Why I almost quit blogging

It is easy for anybody to start a blog. Look at me. I have done it. But it is not easy to make it a success. Its safe to say that blogging, especially fashion blogging has expanded and in order to become successful, you must give the audience something they can't get elsewhere. I recently lost desire to post and I began thinking a lot about my blog. What and where I want it to be... Why I even want it to be there.

Some things in the blogging world have really upset me and they are things you see everyday within the fashion industry. However, for some reason I thought this would be different when it came to blogs. 

From hauls to wish lists. Blogs promote spending. It is all about buying. Buying into the ideal lifestyle. Some of the most successful fashion and beauty bloggers (please correct me if I'm wrong) are what I can only describe as well off. They either live off Bank of Mum & Dad or have a well-paid job which means they can afford to go out and shop till they drop without a thought.

Aside from the typical factors like design, SEO and networking, etc, I think there are three other factors that make a fashion and beauty blog successful.  Just like magazines, fashion and beauty blogs encourage an ideal lifestyle in which their reader aspires towards. Imagine a young size 18,  single mum who lives in living in a council estate was to start her own Fashion/Beauty blog. Now imagine a rich white girl who is a size 8 was to set up a blog today.  (Which blog would you read?) I believe within six months the skinny rich girl would be known in the fashion/beauty blogosphere and by September, she could be front row at all the major catwalk shows. Know why this is? Because she has the three factors which works like a springboard within this industry. Money. Size and quite possibly race.  

I noticed my blog slowly deteriorating. Posts became dull ( even though I was posting more than usual. ) and it hit me. I was holding back thats why. Holding my thoughts in. But why? BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE MONEY!!  Becoming unemployed lead to the one thing I said I would never do with this blog. I began seeking out sponsored posts, advertising and any other way to make money from my blog. I lost sight of what was important to me. The main reason I actually started blogging. 

I have decided to give Joy to The World a revamp. This is something I have battled with in my head for months. How do I make it more than just a fashion blog? How do I get my points across? How do I make sure I am supporting a good cause? 

Now don't get me wrong I love fashion, always have and always will. I plan to continue blogging about the latest trends, my outfit sand all the other stuff I used to do. But I will also have new content ( well sort of new) If you have been reading my blog for a while you would have noticed every now and then, I do posts about particular issue or charities. See here and here if you haven't come across any. I plan to do more of these. At least once a month to start off. 

Fashion bloggers don’t just blog. They sell a lifestyle and if your lifestyle is just as glossy as the glossies then you will shoot right to the top.

Too many people spend money they haven’t got to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don't like -  ( I thing Will Smith said this )