Lots of people use Blogger because it’s simple and easy. There are plenty of built-in features that make it a cinch to set up a blog in minutes, but some of those features aren’t needed–or wanted–if you want your site to look more professional.

Two not-so-pretty things seen often:

1. The Blogger navbar, which resides at the top of the page and can get in the way. It takes away from the blog design, a definite no-no for people who love style!
2. The double-line border that encloses header text and images in the default Minima template–which often winds up off-center or with the photo overlapping if the header isn’t the right size.

Here’s how to do away with both:

Hide the Blogger navbar:

1.Go to Design>Edit HTML

2. Search (control + F) for the following line of code:

]]></b:skin>

3. Right before that line, paste the following:

#navbar-iframe {display:none !important;}

Ta-da!

Remove the header border

There are two ways to do this:

1. Change the border color to transparent, or
2. Edit the HTML code and change the border size to zero so it “disappears”.

To change the border color, go to Blogger Template Designer > Advanced > Border color. Click the arrow on the dropdown menu, then click “Transparent” (the gray and white checked box) at the bottom.

To edit the HTML, go to Design > Edit HTML
Search (CTRL+F) for #header-wrapper in the HTML code.

Change the border size to 0px under #header-wrapper and #header

Et voila!

If you’ve ever browsed photographic inspiration on sites like ffffound! and WeHeartIt, you’ve probably seen and admired pictures with the dramatic colors and contrast characteristic of cross processing and Lomography.

While you could achieve these effects using expensive photography equipment or by making multiple adjustments in Photoshop, there’s an easier way: Phixr. It’s free, it’s fast, and the results look pretty good!

Original photo

Upload your photo at Phixr.com. You don’t have to register–just click the green “Get started” arrow and start your upload from your computer or via a link to a photo online.

Once your photo is uploaded, select the Color Effects button, then choose Cross Process. Check the preview and adjust brightness, contrast and opacity as needed. Click Execute when it looks the way you want.

To add the Lomo effect, select Camera and Lens Effects from the left-hand menu, then choose Lomo effect. Adjust the intensity, saturation, brightness, and opacity until it looks the way you want, then click Execute.

How very Mad Men!

When you’re finished, just download your stylized picture et voila! Let us know if you try it!

In the personal styling feature in the current print issue (buy it here!), we spoke to Beth of B. Jones Style (she’s doing big things over at her blog–check it out), who wisely advises aspiring stylists to develop relationships with local boutiques.

Making the right connections and cultivating trust with area retailers can help you create a base of stores from which to pull clothing and accessories for photo shoots, fashion shows, and other opportunities that may arise.

So, what’s the best way to go about doing such a thing? Let’s go over some basic tactics:

Know the shops in your area

Do a good ol’ Google search, ask around, or–really, if you’re into fashion, you probably already know the local hotspots. Subscribe to store’s email list, set up a Google Alert for “(your city) boutique”, or subscribe to the feed of a publication that covers local retailers to stay up to date on sales and events.

Make contact

Plan a trip! If you have a blog, contact owner ahead of time and let them know you’re interested in writing about their store or covering their event. I ran into trouble at an event when there was a paid professional photographer there who felt threatened when I took photos (even though I’m not a photographer), so make sure it’s okay to take pictures.

This blogging thing is still pretty new for a lot of people, so you may need to explain what you do. Send a link to your site so they can check it out before you arrive.

Take a trip

Dress the part for your visit, and when you arrive be friendly and professional. Bring your camera (or your photographer if you’re lucky enough to have one) as well as plenty of business cards to distribute.

Take pictures of the shop, the merchandise, the owner and employees, or whatever images best fit your site content. When taking pictures of other people, make sure you have their permission to post their photo and be sure write down their names–with the correct spelling!

If they’re not too busy, chat with the people running the shop. Ask when they get shipments in, what services they offer, and if they have any special sales or events coming up. The more interested you are, the better!

Buy a little something if see something you like and you can afford it–people support people who support them.

