After I wrapped up a shoot with one of my blogger clients last Saturday I popped into H&M after she told me about the sale they were having. I didn’t have long to look around (speed shopping is now my new thing) and I scored a few cute pieces, included this midi/maxi puff-sleeved dress.

I love boho style dresses, and while some people may skip over dresses like this because they aren’t form fitting, I think that they are awesome pieces to have in your closet, especially during this time of year. You can wear it with pretty much anything; I paired it with flat gladiator sandals, round sunnies, simple gold jewelry and a woven circle bag that I’ve had since last year, but this would even work with dressier sandals, or with a cropped denim jacket and platforms. I love dresses like this, not only because they are cute IRL, but they photograph well for “content” purposes as well.

Speaking of content creation, I wanted to say a few things for bloggers that may find themselves stuck on what to blog about or to share on IG. Most blogging coaches will advise you to have a bank of post ideas waiting in draft for moments like this, and while I definitely agree with this to a certain extent and mix in posts that reflect that, I’ve come to realize that the best content is THE CONTENT YOU LIVE. Meaning, live your life and incorporate that into your blogging vs trying to come up with all of this generalized content that people can’t really connect with. People want to connect with PEOPLE, what they’re doing, how they’re styling their home, where they’re going, what they’re wearing, etc. They want to know the WHY behind things too, and that personal connection that you have when explaining your why is what will make them stay.

So many bloggers think that they have to start off trying to be “inspirational”, “body-positive”, or some other buzz wordy category that’s popular, but they get stuck and begin regurgitating the same messaging vs. actually being of value to their audience bc you can only live in generalities for so long. This isn’t to say that you can’t be those things, but you INSPIRE by living your life. You INSPIRE by being comfortable in your skin and showing it every day, whether it’s good or bad. What I’m trying to say is, find a way to move away from those generalized messages and start really going there in your content and storytelling. Be yourself and share that through your content. You are your niche, so whether you’re sharing a cute outfit or talking about your love of Jesus, do it in a way that makes it relatable to your audience.

Take a look at some of your favorite bloggers and think about the content they post. Deep dive into it and write down why you continue to follow and engage with them. Obviously they post pretty pictures, but you really see them living their life and creating content around it in a way that is fresh and entertaining, and it makes you come back for more. Some of my faves that do this well are @hayet.rida, @sivanayla, @themattiejames, @thevicstyles, and @kathleen_barnes.

photos: AFLD Creative

This doesn’t mean that you have to tell all of your business (lord knows I don’t, lol), but don’t be afraid to actually open up and talk with your people THROUGH your content. Share real insight into your life, your likes, your activities. The more you do that (and not just in stories on IG! that disappears after 24 hours), the easier and more enjoyable content creation will become. It doesn’t have to be perfectly curated, but it should definitely be real.

Are you into the puff sleeve dress trend?

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