The fashion blogging world was rocked last week when Scott Schuman, the Sartorialist, stated his very strong opinion on personal style blogs.
“I’m not really a fan of personal style blogs—you know, the ones [on which] these girls just shoot their outfits and all this stuff. I haven’t seen one that I really like or that draws my attention every day. The good and bad of that is that most these girls only have a limited wardrobe; they don’t have many clothes to shoot and I don’t think most of them have come up with looks that are that interesting, that draw me.”
One would think that Scott would understand the power and influence that these “girls” have not only had on blogging as a whole but on his own blogging career and to not bite the blogs that feed him. Please read Decoding Dress’s Open Letter to Scott Schuman for more on the Sartorialist-Gate.
What is Savage Blogging?
While I think Scott is totally entitled to his opinion, it does reek of fashion snobbery and what Vahni of Grit & Glamour so eloquently defined as “Savage Blogging”
Savage blogging: When your objective ceases to be the art of it, the connection, and you are devoured by an obsession with your numbers. When you get so big that you forget you used to be a nobody until fellow bloggers read your blog and lifted you up. When you stop conversing, and simply become a talking head. With a camera. No thanks.
~ From the Dictionary of V
We’ve seen it a million times. Small town blogger starts a blog for the love of fashion, to meet like minded people and for the fun. He/She posts outfits to Lookbook.nu, Chictopia and builds a readership. Initially they respond to comments and are genuinely engaged. Large company sponsorships roll in, fashion week and now they are lauded as the next “It-blogger”. Their community of supporters is now a by-product and their blog is simply a digital scrapbook of their lives and outfits.
Are you a Savage Blogger?
- You obsessively check your Google Analytics, in fact you’re main motivation for blogging is to get thousands of visits, get free shit, become the face of a brand and then sell your blog for a pretty little penny
- You no longer respond to your readers’ comments and emails, because you’re too popular and too busy taking outfit photos
- Instead of writing useful posts or meaningful commentary, you drone on about how much your new shoes/bag/life costs
- You accept sponsorships, advertising, free stuff like it’s Christmas. Does it matter if the brand is one you love? No, you blog for the swag any way
- Your Twitter/Facebook/social channels are a one-way conversation. You don’t engage with your followers, only re-tweeting every great thing they say about you
If you are guilty of any one of these offenses against blogging, then you may be on your way to becoming a Savage Blogger, one who readers will eventually see through and abandon. But there’s hope! You can avoid falling into the fame trap by being a Sophisticated Blogger.
Isn’t she fancy? {Flickr}
10 Ways to be a Sophisticated Blogger
1. Put your readers first!
2. Craft useful content that helps your readers in some way, shape or form
3. Have fun, always remember to have fun!
4. Engage for the sake of engagement but….
5. Be Genuine
6. Don’t take yourself (or your blog) too seriously
7. Support your blogging community (Read IFB, comment on other blogs, etc…)
8. Be Consistent
9. Content First, Analytics Later… Repeat
10. Live More, Listen More, Learn More
While, I don’t see anything wrong with wanting to have a “successful” blog, when your trajectory towards that success comes at the expense of your readers and the true connection of blogging than you’ve enter Savage Blogging territory.
Let’s all make a push to uplift the Art of Blogging and become Sophisticated Bloggers that build useful communities, support other bloggers and show the Sartorialist what blogging is really about!
What do you think of Savage Bloggers? Have you ever stopped reading a blog because of it?
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I love this! Great post as always hun!
Thanks Kia! I need to come to D.C. and hang (and vintage shop of course)
Fajr, I LOVE this post…such a great follow-up to the open letter post, and the point I was trying to make. Thank you for the mention!
Your tips are excellent! And I know that you’re definitely not a Savage Blogger. In fact you are as kind and warm in person as you are online.
Thanks again, sweets!
Awww, keep sweet talking me and we’re going to have to get hitched!
I love your no nonsense description! I totally understand that blogging is time consuming once you reach a certain point, but I don’t think growth has to sacrifice engagement. You are certainly a Sophisticated (and classy) lady online and in real life!
If I were being honest & hard on myself, I’d say I’ve fallen in to Savage Blogger territory at times… which is funny given I don’t actually post many photos of what I wear… and that some of it was actually due to real day job obligations…
But yeah, I’d say almost all blogs I’ve stopped reading have fallen in to a lot of that!
You’re definitely being hard on yourself. Your blog is one I look to as a shining example of reader engagement! Every girl wants to be a Dramatis Personae
Whoa! That’s a bit pot-calling-the-kettle-black! I stopped looking at Schuman’s blog ages ago because he posted dreary boring fashion…and here he is, accusing personal blogs of being that!