Blog it

If you had a good experience, post a write-up on your site. Talk about your visit in first person, and make sure the post is attractive–use clear pictures and proper grammar and spelling. If you use a direct quote, make sure it’s accurate.

Easy things to write about include the location, store setup/atmosphere, clothing brands, your favorite finds, good deals, and how you’d style certain pieces. Always write in your own voice and keep it real–your readers are still your first priority.

Follow up

Send a follow-up “great meeting you” email with a link to the published post to the shop owner. It also helps to attach a few pictures if you got any good ones–people love to receive pictures of themselves. I usually email one or two images of the store owner and employees, along with a link to a Flickr set with the pictures taken. If you’re open to it, let them know they’re welcome to use the photos as long as they’re credited to you.

Keep in touch

If the boutique has social media accounts, follow them on Twitter or Like them on Facebook. Send a quick request to link to the shop owner on LinkedIn. If you’re forgetful (welcome to the club!), set up an email group list of all the shops you’ve contacted, and set a reminder on your calendar to contact the list every 4-6 weeks. Sending a quick email to ask if they received anything new or interesting is a simple way to stay in the loop!

As bloggers, we spend a lot (a lot) of time online–which makes sense as that’s where so much of our work takes place. Unfortunately, that makes it easy to forget about talking about your online life with people in real life, but doing so is absolutely essential to growing your readership. While social media has made it easier than ever to connect with people on the web, there’s still nothing like a little face-to-face interaction.

Here are a few suggestions for getting out and making contacts:

1. Hand out business cards

They make you seem more professional and help serve as a tangible reminder of who you are and what you do. Someone compliments your outfit? Hand them a card and introduce yourself! People are much more likely to check out your blog if they’ve met you in person.

2. Cover events

Check your local calendar listing and see if there’s an event you’d like to cover. If you email the event organizers beforehand to let them know you’ll be there, there’s a good chance they’ll offer to let you hang out behind the scenes.
Note: Showing up with a camera and a notepad pretty much guarantees a certain amount of credibility–people will think you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t. Introduce yourself to these people.

Be sure to email a link to your coverage to the event organizer, and follow up with any connections you make.

3. Send promotional postcards

Again, these serve as a tangible reminder of your site. As a plus, you don’t actually have to be present to distribute postcards–leave them in your favorite coffee shops and bookstores, and mail them (yes, snail mail with stamps and such) to editors, journalists, boutique owners, designers, galleries, photographers–whomever you think would be interested in your site.

4. Participate in craft shows and street fairs

This is especially useful if you sell stuff–clothing, accessories, jewelry, crafts, even if you offer services. Summer and the holidays are prime time for street fairs and craft shows, so check show listing sites, gather your merchandise or develop a demonstration of your services, and sign up! Be sure to take plenty of business cards to pass out to prospective customers.

5. Join a blogging group

Blogging is pretty widespread, and if you live in a reasonably-sized city, there’s likely a group of bloggers that meet to share tips and advice and generally hang out. If there isn’t one in your area, see if you can find a few local bloggers and start one. Search the blogrolls of a local food/relationship/mommy blogger and see who you can connect with. You could also try searching for Tweetups (somebody’s bound to blog) and local social media groups on Google or LinkedIn.

Bonus: If your group grows large enough and happens to include a few people with connections, there’s a good chance you could receive media coverage!

Now get out there, shake some hands, and kiss some babies!

A media release (or press release, as they’ve been called since ye olden times) is an announcement issued to the news media and other targeted publications in order to let the public know about news and developments.

Many enterprising fashion and style bloggers are starting their own independent ventures–from online shops, to personal styling services, to marketing consultancies–and everyone deserves a shot at success. Part of that includes treating your small side business like…well, a business, and letting your target audience know what you have to offer.

When might you need a media release?

If you’re opening a new shop, offering a new service, partnering with another blogger or company on a project, or engaging in any other newsworthy activities, a media release might be just the thing to help spread the word.

