I've been thinking a lot more about the purpose of a Lifestyle Blog, and I've concluded that a lifestyle blog is a place where readers to become based on what you share about creating the perfect life. This past year, I have been working hard to be the full time food and lifestyle blogger of my dreams. I have done SO much research on the topic of Lifestyle Blogs, I wanted to organize my findings into a post, and share it with you, because I am sure so many bloggers would love to know how to take their product photography and blog posts to the next level.
So many of my favorite Lifestyle Bloggers share photos of themselves looking stylish, inside their gorgeous homes, yards, and other places they like to frequent.
While this may sound superficial, it's what celebrities have been doing for a long time. Everyday people are attracted to these lifestyle bloggers (people we want to be like), and want to be like them. And, hopefully take their recommendations on what products to use, what recipes to make, and how to style their outfits, events, and therefore live a more stylish and sophisticated life.
Luckily these Lifestyle Blogs offer ways to style our own lives similarly by giving tips and almost daily, I am so thankful for the fact that almost anyone can start their own blog and share a digital version of their well-styled lives! It's like you're being personally invited into their homes, daily life, and celebrations. It often makes us readers to aspire to be like that person, so we want to keep coming back to their blog, get the latest updates, and see what collaborations they may be doing.
I have compiled some inspiring images from some of my favorite Lifestyle Bloggers, and some reasons why I think the posts are so successful. I also wanted to share some ideas on how to begin to incorporate a more Lifestyle aspect to your own blog, no matter what topics you love to share on your own blog. Click any image for its source.
Camille Styles
1.) When Camille Styles featured this soiree by Burke Design + Planning, she shared so many warm and inviting details about the event, you almost feel like you're right there with them, attending the event. I can't even begin to explain how excited I am about well styled the event is, with the Boho Rustic theme, outdoor setting, and lots of gorgeous foods and drinks.
I also LOVE the fact that she incorporated fashionably styled attendees into this post, which is always an engaging way to offer more of a Lifestyle Post to your blog. I often find that images with people in them get way higher engagement than those without people in them.
It's a wonderful idea to incorporate people (especially yourself) into posts that are actually promoting products. Figuring out creative ways to incorporate the human figure into almost any photo is going to add so much dimension and interest for the viewer.
Another Personal Note - I feel like brands are much more intrigued by Lifestyle Blogs right now than niche blogs, because these bloggers are now able to work with a larger variety of brands and products. A couple of years ago, when I was taking blogging more seriously, I kept reading all of these articles that stated niche blogging was incredibly important for blog traffic. I know that certain niche blogs get WAY more traffic, and that monthly readership rate is sometimes why brands choose to work with certain blogs. But, traffic isn't everything! The more beautiful content you share from your blog, the more people will begin to notice and visit. You can continue to work hard to create Lifestyle Blog Posts, and share those posts with brands and gain lots of work that way.
Style Me Pretty
2.) Next, Style Me Pretty is an amazing place to find Lifestyle Photos - they allow users to submit 15 or more images to each post, so you really get a wide range of inspiration photos to choose from.
Interacting with products in a stylish setting will really give readers a better glimpse into how easy it will be to incorporate the product, theme, DIY, or idea into their own lives and events. Pouring the product into pretty glasses at a party, like the image above, adds a genuine interaction that makes the product more familiar to people.
Sugar And Charm
3.) Another blog that I visit fairly often is Sugar and Charm. This Lifestyle / Entertaining Post makes me so happy! I am constantly inspired by their pretty events, and this Cinco de Mayo Post they shared is out of this world gorgeous. Again, I feel like I'm right there, at the celebration, and love how they sprinkled in photos of people interacting with the food and then showing the food after the interaction.
Using a lower aperture (to blur out the background like the top photo), really directs the viewer's focus to the subject. The bottom image has a higher aperture, because when you're shooting from above, you want more to be in focus.
Inspired By This
4.) This Vintage Backyard Baby Shower is another post I've used as personal inspiration many times. Inspired By This has
This Vintage Themed shower invites viewers in with lots of greenery, beautiful food and drink ideas, and shares creative ways to use vintage items, or simply how to creatively incorporate items you already have into an event space.
If you're not able to spend the time creating a huge post involving a party and your best friends or models, I wanted to share a couple of posts that are done in-home or on a much smaller scale. Don't be afraid to pull out your tripod and just take photos of yourself - that way you don't have to work around your photographer's schedule.
Product Photography
5.) Another post from Inspired By This, is about incorporating essential oils into your life. I think this is a perfect example of sharing a blogger using the products, in a gorgeously styled home or office space. In addition to product shots, they offered a nice photo of someone actually using the product. Some brands will not want this style of image, but they will usually state that in your guidelines.
This blogger makes it easy to see how you can incorporate the product into your space, and make your life even better.
By using a more neutral colored background, more of the viewer's focus is on the actual product.
Styled Adventures
6.) Styled Adventures says it right in her blog name, making sure how to help you style your adventures in a more beautiful way. She shares her current haircare routine, and if you're wanting to know how she styles her hair so well, I'm sure she has a tutorial for that as well!
If you can imagine this post with only product photos, where the bottles are simply sitting on her table, that would be cute as well, but the fact that she has placed herself into the post, and is using the products to make her hair so gorgeous, that realyl engages viewers much better.
Well, thanks so much for stopping by to learn a bit more about my thoughts on Lifestyle Blogging. Do you consider yourself a Lifestyle Blogger, or do you prefer to stay behind the camera and let your products and styling share your message?
