Earlier today, I tuned in to a fun and informative Q&A Seminar with Michelle Madhok of SheFinds, hosted by Coutorture co-founder Julie Fredrickson. The hot topic: Fashion blogging success strategies! Aww yeah. Here are some of the great tips and expert advice that Michelle and Julie shared with the group, summed up by yours truly, for all to ingest and enjoy:

Strategies For Fashion Blogging Success:

Know yourself, know your audience. What's your niche? Who are you trying to reach? What is the brand you're trying to create and promote? These are probably the toughest questions to answer, but once you do, you'll be well on your way to fashion blogging success.

Network, network, network! Michelle says networking is key to the success of your fashion blog, especially if you want to turn it into a business. Joining a fashion blogging community such as Coutorture is a great place to start, both Julie and Michelle say. Create profiles for your blog on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.com for additional exposure. (Add The Budget Babe as your friend on MySpace now!)

Syndicate your content. By submitting your content to be featured on major high-traffic sites, Michelle says you can increase visibility and gain new readers. While SheFinds syndicates content on major portals like Yahoo and AOL, beginners should check out BlogBurst.

Create and share widgets of your blog. Think of widgets as "portable chunks of the web." Find out more at My Blog Log and WidgetBox.

Share some link-lovin'. Submit your content for linking via sites like Sugarloving, BuzzFeed, and Skirt to help boost traffic.

Notify the people/companies/products that you blog about. For example, if you review a lipstick by Lancome, go to their website and send an e-mail about your product review to Lancome's general info or customer service e-mail address. Or, send an email directly to Lancome's Public Relations peeps: Michelle says Who.RepsWhat.com is an excellent resource for PR rep info.

Deliver your content in a variety of formats. Offer content feeds and/or newsletters via Feedburner and Feedblitz. Other newsletter services include MailerMailer, iContact and Constant Contact.

Promote your giveaways. Submit giveaways that you run on your blog to sweepstake sites (a Google search for "sweepstakes" will point you in the right direction, Michelle says). Coutorture members should notify Julie, as she may be able to help promote your sweeps on Coutorture.com.

Don't be afraid to reach out. Contact other bloggers and fashion industry peeps with your questions and ideas. "People are more accessible than you think," Julie says.

Make the most of your day job. Learn as many skills as possible at your current job that will help you with your blog or your next, new endeavor, says Michelle.

Do a little something every day. You don't have to do everything all at once. Focus on tackling one or two of the strategies mentioned above at a time, and update your site daily with new information.


>> If you'd like to partner with The Budget Babe for a giveaway or cross-promotion, drop me a line at info(at)thebudgetbabe.com.

Recently, we became a proud member of Coutorture, a fashion blogging community that gives fashion lovers news and commentary in one great location. Why did we join? Because we long-admired Coutorture's incredible, high-caliber content as well as their mission and purpose to gain greater visibility for its members and give fashion bloggers a stronger voice in the fashion community.

We also joined in hopes of learning more about making our blog a success, connecting with other style-obsessed writers, and expanding our readership. Most of all, we joined in hope of being able to offer our readers more cool stuff. Happily, Coutorture is helping us in all of these arenas. Note, for example, the awesome weekly giveaway in our right nav, courtesy of Coutorture. It's something we could not have offered our readers without said blissful association - so be sure to take advantage and ENTER!

We are just beginning to explore the possibilities that Coutorture has to offer its members, and by extension, our readers. Thanks to all our fans for your support - and here's to bigger and better things at The Budget Babe.

xox,
The Budget Babe

I love winter, but I hate being cold. The simplest way to stay warm and stylish is with what I like to call a "winter uniform" - a few classically chic pieces that can be mixed and matched and worn just about every day, everywhere - ALL winter long.

This winter, my uniform consists of a black wool peacoat (distinguished by antique star-shaped bronze buttons and a colorful satin lining), black knee-high leather boots with a short heel, a black oversized faux-leather handbag, and dark wash skinny jeans. Fabulous gloves and scarves round out the look and add a personal touch, not to mention more snuggly warmth.

Strolling around town this weekend, I noticed I was certainly not alone in my thinking - seems like every fashionable gal was wearing some combination of the following:

• Dark colors: Strategically mixing black, navy and brown is no longer a fashion faux-pas


• Large leather purse and coordinating knee-high boots: Nothing too matchy. Make sure boots are comfy and waterproofed. Big purses are a fashion statement - don't overpack.


• Dark tights: Along with gray, black and navy, deep purple or blue work well, as do textured styles.


• Scarves, especially the pashmina kind are everywhere - and they are fab.


• Black: It's always in style.


• Wool coats: All you need is one great fitting, warm wool coat. Look for one with a belt (or add your own) to create a slimming silhouette. In addition to black, I love wool coats in red or houndstooth.


• Flat or low-heeled knee high boots in dark brown or black leather: Choose wisely according to how much walking you do; pick a heel that can withstand ice and snow.

The best part of having a winter uniform is that all its essential components (listed above) can be purchased at reasonable prices. You also can't go wrong spending a little bit more on pieces you'll wear season after season, say, a black wool coat or sturdy leather boots. Buy inexpensive accessories like scarves, tights, gloves, hats, leg warmers, belts and yes, even handbags, at budget fashion shops like H&M, Forever 21 or Target. These add instant character and renovate your look.

Share details of your winter uniform in the comments.

Here are some pics I snapped to showcase a classic "east coast" winter uniform. The first two photos demonstrate this pretty well.




Looks like these girls were going out; as temps drop, I'm guessing they'll add tights and boots, too...