Blogger Adventure: Jodie Marie Dewberry of A La Jode From blogger neophyte to seasoned fashion blogg

Blogger Adventure: Jodie Marie Dewberry of A La Jode From blogger neophyte to seasoned fashion blogger in less than 18 months: in the crowded field of the personal style and fashion blogs, Exeter-based Jodie Marie Dewberry of A La Jode proves that building quality content and a dedicated following is still possible. Her secrets: dedication, planning and a heavy dose of proactivity. She’s organising a South West Blog Social on 7 June and was actually the one who contacted me to run this feature. Jodie took time out of exam revision to answer my questions about getting the blogging bug, organising outfit posts and what it’s like to blog in Exeter. What made you want to start a blog? I’d been reading blogs – mostly fashion, beauty and travel – for a couple of years and I had a ‘now or never’ kind of moment. So one day I just went for it! I kept it secret from all my friends and family for a few months, as I never expected it to take off or for anyone to read it. You’ve been blogging since February 2013 - how has A la Jode evolved over that period of time? When I started out, A La Jode was more of an experiment than a commitment. I quickly caught the blogging bug, however, after realising how amazing the community is and how nice it was to have a creative project alongside my degree! In the past year I’ve moved from Blogger to Wordpress and really focused on making my blog both more personal and more professional at the same time. A la Jode, largely based on outfit posts, is in a very popular segment of the fashion blogosphere - how did you dig your niche? The fashion blogosphere is so big that every blogger in it needs something distinctive - whether that’s related to content, fashion sense or writing style – and I think I’m still in the process of realising mine. I constantly feel like I need to find more of a niche, but instead I seem to go the other way and add more variety! I admire people who post outfit pics because I could never be bothered. How do you prepare your outfit posts? I usually take outfit photos in batches. They’re outfits I’ve either worn or I am planning on wearing sometime before the post goes live. I wish I had time to take them daily! If I do a lookbook post or video about a specific trend (e.g. pastels) I will put together outfits specifically as it’s more about inspiration than my own style. Your blog mixes outfit posts, tutorials, dressing advice and debate entries - how do you decide what to post? I plan most of my posts about a month in advance and adapt them/add in anything else that comes up accordingly. Once I graduate in July I hope to stick to a stricter, category-based schedule! It’s nice for readers to know when they can expect their favourite posts. There is an active community around A la Jode. How did you build it and how do you keep it going? I’m really not too sure! I started the blog as a bit of an experiment but never expected it to take off – I remember being excited about having 10 readers! Readers seemed to suddenly start increasing last September and that’s continued ever since. I’m very lucky that it’s happened fairly quickly and I still can’t quite believe it sometimes. You are developing your You Tube channel. Why is it important, and what do you expect it will bring you and the blog? When I began blogging, I always said I would never go on to YouTube, but earlier this year I decided it would be a nice way to show a bit more of myself and engage with followers. A La Jode is almost entirely focused on fashion and style, but I like to upload the occasional beauty, lifestyle or tag video on Youtube. It really is an extension of my blog. What’s your relationship with PRs like? I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve not really had any bad experiences and a load of good ones. A La Jode doesn’t feature a whole load of gifted products – I’m quite fussy! – but I really enjoy building lasting relationships with brands. How are you planning to develop A la Jode over the next few months/years? Now my finals are over, I can’t wait to get stuck back in to blogging. I’ve not been as active as usual over the past month due to exams and travelling so I have lots of ideas waiting. Over the next few months, my main goal is to completely tidy up my blog in terms of layout and general ease of use, and perhaps redesign it. I’d also like to work on my photography – great photography makes a huge difference to a blog. You’re organising a blogger meet up in Exeter in June. Is this an important part of blogging for you? I’ve met some really good friends through blogging. It’s so nice to have people I can talk fashion with non-stop as none of my friends are really into it. I always find events incredibly exciting so I’m really looking forward to this opportunity to host one. It’s very time-consuming and stressful but I’m having a great time organising it! What is the Exeter blogging scene like? There aren’t many of us! But in some ways I think it makes us feel a little more connected. Nearly all the events happen in London or really far up North so it’s nice to bring such a huge event to the South West. All photos courtesy of Jodie. If, like Jodie, you would like to be featured in the next instalment of the monthly Blogger Adventure series, please get in touch at fashionmemex[at]gmail.com. -- source link

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