Traditional media release format

A traditional press release usually includes background information about your company or blog, the announcement about your new product or service, quotes from the people in charge, boilerplate text, and contact information.

The basic template is shown below. Obviously, you’d want to replace the text in capitals with information that applies to you and your product or service, and the tips in brackets would not be included!

Headline with keywords people looking for your product/service might search for
Interesting sub headline further describing your news

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CITY — Month Day, 2010 — YOUR NAME, of COMPANY OR BLOG that DOES THIS STUFF, is proud to announce NEWS. NEWS will become effective as of DATE.

The release of PRODUCT/SERVICE is intended to PURPOSE OF YOUR VENTURE.

[Now you'll explain a bit about your history and include relevant facts/statistics]

YOUR NAME, a YOUR PROFESSION, created COMPANY OR BLOG after seeing an opportunity for HOW CUSTOMERS WILL USE YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE [it helps if you can relate this to a well-known current event/news item]. Today, the COMPANY OR BLOG has FACT, FACT, STATISTIC [include 3-4 facts and statistics regarding traffic, readers, buyers, clients, etc. about your blog or service.]

“QUOTE FROM YOU ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE,” says YOUR NAME.

NEW SERVICE/PRODUCT was created to fulfill the need for WHAT YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE DOES and help YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE improve their WHAT YOU OFFER. FEATURE, BENEFIT, BENEFIT [include 3-4 features your product/service includes and the way in which those features help your target audience] make your PRODUCT/SERVICE an essential destination/opportunity for people in need of KEYWORDS.

[Include a bit about future plans:]
Additionally, the PRODUCT/SERVICE plans to include BENEFICIAL FEATURES in the future in order to further help people DO STUFF.

“QUOTE FROM YOU ABOUT HOW/WHY PEOPLE NEED YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE.”

PRODUCT/SERVICE is available at LOCATIONS [online or in real life].

–

[This is where your boilerplate information goes. A boilerplate includes basic information about your blog/company that answers the who, what, where, when, and why of its existence:]

COMPANY/BLOG is a fun and informative site focused on WHAT YOU BLOG ABOUT. Founded by YOUR NAME in MONTH YEAR, COMPANY/BLOG addresses the interests and desires of YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE. Created as a platform to provide style inspiration, shopping tips, and a sense of community, COMPANY/BLOG fulfills THESE NEEDS. For more information, please visit YOUR SITE.

[This is how people that want to know more can get in touch with you or your agent:]

INQUIRIES
For more information, please contact:
NAME
PHONE
EMAIL

###

Make sure to:

• Write professionally. Spelling and grammar mistakes won’t cut it. Proofread, rewrite, and have someone else look it over for you. Then rewrite and proofread again.

• Include the full URL for links. Some services don’t allow embedded hyperlinks, so mentions of your blog or related sites should be followed by the full URL, for example: YourSite.com (http://www.YourSite.com)

• Identify the source of the information. People want to know who’s “talking” to them–if it’s you, include that information. It builds credibility.

• Tie your announcement to recent news, social issues, or trends if possible. Current events make it easier for the writer to find a hook.

• Show how your newsworthy product or service solves a problem. Don’t expect the reader to make the connection between what you’re doing and how it helps people, even if it seems obvious. Make it easy and tell them.

• Include the pound signs (###) at the end so the reader knows that’s the end of the release. Try to keep it to one page or less.

Adding media

Now that you have a basic media release (undoubtedly the most important part), you can choose to add additional types of media.

Social media releases allow you to add download-able images, logos, audio, or video related to your product or service. You might:

• Include a crisp, high-resolution image of your logo.

• Upload high-resolution images of your product, or of you hard at work.

• Create a video showing off your merchandise or explaining how your service works.

• Conduct an audio interview with a client or customer in which they endorse your product or service.

• Include a shortened URL and 2-3 Twitter-ready statements of 120 words of less to make it easy for people to re-tweet your news.

• Add social media sharing buttons so people can Digg, Stumble, share on Facebook, add to Technorati, and subscribe to your RSS feed.