Nope, there are MANY stylish chickie babes out there who manage to always look amazing, even if they have limited wardrobes. Give me quirky any day over the elevator-muzak-street fashion posted on some of the big fashion sites.
As to the Savage Blogger thing, well yes, I much prefer smaller blogs where the blogger interacts with you, and where your comments are acknowledged. I read very few big blogs for this reason nowadays, apart from Style Bubble, Xiaxue and occasionally Gala Darling.
You said it sister! It’s not even so much that he has an opinion but how condescending it is and like is subjects are always brimming with intrigue. If only we could all be models/fashion people. Alas we’ll have to settle for quirky, original and unique personal style bloggers!
Thanks for the awesome comment!
Brilliant!!!! This is so timely. I was very offended by Mr. Schuman’s comments and had actually just remarked about how limelight blind he’s become. It’s all very interesting. But, I’m glad to know that his remarks have not gone unchecked.
Yeah, it’s like he doesn’t acknowledge that he insulted his fan base. Where is his PR? lol
Wowwwwwwwww I got goose pimples with Vahni´s words.
And I coudn´t agree more with you and your points.
Fantastic post.
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What a perfect post! It is passionate, and honest and helps solve a problem. Yes. I don’t follow “Savage Bloggers.” In fact when the blogger doesn’t show any sign on connecting to their readership (not necessarily me) I stop reading the blogs. There are too many blogs out there at the moment to read anyway- so if I have to choose between an engaged blogger and one who just likes to post, I’ll pick the engaging one.
You set some great guidelines, and perhaps this serves as a friendly wake up call for us bloggers who may need reminding as to why we fell in love with blogging in the first place.
PS: I loved this post so much I wanted to put your widget on my sidebar but it doesn’t appear to work for me. Is the code wrong?
Every once in a while we need to be reminded why be blog in the first place. I think when you started off engaging and then just let it fall by the waist side then you really didn’t care in the first place. So glad so many lovely bloggers (a la you) are not like that.
Thanks for the widget love— again another dirty digital innuendo!
ow…Sherry, sorry to hear your situation,you are so unkcluy. I and an entrecard member too. I wish i won’t face this problem and wish you good luck too!Hope your problem will be solved as soon as possible.Have a nice day !
This is EXCELLENT! I was just saying the other day that I haven’t checked my Google Analytics in a while. I LOVE the engaging with readers and others component most about being a blogger and hope that never changes!
Me too! I check my analytics but I refuse to let it dictate my blogging life. There are too many great bloggers to not love the interaction!
This was a very interesting post. I love style blogs and I couldn’t imagine having a style blog without the reader interaction that I have and that the blogs I follow have.
I have stopped following blogs because they ignore my comments or questions. I understand people get busy and cannot reply to every comment but when someone has a question the blogger should be able to quickly answer it. Most style bloggers are amazing but there are a few that I have encountered that I no longer follow. I will continue to support my fellow sophisticated bloggers!
Sarah at Classroom Chic
Life certainly gets busy but a blog that doesn’t regard it’s readers is a blog I don’t want to read!
Thanks for the great comment Sarah!
We a getting lost in the popularity contest that blogging can be. Your right, the Art of Blogging and writing about what is important to you should come first to analytics. I want to be apart of the Sophisticated Bloggers.
Blogging can be a lot like high school and you ARE a Sophisticated Blogger girl!
Love the definition of a Savage Blogger. That behavior definitely annoys me. On the other hand, every business changes as it grows, and if one’s blog grows into a business, some kind of change is inevitable. So maybe it’s silly to wish for how things used to be.
I do agree that a lot of outfit-only posts are boring, especially if they’re light on information but have 10 photos of the same Forever 21 tank top and tiny shorts!
And this is why I love you. Savage bloggers are a pain in the butt and yes some personal style blogs are *ahem* boring as hell, but if a million of them read and tweeted my every move I would think twice before saying that aloud.
Excellent post!Yes, I was quite shocked at the fact that Mr. Schumann really uttered those words,and believed them! I mean who does he think supported/read his blog initially. If anything maybe this will help other bloggers who looked solely to his blog, view fresher sites that capture real street-fashion, other than his. There’s so many other wonderful street-style blogs out there, sans the snobbery.
I think you dressed this post nicely & included some very good tips. I feel that a good blog should have variety, & good content of course. It’s never okay to be a savage blogger.
Cheers,
Madison
Amen! Like way to piss of your readers. He’s entitled to his opinion, I guess, but it is never ok to be a savage blogger.
Really interesting article. I have not really become “successful” as a blogger, I actually just started, but in my mind sometimes I feel myself trending towards some of your point. This is a post that people should come back and read to keep themselves in check. I feel though sometimes that I want my blog to be successful only in that it would give me the opportunity to focus on it full time. Even if it never takes off or whatever, I am still going to enjoy posting, learning and evolving with my blog.
