From time to time, we take a moment to aim the spotlight on a Publisher, and ask him or her to share some wisdom with us. Today we are excited to present a brief Q&A with Tracie Murphy of Style Bard Shoes.
Chris: Tracie, please tell us a little about yourself, Style Bard, and Style Bard Shoes:
Tracie: I'm a girl in her twenties who loves literature, theatre, and fashion. I can be pretty sassy; I'm a bit of a smart mouth. I've lived in Boston and New York, and am currently living in Florida. All three places have a very distinct style! I created Style Bard and Style Bard Shoes as projects to collect my overflowing opinions on fashion, but then I quickly realized that I wanted to share them with others as well.
"Style Bard" comes from the idea that style can be a form of poetry, and that someone who utilizes the aesthetics of style would be the artist---a bard of style. Because I come from a writing and art background, combining the two appealed to me, and that's how the moniker was born. So the Style Bard blog is mostly about fashion and beauty, and then it meanders to books and movies and television as well. It's like looking at the world around me in a more fashionable light.
Chris: What got you started in blogging about style and fashion?
Tracie: Actually it's funny, because I used to just email my mom at work all the time with items I'd found at my favorite shopping sites, telling her how intriguing they were and how I would wear them. I realized that it would be easier to just put my unsolicited fashion commentary in one central location online. Then I could share my thoughts on fashion and shopping with more than one person---and clear up my mother's work inbox at the same time! That's how Style Bard was born.
After I'd had Style Bard for awhile, I realized that a hefty portion of my commentary focused on shoes. Rather than let shoes dominate the site all the time, I figured I could branch out and create Style Bard Shoes, which completely focuses on current shoe trends and sales and reviews. My favorite recent addition is helping readers find shoes for special occasions, or to match a dress, or to fit in with their wardrobe budget. That's been a lot of fun---it's like virtual personal shopping, but for shoes!
Chris: Do you ever experience writers block when it comes to blogging? How do you get around it?
Tracie: Yes! I always strive to keep my voice fresh and to present new angles on fashion. But I know that my best writing comes from topics I'm truly passionate about. So now instead of sitting down to write and trying to come up with an article, I've been bookmarking shopping pages and blogs on a daily basis with little articles or pictures that inspire me---kind of like a "look book." Then when I sit down, if I don't have a topic prepared or just want to start over, I can pull up one of those links and it's like, "Oh yeah, I HATE that trend! I should definitely write something about that." On Style Bard Shoes, because there are sometimes SO many great shoe sales going on at one time, in order to write I focus on the best deals, the ones that will excite my readers the most, and then figure out an angle to cover the sale to keep it interesting. Like, how is this shoe sale different from other shoe sales going on right now? What's the hook?
And if I'm ever really stuck, I just go to the mall. There's always inspiration there. Plus I can be shopping for shoes and say, "It's for work!"
Chris: How do you use Shopzilla Publisher?
Tracie: Shopzilla has been incredibly easy to use on both of my sites, because it allows me to create banners with multiple links that advertise relevant content. For example, if I know that the readers of Style Bard are interested in Marc Jacobs handbags and J. Jill blouses, Shopzilla provides graphics and links that take them to the products they're looking for. And on Style Bard Shoes, my banners always show the shoe styles and brands that are hot at the time. And it's easy to change them out, which is important to me because every season there are new trends that readers want to follow. Both of my sites have unique looks to them, and I can change the coloring of the ads to blend seamlessly into each my pages. Overall, Shopzilla Publisher lets me easily tailor ads to my different sites, and is always relevant to what my readers are looking for, all without being obvious as advertisements. When I'm trying to manage two blogs at once, working with helpful teams like Shopzilla makes my life a whole lot easier.
Chris: Anything else?
Tracie: My most important message is that every person, male and female, needs to find their own personal style and figure out how to best present it through their clothing, accessories, and their daily choices. Adding a sprinkle of cynicism and discerning judgment is often important! Don't just take trends at face value, and embrace the catty attitude of the industry. It makes fashion much more fun.
Chris: Thanks, Tracie! We here at Shopzilla Publisher are big fans of Style Bard, and encourage any interested Publishers to head on over to Tracie's site to learn more.