It’s easier than ever to spread your news, it just comes down to taking the time to do it–and it does take time. Set aside 2-3 hours this week, try your hand at writing your own release, and let us know how it goes!

In Part II, we’ll go over some of the best ways to distribute your media release online and to publications and individuals who would most likely be interested in your news.

If you’re a passionate blogger, running your site probably feels like a full time job. So how can you make it pay? As a fashion blogger, your content taps into a demographic that advertisers clamor to reach: women aged 13-35.

If you’re open to running ads, ad networks are a great way to get into the monetization game.

Before you begin:

1. Know your numbers

If you understand how many people visit your site and who they are, you can make a strong pitch to ad networks. Install Google Analytics, get set up in Google Ad Planner, and register with Alexa. Most bloggers say it’s not worth compromising the design of your site with ads until you have at least 500 pageviews per day, as you’ll only be earning pennies a month.

2. Own it

Buy your own domain name. Networks prefer that your home page is not a subdomain (“mypage.blogger.com”), though there are exceptions. I use Go Daddy to check availability, buy, and manage domains.

3. Carve out a niche

For ads, that is. Be prepared to place common ad sizes like leaderboard (728×90), medium rectangle (300×250), and wide skyscraper (160×600) “above the fold,” where your reader won’t have to scroll down to see the ads. Many networks require that you place ads in this prime location, which commands the highest rates.

4. Get serious about content (and copyright)

Ad networks love focused, original content and engaged audiences. Update frequently, encourage commenting, and be sure to cite your sources. Some networks will boot you for “adult content,” so think twice before posting those nude Italian Vogue editorials.

Get Started:

Google AdSense, AdBrite, ValueClick and Yahoo Publisher Network (still in beta) don’t require huge pageviews to join, but might not offer the most attractive or relevant ads.

Cliquesound: I co-founded this new network, which targets fashion and beauty blogs with enhanced-content ads. Cliquesound curates and supports emerging indie music. Ads run within a music module that offers readers a free song download a day, without ever leaving your site. We require 500 pageviews per day. To sign up, email beta@cliquesound.com.

Blogads: This network groups blogs into “hives” by subject and their fashion hive is not overcrowded, so there could be great opportunities. They look for at least 1,000 pageviews a day.

Indieclick: The Urban Outfitters of ad networks, Indieclick aggregates hip culture sites. They look for pageviews of 1,000 per day at a minimum.

Glam Network: This network’s requirements reflect their reputation as the leader in women’s lifestyle site aggregation. They look for at least 100,000 pageviews a month (over 3,000 a day), a strong brand/voice, and excellent editorial content.

The bottom line:

Ad networks look for loyal, engaged audiences, so it’s never worth compromising your content to drive pageviews. If you take your site’s design, editorial voice, and readership seriously, your site will grow and so will your ad revenue.

About the author:  Blogger Ann Colville Somma (www.holierthannow.com), co-founded  Cliquesound.com, an enhanced-content ad network.

With over 300 million active users, most people have some sort of presence on Facebook. It’s one of the most popular social networking sites in the world, and can be used for everything from keeping up with your best friend from kindergarten to making business contacts.

Most of us have a personal Profile, but if you want to take promoting your blog a step further, you may also want to create a Fan Page for your site. Before you do that, though, think about the purpose of your page: Would it be to drive readers back to your blog? A place to post extra content? A way to reach friends/family who may not visit your blog regularly?

Setting up a fan page means you’ll need to regularly post content there in addition to your blog/MySpace/Twitter account/wherever else you may be, so think about what works best for you. If you’ve considered the pros and cons and are ready for a fan page, here’s what to do:

Setup Your Page

Log into Facebook and click on Advertising at the bottom of the page. Go to Pages> Create a Page, and start adding your information. Most blogs will fall under the category “Brand, Product, or Organization.”

Add Content

Add some applications: the most useful ones integrate your blog’s RSS feed and your Twitter feed into your page, like SocialRSS. It’s a good idea to link your online presences in order to cross-promote. Try adding extra tabs with Involver.

