We have turned 4 today and we can’t be more excited!!!!!! For the ones who have been a part of our family from a very beginning I just want to say THANK YOU, thank you for being our readers, our followers, our biggest support system ever. Guiltybytes as a blog has undergone tremendous change and time and again I have tried to work on our content themes, format, website design to finally become who we are today. I started with an investment of INR 500 and have been able to create a blogging business that pays me over six-figure salary every month. The post today is a little reflection of how far we have come and a little shoot in my first ever-designer piece that I purchased with my savings (because I always wanted to). Oh and this magical shoot has been shot by my favourite Megha Jain.
I am wearing Astha Narang anarkali.
It means so much to me that we as a team have been able to touch someone somewhere through our writings. For me starting a fashion blog was not a very obvious choice since I always considered myself to be a laid back, comfort loving individual. I started this simply because of my love of writing. I always wanted to write, become a writer and here I am- running an effective blog in the lifestyle domain. I am not another fashion blogger; I am what most of you, someone who shares varied interest, wants to read celeb gossip, drool on tasty food photos and still figure out the unflawed technique to do a perfect winged liner.
This is what we have tried to do with the blog, bring you the best of everything we see happen in the country. For me content has been the king and initially I did PR tie ups to spread the word around. I always knew that publishing a press release would never entice my friends (who were the only ones I had a reader base when I started) but I did write about brands I discovered and used knowing other people’s interest in mind. I carefully designed my online marketing efforts to appeal to my target audiences that are all you guys, which included putting links with my photos wherever possible. I also did all the efforts to develop innovative content around the trending topics. One thing that perhaps worked for me was that I took pride in my roots and publicized my voice and personality into my blog (remember the times I had a punjabans’s take on the world around her as a tagline?)
I have been blogging since 2012 and I did it with a full time job and yes it was never easy. I did realize that I was working 16-18 hours a day but this never felt like work. But again, as I worked so much I cut down on things that didn’t work for me for say all fashion writing only (maybe because there are better blogs out there on this particular topic) hence I spent extra time to adopt a multifaceted approach and thanks to you all, it has been working. I just knew that I had to not write product reviews simply because everyone else was doing it, I instead started to write on celebrity makeup breakdown, share beauty hacks that I used to create my own niche. That's what one has got to do- find your way of doing things and you will never have to look back.
A lot of you have asked me why do I write so much on Bollywood or if I am trying to become another MissMalini? (well I wish I could become her) but she is my inspiration. And no, I can never be like her for that matter. I love Bollywood but as a business I realized that I had to write and create content basis the wants, needs and expectations of you all. I analyzed each of the target profiles that liked our page on Facebook, people who followed me on Twitter and then developed content that is now perceived as valuable, that has a takeaway for you all. I still lay emphasis on the visuals and photography so much so that I taught my mum to take perfect outfit photos every now and then! Invest in your family, be patient and kind and help them adopt the tech so that they can be your biggest strength.
I have a content schedule that I follow religiously and I started with a 1-woman army to become 5 of us and a few freelancers today. We research, check facts and do visual story telling. We have always encouraged you all to post feedback, comments and interact with us. (You guys keep us going okay?!)
Follow your heart but do it one step at a time. I quit when I began to earn a lot more than what I was getting and now you all need to brace yourselves up for more blogging, more Youtube videos and a week full of celebrations. Hope you like this little page from my journey and here’s a virtual hug to you all.
The photos have been shot and conceptualized by the very talented Megha Jain from Megha Jain Photography. She and I knew each other on Facebook since long but never really met or worked together and this is how we finally meet as #Guiltybytesturns4.
You can checkout her work here and bookmark her for candid wedding photography.
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