What I learned from Jennine Jacob: Just Keep Blogging

My best friend (and fashion merchandising major) Cassie and me at the Conference between sessions.

WOW. That’s about all I have to say about the fantastic panels and amazing speakers I heard this past weekend at the first annual Texas Style Council Conference. In fact, I learned so darn much during each session that I’ll be devoting each its own post and spreading them out over several weeks, so as not to overwhelm you with blog-obsessive goodness.

The keynote address was delivered by Jennine Jacob, blogger behind The Coveted and Founder of Independent Fashion Bloggers. She had great beads of wisdom to share and has helped me re-evaluate my philosophy as a blogger.


She began her address by letting us know that no matter what, we should keep blogging. Sounds simple, but actually resonates quite loudly. Oftentimes I get really frustrated with what my blog isn’t- I don’t feel like I communicate my personal voice as strongly as I wish to, and I also desire my community of loyal followers (I can tell by reading my wordpress stats that there’s a bunch of you out there- you can’t hide! jk. but seriously. I’ll find you. ok seriously jk.) to be much more interactive with me. Despite the many downfalls and blogFAIL moments I experience through this activity on a regular basis, I ultimately enjoy blogging so much that the stress is worth it. Jennine’s introductory message reminded me how much I love having this arena available to deposit my thoughts and discuss my ideas.

Another of Jennine’s ideas that I’ll try keeping in mind regularly is her statement that we embrace social media, like blogging, “to express the core element of ourselves.” Many of the panelists discussed what it means to be truly genuine and authentic, and I’ll be working my hardest to try and pass on those lessons to you all, my audience. One aspect of this will be sharing my true opinions and feelings without fear of judgement or criticism. Don’t worry, I’m not going to start getting all heavy on this blog, I just mean about fashion and style and trends and such. Another way I’m going to try to accomplish this is by posting on a more regular schedule. I’m approaching 6 months of blogging, and it’s time to advance to the next level. I used to post roughly every 3-4 days, where ever those posts fell. Starting last week, I’m going to try a Monday-Wednesday-Friday model, which not only increases the posts I’m writing per month in a manageable way, but also seems to correspond with when people find time to read my blog the most. Therefore, win-win.

Jennine also had a very candid thought on the development of the blogosphere. About the rise in popularity of blogging, she remarked, “Everything has changed. And everyone is freaking out.” She’s 100% right. The advent of social media as a totally dependable and accessible tool for everyone across the world has created an open platform where all are free to share their thoughts globally with the unprecedented ability to reach an online audience. The success of blogging challenges the long-existing standards and structures of both journalism and the media industry as a whole. In my opinion, this is probably the most exciting, intriguing, and interesting aspect of blogging. I’m grateful that this opportunity exists- not just for me, but for the millions out there creating unique, original content who now have the ability to share it with the rest of the world thanks to modern technology.

Jennine’s final idea which I took away from her speech was her helpful reminder that “You have to go for it, or else it’s not going to happen.” Yeah yeah yeah, reach for your goals, dream big, yada yada yada. You’ve heard it before right? Well, stated so simply and in such a straight forward manner, and coming from Jennine, it seems to actually mean something. I plan to take this to heart and apply it to my blog over the next few months when I will be re-focusing my content and hopefully creating some exciting new developments. I’m anticipating some very important life changes regarding my summer plans, and I can’t wait to share them with you. As Bob Dylan sang, “You better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone, for the times they are a-changin’.”

Was this content helpful to you at all? I hope I didn’t just ramble non-sensically at you for too long. What do you think of Jennine’s ideas? What do you think are the most exciting aspects of blogging today? Are there any negatives that have arisen from the popularity of blogging? Discuss.

Bisous,
Rachel

PS: Bonus photos of me goofing off with Jennine after her address. Enjoy :)



Special thanks to Suze from Miss Vinyl Ahoy for playing candid photographer.