Now, based on the purpose of your page (which you determined above), add some introductory content so people will have something to look at when you invite them to become fans. Don’t send folks to a blank page!

Here are some ideas:

• Post your best photos or images and links to popular blog posts

• Post a summary of the comments on one of your blog posts if you’ve got a really juicy discussion going on. Encourage your fans to respond on Facebook or your blog.

• Create a contest where the winner will be determined based on a comment posted on your Page, or post a link to a contest taking place on your blog.

• Post some “behind-the-scenes” information or images from your blog. You know the pictures you like but didn’t have room for on the blog? Put ‘em here!

• Post a link to an interview or guest post on another site, or another blog/brand/item you like. Promoting others is good karma!

Try to add something to your Facebook page at least once per week.

Promote Your Page

Invite your personal contacts to be fans of your page. Since they already know you, they’re likely to become your first fans. Try to get some activity going on your page before inviting the general public. Then, you can:

• Embed a “Join our Facebook Page” widget in your sidebar

• Include a link to your Fan Page in your email signature

• Invite your Twitter followers to become Fans

Make sure people know what’s in it for them: Additional content, regular updates, special contests, whatever your purpose. Continue to promote your page to new contacts, readers, and followers on a regular basis to build your fan base.

Interact!

Encourage discussion by asking questions or sponsoring contests that require a comment. Remember, not everything has to be strictly business or blog-related all the time.

Note that setting up a Fan page requires additional work and may not be for everyone, so consider your needs and limitations before taking the plunge. However, it can be a great way to reach your readers where they are!

In issue #4 of Style Sample magazine, Valerie of Beauty and the Budget explained how to use Google Analytics to keep track of your blog stats. Tracking is extremely important as it’s important to know how many readers you have, what they’re looking at, how they’re finding your site, especially if you plan on advertising on your blog. While Google Analytics is one of the best known and most in-depth tracking applications, there are plenty of others, too!

StatCounter.com: Shows your most popular pages, the search terms visitors use to find your site, and the number of new vs. returning visitors.

GoStats.com:
Shows information about unique sessions, sessions per visitor, time spent on each page, and the path visitors take on your site.

SiteMeter.com: Provides detailed information about last 100 visitors to your site including which browser they used and their screen resolution, and visits by hour to see busy/slow periods each day.

AddFreeStats.com: Graphs search engine estimates, visits per visitor, and which Adsense links people click while on your site.

Most are as simple as signing up and registering your site, at which point you’re given a snippet of code to insert into your HTML. It’s easy and free and full of valuable information, so if you haven’t already, start tracking your blog stats!

In the latest issue of Style Sample magazine, Maddie of Sprinkle Diary interviewed the three talented fashion illustration students behind xAZD Design. If you’re interested in trying your hand at fashion illustration, here are some resources to get you started:

Books

• Stylishly Drawn:Contemporary Fashion Illustration showcases the work of 29 of the world’s top fashion illustrators.
• Fashion Artist guides you through key drawing and design techniques.
• Fashion Sketchbook provides a comprehensive course on sketching the fashion figure,fabric shapes, and garment details.

Online

• In How to Work with a Fashion Illustrator, blogger Danielle Meder addresses illustration projects from the artist’s point of view.
• Fashion Sketches offers a step-by-step guide to drawing a fashion sketch, including tools you’ll need.
• Fashion Lessons blog offers basic video tutorials as well as step-by-step instructions.

Video

• Drawing Garments for Fashion Illustration
• FIT grad Tu-Anh Nguyen created a Fashion Drawing for Beginners video series.

Inspiration

• Designfeedr posted a collection of 80 Excellent Examples of Mixed-Media Fashion Illustration
• Final Fashion is a wonderful resource for all manner of information and inspiration.

