or form. And it doesn’t always have to be some major, life-changing, conquer-the-world type inspiration. It can be being inspired to try a new trend or a new style. It can be being inspired to get out of debt. It can be being inspired to make a new dish for dinner. It can be being inspired to test out a new makeup trick or technique.

And, I love to make people smile and laugh. So, I hope that people leave my site each day having hopefully smiled or laughed. That pretty much makes my day.

I also hope that in everything I do, small or large, that people see that ultimately, I point everything back to the Lord and that He can do great things even through something as material as a fashion and beauty and lifestyle blog. Someone once shared with me that they started going to church again after reading some of my posts and some of my story that I weave into everything I do. That was a HUGE thing for me and motivates me to continue growing!

7. How long have you been blogging?!

If I count my LiveJournal, almost ten years! GAH! But, my blog in it’s current form has been around about seven or eight years.

Photo Credit: Em Grey Photography