Sebastian, your comment is so honest, thank you. There’s nothing wrong with being successful or wanting success. I think it’s how people/bloggers go about it losing integrity or forgetting the readers who supported them.
[...] Stylish Thought: Are you a Savage Blogger? [...]
Thank you so much for this informative post! I was thinking the exact same things about some bloggers: how their blogs have just turned into advertising and their own popular lives. Love you article
x mordrian
Thank you Modrian!
your* sorry! haha
I know exactly the blogs that you’re talking about. I’m also frustrated with bloggers that spam, but that’s another story. Your blog is supposed to be something you’re interested in doing. I only have a couple of followers, but to be honest, I’m glad that at least they’re genuine, and I love getting ideas from other personal style blogs.
Yes, I love blogs that are authentic and write about what they love, not what will get them followers.
Thanks for the comment Janet.
[...] Stylish Thought: Are you a Savage Blogger? [...]
~ * ♥ * ~
Fajr, thanks for writing a great post. I must say that I have come across a few bloggers that are savage bloggers ~ some I still follow because the overall content is good, even if the actual ‘relating’ part sucks, but others? No way.
It’s really off putting when you go to comment on someone’s blog and they are all like “Thanks for comment, but I am not going to reply because of life/study/personal/whatever commitments.”
Uh really? So why is this blog public if you’re not going to interact with your readers again? What are you trying to gain? Seriously, that just annoys me.
xox,
bonita of Depict This!
~ * ♥ * ~
You’re welcome Bonita and thanks for such an honest comment. I totally understand that life gets in the way, but if everything else falls by the waist side, I think bloggers should make it a priority to engage with their readers, who take the time to read & comment.
This is such a great post! I made a couple of blogger friends when I started blogging, who commented on every post I wrote and I did the same as I genuinely enjoyed reading their blogs. Now though, their followers are in the thousands (compared to my 400, which I’m very happy with btw) and they never visit my blog anymore, they only ever comment on other really popular blogs and I feel quite hurt by it, as I thought they were genuinely interested in my site and my friendship
Oh well onwards and upwards, I love blogging and I think I always will whether I have 2 readers or 200 readers xxx
That blows Victoria and I’m glad you didn’t let it deter you from blogging. Your blog is adorable and I love your style
I know I’m only speaking hypothetically (since I only have 8 followers), but I don’t see myself becoming a Savage Blogger if my follower count reaches a thousand. In fact, I can’t imagine ignoring the amazing comments people leave on my blog.
The celebrity status some bloggers think they have has turned me off before, but I still follow some big blogs because I just like their content!
And even if I don’t have a hundred or a thousand followers, I still try to be a “Sophisticated Blogger” when I blog and interact.
This was a really great post. Thanks for sharing!
Julian
Thanks Julian, I couldn’t imagine not responding to amazing comments (like yours) either. The “celebrity” status doesn’t bother me and I still read a few. I think it is how the blogger reacts to it.
[...] Stylish Thought: Are you a Savage Blogger? [...]
[...] Stylish Thought: Are you a Savage Blogger? [...]
I totally agree with everything you just said. I don’t have too many followers at the moment, so I’m working on creating more useful content, but honestly, I started blogging because it make ME a better person as far as my style goes. That said, I appreciate every reader and comment, no matter how few or many. I respect you for writing this article and calling out the bloggers (me included) who have become robotic,or uncaring.
Gabbyh
Hey Gabby, thanks for the comment! I definitely think that as we blog we are all guilty of becoming savage bloggers from time to time. Myself included. Don’t be too hard on yourself, just keep blogging and evolving your style
Thanks for the comment!
This is an absolutely brilliant post. You hit the nail squarely on the head.I never, ever want to become a savage blogger!
Thanks so much. I don’t think you ever have to worry about that
Great post! I have been pondering this a lot lately. I get frustrated when I see nothing but c/o on every item in every outfit. I use Google Analytics as a (rough) gauge of the quality of my posts. As I’ve gotten better at photography, writing, etc., (not to mention being more engaged and commenting, reading IFB) the pageviews have gone up. They’re certainly still pretty low compared to other blogs, but to me knowing I’m doing better and is worth it I’m thankful for even one new follower.
Google Analytics is a great way to find out what your readers enjoy. Nothing wrong with catering to them. And engaging is a great way to make blogging friends and new followers.
Thanks for the comment Sarah!
[...] Stylish Thought: Are you a Savage Blogger? [...]
Just got to say I love the term ‘Savage Blogger’ as described in the Dictionary of V. Genius!
Vahni coined it perfectly!
Fantastic post! I have recently had a time where I was becoming obsessed with the numbers and growth. And it was not pleasant.