 Illustration by Kate Yan

Let’s talk about how to pitch an article to real life magazines.
Why is this important? Well, you could be the next Anna Wintour, but it isn’t going to matter one bit if you don’t know how to present your ideas to a legitimate publication. However, once you learn how to share your ideas professionally, you may find yourself snagging freelance jobs left & right! Let’s get started:

Explain what makes YOU special
Tell them a little about yourself: why are you an investment for the magazine, what do you have to offer? Include your résumé, relevant qualifications, or why you think you’d make a fabulous addition to their writing team. But keep it professional and simple—leave out your personal life.

Know the publication
Double check that the subject matter you’ve chosen for your article falls inside the general theme of the magazine. Dog Fancy isn’t going to care about your take on Miu Miu’s Fall 2009 Ready-To-Wear, so use some common sense. Read previous issues to get a feel for the type of content and writing style preferred.

Create your pitch
Share your idea and clearly state why their magazine’s target audience would want to read your article. Include a short & concise description of what your article would be addressing, and attach your piece in it’s entirety if the publication encourages it. Make sure you send your pitch in the appropriate format–some editors prefer Word or PDF, while some are okay with including it in the body of the email.

For good measure, attach a writing portfolio, or a document including snippets of your best writing, any published articles, and your contact information. Be sure to proofread and re-check for spelling and grammar!

Send it to the appropriate person
Make sure that you’re sending your pitch to the right person—as brilliant as your article may be, the director of advertising isn’t going to help you get anywhere! Check out the publication’s masthead or online contact page to get an idea of the best person (or department) to send your idea.

You’re done! Press send, and if all goes well, you could be published!

For more information, visit FreelanceSwitch.com’s ‘The Ultimate Article Pitch’, or How to Pitch a Magazine on eHow.com. Many magazines also contain information about submissions on their Contact page. Good luck!

In the current issue of Style Sample Magazine, Crystal of Ssasy Chic provides some tips on monetizing your blog with affiliate advertising. Check out some of the networks she recommends:

Commission Junction
Linkshare
Amazon
Connect Commerce

More helpful resources include:
Introduction to Making Money on Your Site
Pay Per Post Blog Advertising

Be sure to read the article “Making Money with Affiliate Advertising” in issue #3 for more great advice!

A badge is like a mini-advertisement for your blog. It’s usually an image link, and can be posted in the sidebar or post of another site to drive traffic your blog. Fashion bloggers exchange links all the time, and badges are just another (prettier!) way to do this.

Creating a badge
1. In an image editing program, create a new document 210 pixels wide by 100 pixels high (Note: your badge can be whatever size you like). You can use a program like Photoshop, The Gimp, or PhotoFiltre, or a browser-based application.

2. Add the desired text and images to your document. You can create something as simple as text on a colored background, or dress it up with pictures. It’s best to include the name of your blog in a prominent position.

3. Save the document as a JPEG, GIF, or PNG and upload it to your favorite image hosting service– try TinyPic, ImageShack or PhotoBucket.

Adding the badge to your blog
The HTML code for your link will be as follows:

<a href=”http://YOURBLOG.com”><img border=”0″ src=”http://THELOCATIONOFYOURBADGE.jpg”></a>

If you’d like to add a textbox with the code so visitors can easily grab it for their own sites, you’ll also need to include the following:

<form><textarea rows=”7″ cols=”20″ readonly=”readonly”><a href=”http://YOURBLOG.com” target=”_blank”><img src=”THELOCATIONOFYOURBADGE.jpg”/></a></textarea></form>

The number of rows and columns (cols) can be changed to fit your blog’s sidebar as needed. You may have to experiment with that a bit!

Adding your badge to this site!
Once you’ve added your badge to your blog, post the image’s address and your blog’s URL (the complete address with the http:// included) in the comments here and I’ll add it to the sidebar on this site! *Please note that we’re only posting links to fashion & style blogs at this time.

To grab someone else’s badge, simply copy the code from their textbox and paste it into an HTML widget on your blog! Speaking of that, go on and grab my badge…you know you want to.

Update 11/09: We’re no longer able to add the badges that were created based on these original instructions to the site as they’re too wide for the double sidebar. We’ll figure something else out!