When it comes to incorporating the scenic beauty of Goa's beaches, idyllic villages and Portuguese quarters into a narrative, blogging does well for some leisurely reading on a balmy afternoon.
A majority of the handful of blogs on Goa contain information and tips for tourists visiting the sunny state. Then, there are some that are personal musings about all things Goan, while others are ramblings on the current socio-political scenario.
But now, the fairly new trend of fashion and lifestyle blogging is slowly gaining momentum. Many young bloggers are speaking about footwear and clothing brands, trendy beach attire, make-up, skin care, etc, besides the regular mix of food, culture and lifestyle.
As local readers have very few Goa-relevant lifestyle blogs to refer to, these are perceived as treasure troves of information for many.
"Be it the music, culture, architecture, people or places, there is a lot to explore in Goa as the state keeps reinventing itself every season. I am sure to bring all of it to the Goan public," Navya Ramesh says. Coming from a fashion brand management background, Ramesh has worked with online fashion portals like Wooplr and Myntra. She is also the brains behind the blog 'Sensualists ONLY', which showcases leisure and resort fashion and lifestyle.
For Ramesh, blogging is too mundane to be called a profession and too trivial to be termed a hobby. "I have always been interested in the aesthetics of dressing and how it affects the psychology of the person and those around him/her," she explains.
Flexcia D'Souza's obsession with trendy clothing, travel and trysts with make-up, beauty and street style got her noticed and bagged her an invitation to the recently-concluded India Beach Fashion Week (IBFW), at Miramar.
"My blog started off as a personal style, beauty and lifestyle portal that serves as an online visual diary of my day-to-day life. I experiment with my look and style, love exploring new things and deconstructing fashion and beauty from the runway, if only to simplify it and bring it to the common people," D'Souza explains. Her blog also features a series of posts related to food and travel.
Apart from this, D'Souza is a fashion writer for websites, an Instagram blogger and a social media influencer, having worked on several campaigns with fashion brands in India.
Saligao girl Jade D'Sa gained immense popularity on social media with her 'Oh-so-Goan' posts on her blog named 'That Goan Girl'. The title not only has piqued people's interest outside the state but has also got her attention from the Goan diaspora.
"I used 'That Goan Girl' as a sort of online diary during my travels to Malaysia and Canada, and when I got back, I filled it with stories on food and lifestyle," she says.
Rhea Gupte started FUSS three years ago as a space to share her thoughts, personal style and editorial projects. The objective was to work on something she is passionate about and to convert it into a full-time job. "I work on FUSS full-time in the capacity of a creative director, conceptualizer, stylist, writer and model," she said.
Social media, without a doubt, goes hand-in-hand with blogging. "My social media channels are an extension to the blog wherein I portray my perspective of the beautiful world around me," said D'Souza. Ramesh, too, firmly believes that for a lifestyle blog, an Instagram account is crucial.
On the type of networking or social media strategy used, these young women believe that good content and consistency are the mantras to enhance traffic to their respective blogs.
"That's the best way to grow; to earn each follower and maintain a relationship with them, rather than to amass tonnes and have no idea who they are," D'Sa opines.
Where pictures are concerned, some bloggers have mastered the art of making things look good on a cellphone cameras, while others have their own photographers.
The journey has brought them face-to-face with a number of interesting personalities. D'Sa met Lord Jeffrey Archer, Vikas Khanna and the finalists of Masterchef Australia 2014. Gupte, on the other hand, has met power blogger Nicole Warne, at Fashion Week in Australia. D'Souza met a host of film stars and models during her IBFW stint.
But, as simple as it may appear, the art of blogging is actually quite a Herculean task. Speaking on the biggest challenge about running a lifestyle blog, Ramesh says that getting noticed and standing out is the biggest challenge, but with originality, this can be overcome.
A lot of people also think that blogging is an easy way to make money online. D'Sa, however, stresses that this could not have been further away from the truth.
"If you want to make money through a blog, you need to write content that generates traffic, convert visitors to subscribers, build trust and sell products/services that you're so confident of. You put your reputation on the line for it. It looks easy on the surface, but each step is extremely complex. It takes months, even years, to get returns on the time you invest," she says.
Similarly, Gupte feels it takes a lot of hard work to establish credibility and a brand with a point of view.
"Approach it intelligently and understand your own skills and how you can lend them to a brand, publication, or client to create value for them out of your services," she advises.
While this exciting venture has been keeping several young bloggers on their toes, the gratification that comes with it makes it all worthwhile.
"It's insanely challenging, but so much fun. And when people come up to me and say, 'Hey, I follow your blog', it makes it all worthwhile," D'Sa concludes.
It's challenging and keeps them on their toes, but is gratifying nonetheless. A few young lifestyle bloggers share with STOI their journey to the spotlight
Source: A trend that hopes to never go out of fashion
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