I suddenly found myself ragingly jealous of all the “IT BLOGGERS” who did nothing but post pictures of themselves in pretty outfits that they didn’t have to pay for, and people were saying how amazing they looked and great they were, and they wanted to be just like them. It almost got to the point where I did not want to blog anymore, at all. So I took a moment to step back and do a bit of self-reflection and refocus myself.
I now blog about the things I want to blog about, not the stuff I think will make me popular because it worked for others. And yes, I still look at my numbers, but care significantly less about them. Mostly I look to see what content seems to be the most enjoyed, so I can write more of that. And I have since stopped following many of these “It Bloggers” who do not interact with their community and engage those who made them what they are. I feel a lot better since doing so.
Love your philosophy “Blog about what you want, not what will make you popular”! Here here sister
Thanks for the comment Kate
[...] Stylish Thought – Are we a Savage Blogger?: Scott Schuman’s remarks about personal character bloggers have caused utterly a bit of commotion. decoding dress and a thrify LA life both write rebuttals to a square and Vahni from Grit Glamour coined a tenure “Savage Blogging.” Eboni Ife’ of The Fashionista Next Door motionless to share this judicious post by Fajr of Stylish Thought: “I don’t know where I’ve been though we hadn’t seen Scott Schuman’s criticism about personal character bloggers. It’s maddening, though we adore that Fajr didn’t get on a defensive… instead she attempted to get to a base of a problem… SAVAGE BLOGGING! She creates some unequivocally good points and offers some good tips for avoiding a “savage blogging” syndrome!” [...]
When I started blogging, I didn’t have a clue what the blogging world was and what is had to offer. I also had this biased view of “pretty-looking-girls-snapshots”. I’m glad to say that maybe this part exists, but there’s also the inspiring and community part. I get that there’s a realistic risk to become a savage blogger especially when you blow up. Thank God, you can always go back to why your first started. Thanx for sharing!
Thanks for the comment!
Hilarious Post…
[...] Stylish Thought: Are you a Savage Blogger? [...]
What a fabulous post. I will sahring it inmediately.
I am definitely a Sophisticated Blogger, and I love it.
Besos
Followed the Link from mis papelicos – great read! So glad I stumbled across this blog!
I also read that article and thought how ‘limited’ his world must be when he only read Garance’s blog… Open your eyes Scott!!!
Gonna retweet this!
x.o.x.o
p.s Am new here!
You know we discussed this AT LENGTH awhile back so I definitely love and appreciate the time you took to write this post. And that dumb midget Scott needs to get over himself, grow a set (among other things) and stop whining. What he did in the past was groundbreaking and he’s pissed because he’s not the only one who can do what he does, as well as he does. So he goes on these tantrums while switching back to how hard he bones that Garance chick. PLEASE give it a rest Scott, you’ve been at this crap for over a YEAR.
Everyone has their own reasons to blog, some are genuine, some are not. But fashion IS a glossy industry so it’s not surprising that alot of these boring shopaholic bloggers have the popularity. If you want to be the outfit post blogger, cool and good for you, but don’t try to defend your intelligence if it’s not obvious on your blog, I don’t care if you have 10 PhD’s. If you’re the type who likes to provide information or a well researched opinion, please don’t dumb yourself down with stupid “swag” posts.
If fashion blogs have anything to teach us, is to just be yourself. We have all lived through that time wasting experience of cliques in highschool, how come it’s necessary to participate in the uselessness again as GROWN WOMEN??
I was just discussing this with a dear friend of mine about the loss of the possibility of “discovery” in fashion due to our unhealthy attachment to technology. The reason these blogs are not fun anymore, because no one is discovering anything new, be it an item of clothing or a new perspective on the world and seamlessly incorporating it into the world of fashion. Honestly, 99% of these damn blogs take the fun out of fashion as they are just as bad as a boring corporation trying to be “cool”. Fuck being cool, whatever happened to being yourself?
Hello,
I completely agree with your opinion on this article.
I’m a follower of Vahni from Grit & Glamour so her post about this subject got me here! I do have a blog but I never worry about the traffic, cause I have so much fun posting what I really like! And I would like to add the most interesting part of my amateur blog journey, is to discover ladies like you and Vahni. Every time I learn something new, my world gets better!
Indeed…think outside the box and be a Sophisticated Blogger.
All the best,
Gigi
Interesting perspective…
Savage bloggery – and fashion snobbery – gotta love those terms!
One of the things that puts me off the most about the bigger, more popular blogs, is the fact that they do not engage their readers. Replying after every comment is one thing, but I’ve reached out to several bloggers via a personal e-mail — and there have been times that I’ve never gotten a response. I always remember those that write back, and a little part of me likes those that do not reply, less.
The good thing about all of this is that the internet is big enough to hold all of us. And if you don’t like it, you don’t have to click.